About a year ago, as part of our 3-months family travels in the western US, we spent 5 days in Yosemite. Not sure if we blogged about it back then, but the beauty of the park was shaded, to some extent, by the masses of people who flooded it. It just didn't feel like nature. Granted, part of the problem was that as a family it's very hard to get away from the most crowded spots.
So fixing that impression was high on my list for this visit. Together with Dan, a good friend I stayed with, and Tamar (a new friend) we went hiking in Yosemite over the last weekend. We embarked on an ambitious and difficult hike: from Yosemite Valley, through the Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, past the Half Dome and all the way to Lake Merced. About 20 km in a day, including circa 4000 feet (more than 1.3 KM) of elevation gain. We camped near the lake, in what most normal people would consider non-camping temperatures (just a bit above zero celsius in the cool of the night). Both Dan and Tamar are what you'd call hard-core hikers; to put things in perspective, while for me it was a challenging adventure, Tamar didn't even bother to sleep in a tent, and mostly seemed as if she went on a short stroll...
Along the lines of my recent "Getting Old" posting, I had some doubts whether my back and body in general will be happy with such an adventure. But I did just fine physically, and had an astounding weekend. Like many others, I think Yosemite is one of the most beautiful pieces of nature on our globe. The powerful waterfalls surrounded by mighty tree-less granite cliffs generate a scene which is impossible to describe. Once you get into the wilderness, away from the mass of visitors, the nature you're immersed in is awe-inspiring in a way no photograph can capture.
Combined with fabulous company, fascinating conversations and friendly whether (well, it hardly rained and certainly didn't snow!) I had such a wonderful weekend, that for a short while I almost forgot how much I missed Anat and the girls :-)
Giora
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