Day 43-44: Yosemite National Park
National Park #17
And on day 43 we visited the 3rd U.S. National Park, Yosemite. Pronounced: Yo-sem-it-ee or Yo-semite. We’ve heard it both ways.
Jokes aside, the beauty of Yosemite smacks you right in the face as you arrive. The huge granite cliffs, the towering waterfalls, the babbling of the Merced River—it’s aggressively pretty—and you get a sample of it all just by driving through Yosemite Village to the Visitors Center.
But of course, the best way to explore a National Park is by hiking through it. On the first day here we took it easy and explored around Yosemite Village. We started with the Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, an easy 1 mile loop to get up close to the Lower Falls that greet you as you drive in. From there we walked around Cook’s Meadow, another easy 1 miler, that gives you introductory views of Half Dome and other Yosemite staples. These trails were fine for an intro course, but if you really want to see what Yosemite has to offer, you have to try something more…elevated. Which brings us to Day 2.
For Day 2, our full day at the park, we wanted something challenging that would really show off the park’s range. The Ranger recommended Vernal and Nevada Falls via John Muir Trail. We did the hike. It was, as advertised, strenuous and beautiful.
One of my favorite experiences was hiking on the snow on the way up to Vernal Falls with and without YakTrax. Kory was so sick of me saying YakTrax by the end of the trip but have you TRIED THEM?! They are game changing. The snow we had to walk on was matted, melting, and slippery as hell. With the YakTrax (spikes you can add to your shoes) we bought on a whim at the park store, we were able to continue the hike while we watched others have to turn back or literally crawl on hands and knees to avoid slipping.
All of it was worth it though, for the waterfalls and amazing Liberty Cap views.
Between the snow, the elevation (approx. 2000 feet), and the length, this was probably the hardest single hike we did the entire trip. Zion takes the cake for most hiking in one day, but that was 3 separate trails. More on that later. Suffice it to say that when we were done, I was D.E.A.D.💀. My feet hurt, I was probably dehydrated, and I was HANGRY. I was ready to quit the trip, go home, snuggle my dogs, and sleep in a real bed.
This is when I learned about the mystical healing powers of pizza.
Post-hike we hit up Parkside Pizza. I won’t lie. When we arrived, I was in a foul mood. But we ordered, I ran back to the van to change and trade my very restrictive sports bra for a normal one, washed my face, and when I came back the pizza had arrived.
I had 3 slices and was literally on top of the world. I had done a complete 180 in terms of mood. This pizza will forever live in my memory as the happiest pizza has ever made me. It was SO good, but it was also necessary. Rarely is pizza necessary, but this one was.
What you need to know:
To really do this park justice, you really need at least 3-4 days here, if not more. Not for nothing is this considered one of the crown jewels of national parks.
You, yes you, can do hikes marked “strenuous.”
If you’re going to hike Vernal and Nevada Falls, do it in the summer when you can take the Mist Trail for at least part of the way. The John Muir Trail is switchback after switchback, but it’s your only option in the winter months. It adds a ton of unnecessary elevation and length. It does get you steps though, if you’re into that sort of thing.
For a National Park, Yosemite actually has decent cell service around Yosemite Village. You can also usually find cell service if you climb to the tops of cliffs, but that’s a lot of work.
The best way to do really any National Park is to camp there. We were a little too fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants to book campsites usually, but if you have more planning time try and score a campsite!