Day 15 & 16 of our USA Road Trip.

After a good night rest in our motel in Oakhurst, it was time to reach our last National Park, the Yosemite. We went quite earlier to beat the traffic and get a good parking spot not too far. After passing the entrance at the Mariposa Grove Gate, our first sight of the valley was at Tunnel View.

Upon parking near the Visitor Center, time to head toward our main trail of the day, Mist Trail and Vernal Fall. Due to the works in progress on the road, it took us quite some time before boarding a shuttle to the Happy Isles.

The first part of the trail was well paved but was already a good warmup to things to come, past the bridge, we can ear the roar of the Vernal Fall crashing down the mountain. Then it started to get wet, the Mist Trail is well named but in Mid June, the Vernal Fall was at maximum flow and it was more a soaking frigid shower than anything else. Then the real climb started, it was brutal but the view from the top was worth the 635 granite steps to reach the top.

From there, we had a quick snack and rest before continuing toward Clark Point and to go down by the John Muir Trail. Once we arrived back in the Valley, we went to the Lower Yosemite Fall then it was time to drive to El Portal to devour a pizza before driving to our lodge at Yosemite West.

In the morning while taking breakfast we were greated by a couple of deers, then it was time to drive back to the Valley to visit the Bridalveil Fall, collect passport stamps at the Visitor Centre, some souvenirs and go down on the meadows to take some pictures as the weather was perfect.

Once the last pictures taken, we left El Capitan behind us and drove toward Mariposa, Merced, a pit stop at the Panda Express in Turlock then the last stretch of road toward San Francisco to give back our car at SFO after 2,725.6 Miles or 4,386 Kilometers.


Tomorrow, San Francisco



Music: HTTYD Tracks by John Powell