Yosemite Revisited

Yellowstone--majestic, stately, wondrous. Yosemite--rugged, rogue, perilous. Yellowstone--geysers, canyons, waterfalls, and wildlife. Yosemite--domes, hidden lakes, meadows with babbling brooks, and towering evergreens. While both are untamed and beautiful, they are so in different ways. Yellowstone--many sweeping curves and gentle slopes. Yosemite--steep, sharp, turns on the edges of canyon walls. Yellowstone--intentional, methodical, wise. Yosemite--intense, dramatic, unpredictable.

The whole day seemed to encompass hairpin turns with no railguards and breathtaking views that made the tips of your fingers ache. Bridalveil Fall was our first stop in the Yosemite Valley. We have seen what seems to be hundreds of beautiful waterfalls, but this one is unique in that when the water leaps over the edge of the 620 foot cliff its course is at the mercy of the wind, its direction shifting with each gust. To give perspective, this waterfall is only 10 feet shorter than the Arch. From there we saw El Capitan and Half Dome and took several pictures. One of the gallery posts shows several climbers attempting to scale El Capitan.

The highlight of the day was later that evening. Once again God seemed to be looking out for us. It was getting late, and we needed to make a choice whether to begin the trek down the mountain and pull into Fresno at 10:30, or drive another 45 minutes to a place called Glacier Point. The choice was to pull a late nighter. It definitely paid off. We got to see a beautiful sunset across from Half Dome. That choice put us in Fresno at about 12:30, tired, but also inspired by the days events and sights.