Yosemite - Day 3
Kelly looking up Vernal Fall
Thursday, October 31
Today we got up pretty early with plans to grab breakfast at the lodge with Ian and Courtney (new to the blog and Ian’s wife) and the head out to hike the Mist/JMT with them for the day. This loop showcases Vernal and Nevada Falls, and is a must see trail if in the park.
Ian has another great write-up here, so I will keep this post shorter again and just add a few tidbits.
While this hike is a must, plan for a full day and pack light. The paved section at the beginning is probably the toughest, both because of the grade and there is little to let you warm up. Once on trail, the views keep you distracted from the elevation gain and also offer good resting points. I think the Mist Trail offers better views of Nevada Fall, and is also easier going up than going down. Luckily, we took the Mist up and JMT down.
Vernal Fall was gorgeous. I can’t imagine how cool it would be in the spring with the snow melt. If I can convince myself to venture back with the crowds, it’s going to be top of the list to see again. Nevada Fall was a great place to hang out, rest, grab a snack, and enjoy the views of the park. Like Ian, we too grabbed a picture of Kelly tipping her hat to Half Dome (remember the hat she bought?) all while standing in front of Liberty Cap. Doh! I guess that makes it an even funnier picture.
Along with the views throughout the day, today was a great day spent with two new friends. Kelly and Ian played in a softball league together in Austin (with Greg), but I had only a few short interactions with the two. Having hours on trail, we talked about a little bit of everything. They are a great couple and just as good hiking buddies…a tough find! I hope to have more days stomping around in the woods with these two down the road (PCT support, maybe?).
We headed back to the lodge to end our day at the Halloween party for everyone that made it out for the wedding. On the drive, Kelly and I (excitedly) remembered that Clayton and his wife, Rebecca, were arriving for the wedding. Clayton and I worked together over the last 5-6yrs at Dana and they were both great friends and long distance neighbors. We joked about how fun it would be if they ended up being our cabin neighbor (as the cabins were essentially duplexes). Fat chance, right? As we walked up to our cabin, we spot Clayton checking out the different areas around the lodge and we shout out to him and ask him how their trip was. We then asked where he was staying and he points over to 4b. We then tell him we were 4a and we all die laughing. I guess we were all just living right that week.
Kelly and I went as the paleontologists, Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, from Jurassic Park. Kelly nailed the costumes, all the credit definitely goes to her. Since we arrived a little late, the kids had already mowed through the food with mostly snacks and dessert leftover. This is normally a pretty good thing, however, this was almost identical to the trail food we had all day and much of the days before. The four of us headed over to the lodge restaurant to end the night with a good meal, good drinks, and good times.
