This post is dedicated to my uncle, John Campbell, may he rest in paradise.
Legend has it that Yosemite has healing powers, and anyone who visits the national park can see why. The peaceful noise of a trickling river, the wind whistling through the trees, and a thin layer of snow lying on the ground overwhelms you with beauty. Giant waterfalls roar in the distance and granite mountains tower over you. The spirit of Yosemite fills you up, and you forget about your stresses that remain outside of the Valley.
This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel to Yosemite and experience its beauty myself. It gave me goosebumps to see Half Dome in person after seeing so many pictures of it before. The whole valley was filled with beautiful trees and timid wildlife. Tourists were parked along the side of the road, and it made me smile to see parents taking pictures with their children in front of the famous landmarks.
Being avid hikers, we tackled the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. After what felt like a million switch backs, we were rewarded with many beautiful views of the valley with Half Dome looming in the back.
This was my favorite picture that we took. To the left is the Upper Yosemite Falls and to the right is Half Dome. Shout out to my GoPro for the super awesome wide angle!
In person, the waterfall was massive. This picture is beautiful but it doesn't truly do the waterfall justice. On the trail, we could feel the spray and the wind that it created. There was a noticeable drop in temperature and we were shivering while we took a break to eat our lunch.
Here's a picture of Eli and me in front of the giant waterfall.
Back on the ground, we walked a small distance from the trailhead to see the Lower Yosemite Falls. You can see the two waterfalls peaking through the trees as you walk along the path.
With our backs to the base of the waterfall, we got a beautiful view of the river. Unfortunately, we didn't get a good picture of the lower falls.
The trees towered over us. It's an awesome feeling to be surrounded by living beings so much older and bigger than us.
There was a petting zoo at the campground with a half dozen fat and happy donkeys, llamas and goats, and a few chickens. They poked their nose through the fence when you walked by in hopes that you'll feed them a handful of grass.
And just for fun, here's a picture of a very photogenic alpaca!
Overall, our trip was incredible. Beautiful views, incredible company, and a peace of mind. Our weekend trip was too short and we cannot wait to go back to discover what else Yosemite has to offer.
My question to all my readers is, have you ever been to Yosemite? If so, share your favorite memory of your trip in a comment below.
Thank you for reading and happy trails!
Thank you for reading and happy trails!