Our second day at Yosemite, I decided to go to the park alone. I figured I could cover more ground, more quickly, without Frank and Fiona, and it ended up being a wise idea, as the extreme heat created power supply issues back at the RV park. Luckily Frank was there to deal with the crisis when the AC died but had the cat and dog been there alone, it could have been an unfortunate situation. We have an emergency generator but you never know if those things will work as promised.
In any case, I arrived at Yosemite pretty early in the day, so I was able to park near the Welcome Center in Yosemite Village, the commercial area within Yosemite Valley. After wandering around a bit on the Valley floor, taking a few shots of the more interesting rock formations, I hopped on the shuttle to Yosemite Falls, the largest water fall in the Park.
As can be seen in the photograph below, Yosemite Falls is actually a combination of three water falls, the entirety of which can only be seen from a distance. On the hike to the base of the falls, only the lower portion is visible. Like Bridal Veil Falls, the wind impacts the flow of water in Yosemite Falls, causing some of it to blow in one direction or another.
The lower portion of Yosemite Falls as seen from the Lower Falls trail. There is also a trail to the Upper Falls, but that’s not a hike I’m prepared to make. Like Bridal Veil Falls, the path of the water here is altered by the wind and by its impact with the rocks in the stream below.
After visiting Yosemite Falls, I took the shuttle back to my car at the Welcome Center and then headed up the winding road to Glacier Point and the Panorama Trail, about an hour’s drive each way from Yosemite Valley.
The scale of distance and sense of perception are so different out west, aren’t they? Glad Frank was with the kids!
John,
Thanks for all the comments on the posts so far. The vastness of the west and the over the top scale of its wide open spaces is what drew me here and keeps me here. I feel so much freer and more open to possibilities here…its the place but also the people that it attracts. Wait till you see the final group of Yosemite pics…talk about scale! Hope to get it out by tomorrow morning.
Leslie,
It’s a beautiful place. Love your photographs of the falls. Makes me want to take a trip!
Glad your babies are okay!
Beautiful pics! I had no idea that Yosemite would be hot this time of year. I’m glad you’re having a great time and you’ve definitely inspired me to visit there in my campervan.
Hey Wendy,
Thanks for checking in. Yosemite is really spectacular and worth a visit. I’m still a bit partial to Death Valley and some of the parks in Utah but I’m definitely glad I went. If I ever get caught up with this blog, I’ll post some of my archives that feature several of my favorite National Parks.