INTRODUCTION
My Mom, Dad, and I had just finished up three days of exploration along the coast of southern California when we turned our car inland from Monterey with the goal of exploring Yosemite for the first time. It was January of 2022, not exactly peak season for visits to Yosemite. And while this meant that there was some risk that getting to the park would be difficult, and that once there, we may not have the easiest time exploring it to the fullest potential due to snow, it also meant that we’d be exploring what we could with a relative lack of people. Thankfully, the snow fall had been relatively light in the Sierra Nevadas over the preceding weeks, and our visit to the park was unimpeded.
We arrived in the early morning before the sun had fully risen over the eastern walls of the Yosemite Valley. A thin layer of fog blanketed certain low-lying portions of the valley meadow as we drove my car over the park’s winding roads. Initially, trees surrounded us on both sides of the road obscuring any views at the iconic landmarks that make the park what it is. But as we drove further the trees thinned in number and moved further away from the road. Suddenly, I saw El Capitan for the first time out my windshield. I pulled the car into a pullout off to the right side of the road and got out to stare at the giant face of granite. The bite of the morning cold sapped the warmth from my face and hands and my breath fogged in front of my eyes with each exhalation as I tried to comprehend the size of what I saw. Like with most other natural wonders, you can never really fully wrap your mind around what you’re seeing and you eventually stop trying to understand it and let yourself be overwhelmed. My attention was swiftly pulled into another direction when I caught my first glimpse of Bridal Veil Falls off to my right poking up above the tree tops. In this brief moment I immediately understood the appeal of this place.
We continued deeper into the park and eventually made our way to the parking lot of the Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. From here, we donned our cold weather gear and hiking boots and set off on a hike along the valley floor. After we made it past the ice covered asphalt walkways of the first portion of the trail, we made it to Swinging Bridge crossing the Merced River that flows throughout Yosemite Valley. The river was exceptionally still that morning, creating a mirror-like surface reflecting the image of the majestic Upper Falls visible in the distance. The ground on either side of the river was white with snow, and with essentially nobody in the park, there was a wonderful silence broken only by a hushed wind rustling the needles of nearby pine trees. We continued along this trail for a bit longer, catching our first glimpses of half dome projecting into the sky to the South. Before too long, we turned back to the car to get warm and venture deeper into the park.
The views from our first little jaunt near Swinging Bridge | Fuji X-H1
The agenda for the day was to eventually get on the Valley Meadow Trail which loops around the periphery of the valley, taking you past the park’s most iconic landmarks. But before we did so, we paid a visit to the Village Store near the visitor’s center to stock up on snacks. Having never been to Yosemite, I was somewhat surprised to find that the Village Store was essentially a fully fledged (but small) grocery store. Whereas some parks barely have any facilities at all, Yosemite’s popularity affords it the opportunity to have a small town within it. I made a mental note of this convenience for future trips. Stocked up on snacks and water, we found a parking spot along the road near Upper and Lower Falls, and set out for a day’s hike in the valley.
The first portion of the hike sent us through dense trees along a small creek presumably fed by Upper and Lower Falls. And eventually, these falls came into view. By this time in the late morning people had started to arrive and we no longer had the same moments of complete silence I cherished earlier in the morning, but of course this didn’t significantly detract from the experience. We took some time to take in and photograph the Lower Falls which fell onto some rocks creating a flowing cascade at its base, and then we continued away from the falls to the West. This trail was relatively flat the whole way but still required us to be careful with our footing given the snow and ice on the ground.
Upper and Lower Falls | Fuji X-H1
We made our way into the central aspect of the valley, out away from the rock walls on either side. From here we could face any direction and see at least one of Yosemite’s staggering icons. To the Northwest was El Capitan, standing resolutely, impressively not because of intricate features, but simply because of its monolithic grandeur. To the Southwest was Bridal Veil falls, dropping majestically from a height of 617ft. To the Southeast was Half Dome and Clouds Rest in the distance behind it. All of these features beckoned to be explored and I promised myself I would one day.
We continued across the valley and walked on its southern aspect, following a deeply snow-covered trail surrounded by tall trunks of trees on both sides. Eventually, this brought us to the Yosemite Valley Chapel, with wooden siding painted a deep red, windows trimmed in yellow, with a little steeple poking up to the sky. It sat on a blanket of white ground like a perfectly preserved (and still in use) reminder of past times. From here, we again crossed the valley back to the car.
Views from the valley floor | Fuji X-H1
We drove west (out of the park somewhat) and pulled into a parking area near the base of El Capitan. We weren’t about to leave without seeing it up close. From the parking area we set out on a short hike to get close to its base. As we neared and stood and stared, impossibly tiny foci of neon green and blue and red came into view scattered about the face of rock. Once I realized that these miniscule dots represented people suspended from invisible ropes, the sudden sense of scale sent my mind into a sort of distant analytical amazement.
Like my first sighting of this behemoth earlier this morning, I eventually became overwhelmed with trying to grasp its sheer size. And having recently watched Free Solo in the months leading up to this trip, I found my mind attempting to adopt the perspective of Alex Honnold on his ropeless ascent of the rock face in front of me. My hands started sweating and I quickly looked down at the ground to convince my brain that I was indeed firmly planted on the ground.
Climbers on the face of El Capitan | Fuji X-H1
Back at the car, we started our drive out of the park, with one more stop planned on our way out: Tunnel View. This is probably the most photographically famous view in the park, from which you can stare out at El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and the entirety of the Yosemite Valley. I took some time to silently take in the view, imagining how small I would be next to each one of these landmarks and envisioning the paths around each of them I might take on future adventures. And then, we drove through the tunnel of Tunnel View and exited the park along the winding curves of Wawona Road heading south. As we left the park behind I was left with one conclusion: I’ll be back, sooner rather than later.
Tunnel View | Fuji X-H1