Yosemite (07/13/10 – 07/15/10)
MP, LL, and I hit up Yosemite this past week. It was an amazing time for the three of us! We were a good amount of tired by the end of hiking to Upper Yosemite Falls. They should be so proud and accomplished as this is their first time really hiking — let alone, with a 2,700 ft elevation gain! MP almost didn’t make it, but she surprised us by meeting us at the top about 40 minutes after LL and I arrived! It was a joyous moment! 
A few of my photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pipsyrules/sets/72157624517618188/
Though LL took some amazing photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/wheezy/Yosemite2010#
Tuesday, 7/13:
- Bridalveil Falls
On our way to Bridal Falls
- Mirror Lake
Wednesday, 7/14:
- Woke up around 5:45am, grabbed breakfast at 6am, left for the park at 6:30am, and arrived around 7:45am.
- Walked from Parking lot C to Camp 4.
- Hiked from the base of Camp 4 to Upper Yosemite Falls. We started around 9:30am and didn’t make it to the top until 2pm. MP was feeling nauseous from the elevation gain, so we stopped several times. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel affected (though it wasn’t until we were descending that it actually started making me feel dizzy!). MP has said for us to continue going on to the top without her and we’d catch up with her on our way down. Halfway through the hike I had ran out of water, and then LL did too. Luckily we ran into someone (from Foster City!) that had a filtration system. What a lifesaver! When we got to the top, we were stunned by the beauty of the running stream that flows over the edge of the mountain and becomes the waterfall! I had told LL we should cross the stream to get to the other side (since there was no real way to climb down the rocks onto the side where there few people). She crossed immediately, but then I started to have doubts as the rock was slippery! A guy from the side that I wanted to get to actually came out and helped me across! There were 3 guys that we ended up talking to, all from Israel. One of them goes to school in San Diego for Architecture now. He lent me his towel so I could change into my bathing suit. How nice! The 3 guys said they had actually walked all the way around the water to get to that side but what we had done was much easier and faster.
MP came up and crossed to our side and LL and MP went further up the stream to sit in the water. I hung out and laid flat on my back in the icy, cold water and also dunked my face in first. It was soooo refreshing!
Refreshing mountain water!
- Lot’s of other people started to cross the water once we had done so…we tend to start trends! :) We hung out around the top for a good hour and a half.
Upper Yosemite Falls
- Too bad we didn’t have more time, like half a day left…
We crossed back through the water, and the guy who originally lent me his hand, assisted again. Then his friend, who goes to San Diego ends up crossing too and asks me for my number! Anyway, LL and I check out the overlook point and then the three of us girls head down the mountain. When we got to the ground floor, we were relieved and overjoyed. Nothing like good ‘ole flat land! We walked to the market to pick up drinks and relax for a bit. While we were relaxing on the bench outside the market, we noticed the same dog we walked passed (while walking to the market) waiting for it’s owner outside. We wanted to know what it was, so once the owner came out, I sprang up and asked him. From there, we got into a conversation of his dog, a Napoleon Mastiff, where he’s from, rock climbing, where we’re staying/where he’s living, what we do for a living, and national parks. The girls left me by myself to converse with the dude. Lot’s of people came up to ask to pet his dog, in which they did. While that happened, I grabbed my phone, quickly trying to think of how to ask him for his contact info. When I got back to him, he turns around and says, “Oh, and I should give you my contact information in case you’re in the area again.” That SAVED ME from asking him! Whew! I would have sounded all blubbery! Anyway, it was quite surreal. I was all scrubby, sweaty, dirt dirty with an orange bandanna in my hair, hiked up socks, wallet items bulging out of my breast pocket. God, I was a mess! But strangely, he was okay with that! Anyway, it was a good day! Two phone numbers without trying! Ohhh, keep the outdoorsy guys coming! 
Thursday, 7/15:
- Picked up breakfast at the lodge, headed out of Oakhurst and made stops in Merced (3 boutique shops), Turlock (Sonic), and the Tracy (outlets — absolutely nothing there). It was kind of an uneventful day, but relaxing. I dropped off the girls at their houses around 2pm and was exhausted when I got home. Ended up going to sleep around 8pm!
I can’t wait to go back to Yosemite…I really want to do the four mile trail, nevada trail, and vernal falls trail!
