Well, you have been wonderful co-travelers all, but it's Day 6, our last in the beautiful Valley. Matt and Wendie will hike up the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls, and then down the Mist Trail, which is probably the scariest hardest stretch of trail to come down, as it is wet, and the steps were built for giants. Way to introduce Wendie to Yosemite, eh? Jeffery and I took a good long bike ride down to Swinging Bridge, and all around. At 11, having met up, showered and packed out, we all shared hugs and wished Matt and Wendie farewell; then we and Grama convoyed down to look at El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls before we got on the road to home, and split apart at Hwy 120, she to Sonora, and we to Tioga Pass/395. What a blissful last day, and memorable vacation!
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| Matt and Wendie are ready to hike! Wendie learned about the need for a brimmed hat when hiking on sunny granite paths |
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| I guess it would've been hard to experience the '97 Flood in Yosemite. Where would you go to watch it all? |
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| My honey! Thank you Jeffery for a wonderful vacation! |
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| the oldest building in the Valley, the little church |
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| reflection of Yosemite Falls |
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| all three sections of Yosemite Falls |
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| rock work on the chimney at Curry Village |
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| walking up to the foot of El Capitan |
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| Jeffery can now say he climbed on El Capitan |
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| I love El Capitan! |
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| Jeffery's photos had better color and detail. Can you find the climber on the hill? |
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| Zoom up on the climber. Can you see him? We could hear the climbers talking to eachother. |
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| the climber's rope and the sheer-walled foot of El Capitan |
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| on to Bridalveil Falls, which is like tissue, compared to the other Falls we'd visited |
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| Grama chugged up the hill, a .25 mile hike, to the view at the base of Bridalveil Falls |
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| Suddenly, the wind changes the entire flow and shape of the Falls; seeming to stop it at times |
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| then the wind blows the falls into a wide-spreading mist that dampened us |
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| first right, then left, then straight down the water comes and falls |
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| We thought this falls a great way to end the vacation! |
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| one last peak out of the motorhome at El Capitan |
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| going over, but still shy of the actual Tioga Pass; this view contains Half Dome to the center-right, and Cloud's Rest is the dark knob to the left |
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| It was fffffffrrrreeeeeeezzzzziiiinngg, so we got a quick couple of photos and got back in the vehicle! |
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| frozen lake, which was peculiar, as another lake right near it was not frozen |
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| super cool peak as we head down Tioga Pass towards the dry California desert and Hwy 395 |
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| Mono Lake (keep it blue!) |
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| We ate dinner in Reno, and then parked and slept at Hallelujah Junction, where Hwys 395 and 70 meet. A hot cup of joe and a bathroom in the morning made the ride home so much nicer than trying to get home last night. |
There we go. We're home, and ready to begin the next set of adventures while we settle back into regular life. It was a dream come true.
