The Beauty of Yosemite

My first visit to Yosemite National Park in Central California is complete. Yet, there is nothing about a visit here that leaves you complete – or incomplete – but in a new state of wonder and awe at the beautiful creation around us.

The first thing that is amazing about Yosemite is the sheer size of it. There’s a park entrance, sure. In fact, quite a few of them. But once inside, it’s like you’ve entered another state. In fact, it’s bigger than some other states in the United States.

With one of my brothers, his wife, and their 7-month old daughter, who live in California, along with my parents and I who were all visiting from Florida – we had traveled up by car – give or take about 6 hours – from the Los Angeles area. And so, we entered at the South Entrance. Once inside the park, it was about another 45 minutes or so to where we were staying. We rented a 3-bedroom home in Yosemite West. From there, each day we traveled about 30-45 minutes each way around the various areas of the park we would see which included Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point. This also meant that we had to load up on groceries (we bought enough for 3 days) at a grocery store located outside the park, about twenty minutes prior to entering through Yosemite’s south entrance gate.

The first day we arrived a little after 4:00 PM and so we just took it easy at the house, grilled out and made some dinner as we enjoyed the beautiful green scenery and mountain views all around us. There are just a ton of HUGE trees here. It’s green everywhere. Perhaps that’s why they call them evergreen. It’s so quiet and peaceful here. On an after-dinner walk with my parents, the only sound we could hear was ourselves – and occasionally some birds.

The next morning we rose early, ate breakfast at the house, and drove over to the Yosemite Valley area (about 30 minutes away). We went through the half-mile long (or so) tunnel. Once we emerged outside the tunnel, we got an amazing view of Yosemite Valley. Wow! There is an area there to park and we did so quite easily (we noticed later in the day this is not as easy). We took in the view and got in some amazing photos. Then, we moved on. There was much more to see.

As we drove over near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, we passed some amazing sights to our left including El Capitan. This is a mountain that includes a steep wall on its side that many high-level mountain climbers have scaled. Every time I looked up at it, I tried to imagine how anyone could climb that – or why they would want to. But men have landed on the moon, so scaling El Capitan perhaps is doable – and not as far.

Once we parked at the Visitor Center, we split up into two groups. My brother Tony, his wife Ann, and I made our ways towards the Mist Trail, while my parents took my 7-month-old niece towards Yosemite Falls. The falls they walked by (there are the upper and lower falls) includes the tallest waterfall in the United States. However, it doesn’t’ flow year-round.

In fact there were lots of waterfalls around Yosemite, including many we came across. However, this time of year – late May – is the ideal time to come if you want to see waterfalls. The water that is falling is part of the snow melt of the springtime in Yosemite. Later in the summer or fall, the water falls disappear. But on this spectacular late spring day we were there, with temperatures from the 40s to the 70s (mostly in the 60s and 70s during the day) there were just beautiful waterfall sights in so many places. And the sound of the water flowing just made you feel like you were someplace special – someplace alive with nature.

As Tony, Ann, and I made our way along the hike of the Mist Trail – we journeyed 1.5 miles in each direction. It doesn’t sound long, but the entire trail involves walking up a paved path that was a fairly steep incline. And that was before we reached the steps (I counted about 720 steps in each direction!) that went alongside the river, up to the top of an amazing water fall at the conclusion of the Mist Trail. It took us about an hour to get to the top. When you’re about 15 minutes from the top, the steps of the trail are very wet and the mist begins to grow and cover your face and body with constant mists of water – all coming off the power of the water fall. It is somewhat risky, but beautiful. And it’s the most popular trail in the park, so you must go slow, as there are many people of varying ages and abilities going up and down constantly. My brother told me there is at least one fatality along this trail each year. I think mostly it is just so well traveled, slippery, and a waterfall alongside the trail. You don’t want to miss a step!

Once we made our way out of the mist and climbed the final few minutes of the trail, we reached the top where it was sunny and lots of people lounging around. We took in some sights from above the waterfall, looking down on the trail below. “It looks like what I imagine the Inca Trail in Peru to look like,” I said. We then opened up our backpacks, took out our sandwiches and Gatorades and enjoyed lunch with a most spectacular view. Just watch out for the squirrels, who are ready to finish your sandwich if you put it down for more than a few seconds.

We thought the hike down would be more difficult. Looking down from a tall height, while walking along the edge of a waterfall might be terrifying, I thought. But actually, it was much easier. Perhaps because we now knew the trail. And in fact, on the way down we could see we weren’t as close to “the edge” of the water fall as we thought.

We then met back up with my parents who had been walking the paths around Yosemite Falls pushing the 7-month-old girl around while she surprisingly napped most of the time. All of us then made our way back to the house and relaxed for a couple hours in the later afternoon before making an early dinner. We wanted to be done so we could head up to Glacier Point well before sunset. It was about another 30-40 minute drive in a different direction – UP the mountain.

While our house in Yosemite West was at about 6,000 feet elevation, we climbed up to over 8,000 feet elevation to take in one of the most magnificent sights these eyes have ever seen. It looked fake. No, it looked like a painting. While taking in the views there you really do feel like you are looking at a painting. While reviewing the photos later, you can’t help but think it looks like you were in a studio. You were. God’s studio is all around us.

Glacier Point is the spot of the famous picture of President Theodore Roosevelt with naturalist John Muir standing on the rock overlooking the valley below. What a special place. It’s no wonder naturalists like Muir convinced leaders like President Teddy Roosevelt to preserve it. I hope we can do so for the many generations that will follow us. We were fortunate to be there as the sun was setting on this spectacularly beautiful day we were privileged to experience at Yosemite.

About half way back to the house, as we were coming down from Glacier Point in the twilight of the sunset, about a half dozen or so cars ahead of us were stopped on the road with a number of people out of their car. “What on earth are they doing?” we all said. There was a bear! It was about 100 yards away from the road. I had left my camera (with the long lens) in the trunk. I asked to get out of the car to get it, but my brother was driving and no one in the car thought it was safe to get out. A life lesson: don’t leave your camera in the trunk!

The next morning, my mom and I joined Tony for a hike around Mirror Lake. This is accessible from the Yosemite Valley area, not far from the Visitors Center area we were at the day before. We hiked along a very interesting trail, that was rocky and with many tall trees. However, this dirt and rock path was to the right side of the lake. We hiked about a mile and a half before realizing that the “view” of the reflection of the mountain in the lake was only to be had on the other side – where the hike was along a paved road. We didn’t want to continue the five miles it would have taken to go around that lake, so we turned back. As my brother and mom went towards the car, I told them I was going to hike the 30-minute round trip to get the proper view of Mirror Lake from the left side of the lake. They let me do that and brought the car slightly closer to the trail so I wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to the car and they wouldn’t have to wait as long for me to do so.

Upon getting to the lake, it was another “wow” moment. All along that trail (on both sides) you can get a great view of a strong stream of water rushing along rocks at various points. The sound of the water is soothing and the beauty of the trees, the water, the mountains, the rocks – were just amazing! I took in the view at Mirror Lake and snapped some really amazing photos. Once again, while there you just can’t believe what you’re seeing. I just thought it was neat that God put this mountain right there next to this lake to enable us to get a dual view of this mountain. It seemed to make you feel that God was smiling back at you. It’s like a window into his view of his creation. Or so I thought.

I met Tony and mom back at the car. On the drive back, we stopped quickly next to El Capitan to snap a photo, as the rain started. We then drove back to the house to meet up with my dad, Ann, and my niece, who all just wanted to relax that morning. After lunch, Tony took Ann up to Glacier Point, while my parents took my niece for a walk around the neighborhood. I took stock of my photos and loaded them into my saved Dropbox folders. And then I went up to the loft on the second floor of the house and spent about two hours reading as the rain fell outside along the trees. Just a relaxing afternoon, followed by another great dinner at the house (with some California wine, of course) to bring our vacation to Yosemite to a close. It is an experience I will never forget. I have my memories and some photos. A window into the beauty God has prepared for us.

Or, if you prefer the words of John Muir: “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”