Normally, I can't start hiking in the high country until at least June, but Tioga pass, the highest pass over the Sierra Nevada Range, opened very early this year due to a lack of snow in the mountains. Continuing my search for great trails in the area, I decided to head down to Yosemite and tackle the daunting hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. It takes a little about two and half hours to get to the entrance of Yosemite from my home, and so I got an early start.
While the roads are clear, there is still a lot of snow and ice in Tuolumne Meadows, the high country above Yosemite Valley. That should deter some of the visitors and keep it from being so incredibly crowded. Another hour or so and I'm in the valley looking for a place to park. All of the magnificent waterfalls that Yosemite is known for are at the height of their flow, which makes for a very enjoyable drive through the valley.
Looking to the north, I see my destination. Yosemite Falls leaps over the sheer granite cliffs a little east of El Capitan, before falling 2425 feet in two tiers (the upper and lower fall), making it the tallest waterfall in North America and sixth tallest in the world. Quite a site to behold from the valley floor, but today, I intend to do more than that.
Parking the jeep alongside the road, I head down a short trail toward Camp 4, looking for the beginning of the Yosemite Falls Trail. Eventually, I find it and start up, up, up toward the top. Effectively, this trail scales the side of Yosemite Valley, leading from valley floor to the edge of Tuolumne Meadows in the high country. That said, it is a monster of a journey. Switchback after switchback over crudely carved and well worn granite steps. I don't think the trail ever went below a 20% grade for the entire distance and in some cases, it was considerably steeper.
To call this 'quite a workout' would be an understatement. Three and a half miles of this unrelenting climb is enough to give someone a heart attack. I have to take quite a few short breaks, just to catch my breath. I won't, however, be intimidated. I will reach the top.
About midway up, there are two areas worth noting. The first is Yosemite Point, from which one can get a grandiose view of the mighty Half Dome, which I have hiked to the top of in the past, but wasn't lucky enough to get permits for this year. The second is an area just above the lower falls, which offers a wide-open view of the upper falls. I stop here to take a few snapshots . . . and rest.
Resting won't lower the top though and so I push on. More and more switchbacks. If I had to guess, I would estimate there are no less than 80 switchbacks on this trail, more than I have ever seen, but it makes sense considering the height we are ascending. I've read estimates that the trail actually climbs something like 2600 feet, which makes sense considering it comes out above the top of the falls. Anyway, that's still 1000+ feet ahead. Onward . . .
As the trail winds its way behind on of the granite cliffs and into the crag behind, it looses sight of the falls. I am not able to see the water again until I finally reach the top. Once there, I catch site of a lone deer scrambling around on the granite. There are a few people resting from the exhausting journey they have just made. I look around for a good shot, but I find that I have to climb back down a ways onto a granite outcropping for a good view of the falls. It's steep and dangerous, but I don't know when or if I will ever be back here again. I edge my way out and get a few pictures of both the falls and the valley below me.
Taking a few minutes to re-hydrate and re-fuel, I relax in the warmth of the sun rays beaming down on me, before heading back. While the way up should be call the heart-pounder, the way down should be named the knee-killer. Just as the trail is unrelenting in it's upward climb, it is just as unapologetic in it's downward direction. I'm generally very good about being able to rock scramble at a good pace down trails like this. And for the first half, I make great time. Eventually though, my 40-year old knees start nagging at me and soon I must rest. The remainder of the journey is fairly uneventful, though I must make frequent stops as my knees scream at me for relief.
I do want to make mention of a piece of trail etiquette that I saw go unobserved by the same group multiple times as we leap-frogged back in forth. No matter how fast you are hiking, be conscious and courteous to other hikers ahead of and behind you. If you see hikers ahead of you that are going at a slower pace. Give them time to notice you and find a spot to pull of and allow you to pass. And in turn, notice others on the trail coming up behind you at a quicker pace and find a place pull over, where it is safe. The later was my complaint of this group. Time after time, along the trail, I saw these three remain oblivious to individuals and groups patiently waiting for them to allow the quicker hikers to pass . . . and waiting . . . and waiting . . . until finally, the quicker hikers had to ask to pass. Just rudeness in my opinion.
Anyway, I finally reached the bottom and found my knees shaking like I was freezing to death as I stood at the wash basin in the camp restrooms. This was really, really a tough trail, but I'm glad I did it. Hopefully, it and others I have planned will prepare me for Mt. Whitney in August. In total, I hiked about 9 miles today and I'm ready to head home, but not before stopping at the famous Whoa Nellie Deli for some dinner.
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