Capture California, the Game-2012
Team: Thing One, Thing Two
Date: May 20, 2012
Location: Yosemite Valley
Hike Info:
Trail: Swinging Bridges to Yosemite
Falls
Distance: 2.5, Round Trip
Duration: 1 hour
Elevation Rise: Small
There is something magical and healing
about being in Yosemite Valley in the Spring. And we needed it. It
had been a bit of a rough week for the Team. Our Spring clean up was
underway, severely cutting into the fun of traipsing around the local
country-side. Then Thing Two got a bit under the weather—she still
is. But seeing the water running off the sides of the rim of the
Valley is soothing to the soul and music to the body. Even a short
walk across the Valley and back was good for us. It helped us to be
out and about again. While there was not very many people, there
still is a lot more people than on a mountain trail. A pleasure of
this time of year is that people are not in a hurry and are enjoying
the sights and each other.
Our trip today is a short one and easy
one. We did not get up there until late, around 4:30, and with Thing
Two under the weather, easy is good. We start from the Swinging
Bridge parking lot on the south side of the Valley. You immediately
cross the Merced River—the actual swinging bridge is no longer
there, it is a normal, everyday bridge which NPS puts up these days.
Note: There is another Swinging Bridge in Yosemite. This one is at
Wawona, not the Valley. That bridge really does swing and is a trip
to go on.
From the bridge, we have a great view
of Yosemite Falls—it is a favorite of all sorts of romantic people.
While we were there, a wedding party descended on it and took some of
their wedding day pictures there. Onward we went down a paved path
towards Yosemite Lodge. On our return trip, a small herd of deer
would be feeding there. We cross the main road heading out of the
Valley at Camp 4, then turn east. This is a favorite area for rock
climbing training and we see several groups practicing their moves.
We eventually meet up with the main trail up to Yosemite Falls. Only
one steep place, and even that is short and not too bad.
The Falls are not going strong this
year. Last year we got sprayed heavily from the Falls at this very
point. But this year all is dry—see the picture above. I think by
July, the Falls will hardly be running. One advantage of coming this
late in the evening, is the shadows makes the rocks stand out in
relief. Such as one of my favorites—Lost Arrow.
On our way back, we see one of the
best views of Yosemite Valley's icon—Half Dome. This is from the
back of the garbage area of Yosemite Lodge. From here the immenseness
of the Dome gets captured. Onward back to the car—the solar eclipse
has already started, without us.
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