We arrived early and had no trouble finding parking and began our hike to Yosemite Falls. Kathy assured me it would be worth the hike.
We encountered a few deer on the way. I'm not a deer guy but think these are mule deer based on the huge ears and black on the tail.
I'd like to say we stalked these bucks in the wilderness, but they were in a green area between a couple roads. I was within 30 feet of this one.
Turning my attention from animals to rocks, this is the view as we walked the path to the falls site.
Fortunately, it wasn't a long or difficult hike because you'll have to use your imagination for the actual falls here. They're bone dry.
Water would be falling over the darker area in the middle of the picture and rushing over the rocks in the foreground. The autumn season is NOT the best time to visit this park. It's like going to a movie and they only show the previews. The main attraction is missing.
It is still scenic...kind of.
After drying off all the phantom spray and mist from the phantom falls, we walked a path around a meadow that gave a view of the various formations here.
Half Dome.
Looking back toward the phantom falls.
Picture water falling over this cliff at the Upper Yosemite Falls.
And in this view both the upper and lower falls would appear. The upper falls are center picture and lower falls at the lower left. Kind of takes the wind out of the sails with no water in the park.
The attractions here in Yosemite are really quite limited, even if the waterfalls existed, there isn't much else beyond the half dozen rock formations that can be viewed from several different venues.
What they do have are tall trees. All the pines grow to the stratosphere.
And a couple final views this way and that way from our meadow hike.
After all that excitement, it was off to the shuttle bus for a hike to Vernal Falls. I was assured there was water there...and dummy me believed it.
It's only a couple miles round trip so what the heck. The views were decent.
What my tour guide seemed to omit from the pre-hike conversation was that EVERY step of this path is UP.
I estimated most areas were somewhere between a 30° to 40° incline. It was BRUTAL!!!, but I was assured of viewing a waterfall at the end of misery trail.
And here it is!
Good grief. It's not much more than a pee stream.
You'll have to really study that photo to even view the waterfall. Hint: It's dead center in the shot. I could have died climbing to see this. Ugh!
This is the view downstream where water would be rushing over the rocks.
And a final view as I merrily amble back down the trail.
Even that wasn't the easiest walking but at least I don't get winded walking toward lower elevations. I told Kathy that waterfalls are off the tour list from here on out. Fortunately for her, there's not too many of those in Las Vegas. We'll maybe make believe at the Bellagio fountain.
So that's pretty much a wrap on Yosemite for us. I'm not real impressed compared to other national parks even if the waterfalls had been active. The attractions are quite limited and the place is overcrowded like the rest of California. The redwood grove was our best experience here.
We've decided tomorrow will be an off day for us to do laundry and maintenance. Unless the laundry provides more entertainment than I can imagine, There won't be a post tomorrow (Tuesday).
Wednesday is travel day to the Sequoia National Park area. We'll caravan with me driving the house and Kathy following in the KIA.
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