As we got further up the trail, the wind was blowing the mists from the falls directly onto the trail...Joel had to put his nice camera away so it wouldn't get wet! So I took a few shots with my cell phone...they aren't as good, but I wanted a few...we were getting SOAKED. Totally wet...through. It was crazy! Here's Clark taking some pictures with his cell phone...
Here are some of the steps up tot he falls...I would look up and see all the people at the top and think, "I just can't make it clear up there!" The trail was no longer paved, it was dirt and rock, and then steps, and steps, and more steps, carved out of the rock...we just had to keep climbing. All the while getting wet and being cold! It was not what we expected at all!
This picture is blurry, but it's more of the rock steps...from the bridge at the bottom up to the top is a 1,000 foot gain. Believe me, I had to stop even more than before! About every 20 feet it felt like! Wet and slippery rock stairs...I was sure I would not make it to the top! Then Clark would say, "You can't come this far and not finish!" So I would keep climbing...and resting...a LOT. I am happy to say that I was not the only one stopping along the way...MANY people were doing the same thing!
We stopped off to the side and sat on a rock to rest and eat a little snack. The squirrels were totally wanting to join us! We had to keep shoo-ing them away! One guy was sitting on the ground with his back pack and eating a sandwich..the squirrels would climb onto his pack and he had to practically push them away...it was nuts! This picture shows one of the pesky squirrels and also Dave's pants that were wet from the ankles up...lots of water being blown on us!
Beautiful, roaring, wet water!
Looking down below...if you zoom in, you can see the bridge at the very back of this picture...we had come a LONG way...and straight up it seemed!
But guess what...here is the top of Vernal Falls! YES...we MADE IT!!!! And it was totally worth every painful step!! So beautiful!!
As you come up over the last steps, this is the sight you see, granite rock everywhere (and people!) and the water flowing along...
We were drying out a little, but still pretty wet, and my hair...oh my goodness!
Clark at the top...
Me and Dave...still can't believe I made it!
And Joel, the photographer who barely let me take his picture at the top!
We ate our lunch up at the top and rested for awhile enjoying the beautiful scenery. It really was breathtaking and we cannot believe how long we have lived here and have only seen a tiny portion of what Yosemite has to offer! I highly recommend the Vernal Falls hike. If you are more of a hiker, you can continue on to Nevada Falls and eventually arrive at Half Dome. But we had pushed as far as we could and now needed to start our descent...it was just as pretty, and just as wet (the second time getting soaked through!) but a lot easier going down!
We made it back to the footbridge and the rest of the hike down was quick but painful. We had to keep putting on the brakes so we wouldn't fall down! I have a few more pictures of the rest of our day in Yosemite...but will save them for one more post...
Joel took a couple hundred amazing pictures...and I tried to pick and choose, but there is still a picture overload here...so will save the last few for one more post. We did it! And as Clark said, "Old folks can hike!"
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