Yosemite National Park — The Wanderers

Here we are, in the middle of the woods after a long 8 hour drive from Los Angeles. It’s almost 9 pm, and we are still trying to figure out how to get to our hotel. It is pitch black outside, the cliffs are insanely high and each turn makes my heart stop. What an entrance we had, lost in Yosemite valley. But I guess that’s how you should do it. It is mesmerizing how you can still grasp the size of a place even though you are incapable of seeing it. It just felt huge, the shadows of the gigantic trees, the shape of mountains that are slowly emerging as we were driving by, everything seemed intimidating. I felt so small and could not wait for the next morning light.

Luckily we made it just in time for the last call at our hotel bar, after a well deserved drink we headed to our beautiful camping set up. We went for the glamping experience, as we wanted a bit of comfort with a touch of wilderness. Hidden in the woods, our little tent was as cozy as it could be.
After a short night of sleep, we woke up feeling grateful. The smell of fresh air combined with the sound of the birds singing were an absolute blessing.

Here’s a few shots of the first few days in Yosemite National Park.

We started our first adventure with the Mist Trail, one of Yosemite’s most popular hike. Though the path was steep, the trail was enjoyable and short.

As we were climbing up, we could start hearing the raging water, it was quite impressive and a bit scary at the same time. It always strikes me how powerful nature is. The climb in itself is a series of switchbacks and stairs, nothing too intense but the tricky part is how wet you will end up; and as you are walking right next to the fall, you quickly end up soaking wet. This was my favorite bit, a thrilling and joyful moment, where nothing else matters but you dancing in the rain!
This is definitively a good starting point for anyone wanting to discover the valley, you even have the possibility of extending the trail by following the John Muir signs. As it was our first day, we did the shorter hike and got back to the valley in the afternoon.

On our second day we decided to go for a less known part of Yosemite; to be frank I was starting feeling a bit tired with all the driving and hiking we have done. So after consulting our lodge’s guide, we headed to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. A supposedly less crowded place, with long and flat hikes, exactly what I needed at the time.

The Valley lies in the Northwestern part of the park and is drained by the Tuolumne river. We got there in less than 20 minutes and could not believe it, no one was there… and the scenery was as impressive as it could be. We ended up going for the scenic trail along the reservoir towards the waterfalls-laced cliffs, a 3 to 4 hour hike that will leave you in awe. Our guide was right, this location was underrated, not only the place is incredibly stunning but the trail is also easy to follow and due to the low intensity of the hike you will end up with plenty of time to enjoy the staggering beauty of Valley.

Yosemite has so much to offer, a host of natural wonders, a piece of heaven for geology and wildlife lovers.

After our last road trip in the Canadian Rockies we were both looking for another epic adventure in the great outdoors, and Yosemite did not disappoint. This place will leave you speechless; the great atmosphere, the fresh earthy smell and the countless scenic viewpoints are unbeatable. No wonder why is it one of America’s greatest natural treasures & most visited park.
As it wasn’t the high season yet, some trails weren’t opened. However, this should not stop you from going as you will have a less crowded experience of the park and can still go on some major hikes.

We spent 4 days in total in Yosemite and we would have loved to spend more but we were running short on time. On our last day we went for the Upper Yosemite Falls hike, this was a difficult and strenuous one to the top of the falls but we were up for the challenge, and started this hike with the best possible mindset.

The trail is a 6 to 10 hour hike depending on your fitness level. And, it does require a certain level of fitness as you are gaining 3000 feet along the way! The beginning was the hardest for me as it was just a long series of turns and steep climb through the woods without any scenic view point. However, after an hour and a half the show began! The Columbia rock view was insane… we could feel the mist from the waterfall and hear the loud roaring sound spreading through the valley. The steepness of the trail was quite something, it just didn’t stop, as we were getting higher we could feel the lack of oxygen and the dizziness that came with it. We had to make several stops to adjust to the height and the heat.

This hike, thus the most challenging one, was also the most rewarding one. I never felt such an exhilarating feeling after a workout, once at the top of the fall you feel so empowered.

Yosemite, we will definitely be back!

We stayed at the Evergreen Lodge and had the most wonderful stay. The location was beyond our expectation and the food on site is really good (they even do S’mores night by the fire pit).
Plan ahead as if you are not staying in the Yosemite Valley the traffic can be dense.
Shuttles within the Yosemite valley are free and run between the main attractions.

Keep in mind that if you are visiting more than two US National Parks it might be worth buying a special pass.

Love,

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