Welcome To Yosemite Falls!

Yes, that’s a rainbow crossing over the lower part of the falls!

My wife Alex and I had the chance to hike one of America’s most beautiful national parks: another outdoor adventure to share with you!

Yes, we are going “up there” – Alex is point to the top of the mountain we will hike up for a view of the Upper Yosemite Falls….here’s what was waiting for us:

Along the way, we will see some wildlife paying little attention to us:

Because of Covid protocols, there were no shuttles inside the park – so we walked the 1.5 miles to the entrance to the Yosemite Falls trail…the walk over is easy but the hike itself isn’t – it’s listed as strenuous and it was:

As the US Parks service describes it:

A steep climb is well rewarded with close-up views of Upper Yosemite Fall and distant views of Half Dome and other Sierra mountain peaks. Along the hike, enjoy a bird’s eye view of Yosemite Valley’s meadows and the meandering Merced River.

And about that “bird’s eye” view:

Spectacular, right? Well, to get to the spot where you get this view, it’s quite an arduous climb!

In the first mile, you climb at times straight up 1,000 feet – with dozens of switchbacks like these:

This is Alex AFTER our climb, heading back down – I got very few shots as we went up because it was so steep and never-ending, I focused on the climb!

But look at these angles to give you an idea of how steep it was:

You end up at Columbia Rock, where you get the spectacular views of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, and Sentinel Rock.

From here, you hike another half a mile to get this stunning view of Upper Yosemite Falls – with a rainbow!

Gorgeous!

We were in heaven: the beautiful serenity of the waterfall, the rainbow, and the splendid isolation….we were so happy!

Alex had a special message for me while I was shooting this rainbow:

As I showed you, the climb down is just as steep, and the rocks were very slick, covered in dirt and slippery…it was indeed a tough climb but worth it! You can easily twist an ankle as you navigate these uneven rocks:

As we hiked down, we were joined by some grazing deer along the trail:

By the way, if you don’t want to make this grueling climb, just go to “Lower Yosemite Falls”:

The lower falls is an easy, fairly flat walk of less than half a mile, and there are hundreds who gather to get shots of the lower falls behind them- just as we did!

Now, if you’ve read this far, I need your help – one of my Yosemite photos has become a finalist in a great contest from an amazing Lodge!

This is the Rush Creek Lodge, located right outside the north-west entrance to Yosemite National Park. We stayed here and they told me about a contest they had – and here is the photo I submitted:

Yes, it’s my “upside down” selfie with the Upper Yosemite Falls rainbow – I have figured out how to do this “in the camera” and always have a blast doing it.

Also, the resort is incredible, especially for families: they have game rooms with pool tables, s’mores making every night, fire pits and a heated pool and hot tubs…a great restaurant on site and they are VERY family friendly!

Here’s their link:

https://rushcreeklodge.stories.travel/contest/Colors-of-Yosemite-2021-09-26

Yosemite was incredible – in fact, here is a shot of the famous “Half Dome” as the sun was setting:

Gorgeous, right?

Alex and I have been on a “National Park” high since the pandemic hit: we can drive to them without interacting with anyone, the outdoor spaces are never-ending, and the hiking and views are spectacular!

That included our exhilarating hike up Angel’s Landing – click to see more about this dangerously fulfilling hike!

I will say that this was one of the most exciting, terrifying and satisfying hikes I’ve ever done, and the incredible beauty of the park all around you is worth the effort!

We did this hike just one day after we hiked in the Virgin River at the place called “The Narrows”:

Yes, miles of this hike and through the fast-moving river, and it leads you into canyons that are spectacular!

Click here to see our entire hike!

If you think Alex doesn’t surprise me with an adventure every day of my life, here’s what she did for me on my last birthday:

She took me 500+ feet straight up a Via Ferrata!

Since I am typing this, I survived, but it was quite the climb!

Click here to see it all!

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Categories: Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Sports, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir

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