Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap

If yesterday was superlative beyond words, what chance have I got today to describe the hike to the top of the Nevada Falls along the iconic Mist Trail.

Mere words cannot describe the feelings, assault on the senses, impact on the mind, enormous sensation of well being and gratefulness for being sufficiently fit and able to experience today's hike.

The Mist Trail begins at the far eastern end of Yosemite Valley and for the first mile or so is a tarmaced path thronged with people, some making light work of the gradient, others showing the effects of the effort on their faces.

All around the valley sides rise vertically above in an almost oppressive way. The first point of note is the Vernal Falls bridge crossing the Mecred River, giving the initial view of the Falls ahead and several hundreds of metres above.

The trail becomes rockier from then on, climbing alongside the river with the last stretch up over 700 steps cut into the granite rock. This is where you get wet from the mist and spray from the thunderous falls. Here, the sunlight plays with the spray to create rainbows in the falling water.

Eventually you come to the top of the Falls, a large ice smoothed expanse of granite with railings right alongside the lip of the falls where you can watch the water plunge away and have take a selfie of you in this special place.

For most people this is as far as they go but many travel on another 1.5 miles and 1000 feet of ascent to the top of the Nevada Falls, surrounded on all sides by towering peaks, none more so that the dome shaped Liberty Cap.

At first the going is easy but the final stretch up innumerable zig zags is relentless and steep and in full sun so it is s relief to reach the top, enter Little Yosemite Valley and join the John Muir Trail to the top of the Nevada Fall, which is an idyllic place for lunch.

From the top of the falls the choice was to retract our steps back down the challenging zig zags or go on via the John Muir Trail back to the Vernal Falls bridge. Unfortunately the John Muir Trail was closed for the winter for a short section at the beginning of the descent. I asked a couple of people who came from that direction and they said the trail was fine and worth doing.

A group of undecided hikers gathered at the imposing Trail Closed for the Winter sign wondering whether to risk crossing the barrier. In the end we decide to take the plunge and despite a short section where water cascaded from an overhang the trail was absolutely fine, giving spectacular views of Nevada Falls, Liberty Cap, Mount Broderick, Grizzly Peak and the smooth back side of the Half Dome which was where this shot was taken. It was a much easier way down with evidence of tarmac even on the upper reaches and in the end a good decision, aided and abetted by quite a few other groups.

At Clark Point we rejoined an open trail back to the Vernal Falls bridge and down the trail back to the parking lot and the end of a most memorable day you could have wished for.

A repeat of last night when we got back to Cabin 23; tea, ukulele, beer, dinner, sleep.