Finally, we scaled the mountain into Yosemite National Park, and secured a camping spot at Tuoloumne Campground. The campsites are packed rather tight and mish mash, but we were just adjacent to the Tuoloumne River which is beautiful and worthy of a painting – and of course, Aly took a swim in it. There was a Ranger program at 2:00 at Pothole dome, where we delivered Aly, and Jennifer and I took a hike around the dome and down to a different and even more beautiful section of the river. The River reminded me of the American River in Northern California.
WEDNESDAY JULY 11th
Wednesday we got up early and drove a couple hours to Yosemite Valley, CA
Saw Half Dome, and the Tunnel View and three brothers. Camp at North Pines or overflow parking – driving in, and went straight to the camping registration Kiosk as instructed to attempt to get a camping spot. We put our name on “the list”, and then rode our bikes to the trailhead and hiked the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. The Trail, the waterfall, and the entire Valley is phenomenal. My words and pictures do not do it justice. It was a good climb, and a great, perfectly manicured trail with excellent viewpoints all the way up the 1 mile change in elevation.
On our return we rode or bikes over to the Yosemite Lodge and had lunch, and picked up some TShirts and other tourist souveniers. We were to be back at the registration office at 3:00 to claim our site. I took a wrong turn on the maze of one way roads, and we rode a mile or so out of the way, in the wrong direction, before we realized it. I peddled my ass off back to the registration office, and just barely secured the campsite. We found our site, and all went for a swim in the frigid Toulumne River. Camped at North Pines
We still had time to get on the bikes and go back on a couple short trails…
Aly Drinking from Yosemite Falls..
