Vernal and Nevada Falls

We went hiking in the Yosemite this weekend. We chose the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls because it was about an 8-mile hike with enough uphill for a decent workout and because we love waterfalls. It was a good thing that we went in late September when the waterfalls are smaller because the rocks on the trail would be very slippery during the early summer.

The first leg of the trail was uphill with steps that were carved into the side of the mountain. As we went up higher, the steps were no longer carved in and we were just climbing on rocks with slippery sand. It was tougher for the people who went down on that trail because it was easier to slip and slide down. Good thing I listened to the bus driver and took this trail up instead of down.

Both of the falls were smaller due to the end of the season but they were still quite breathtaking. Along the way up, there were a couple huge pools of water created by the waterfalls. We stopped here and there to rest quickly but moved on because we really wanted to make it to the top. At the top where Nevada falls was, we stopped and had a huge spread of lunch. I am a bit of a packer when it comes to packing food or just things in general. So of course, I have my half bottle of really good merlot, a spread of deli meat (turkey, ham, salami) and cheeses, crackers, and bread. Even though it was a lot of food, I was only bringing a little of everything and so it wasn't heavy to carry.

Terrain-wise, the way down was a lot easier. However, when you are full with food and have hiked for 3 hours up a mountain, going down is not a picnic at all. I had to use my knees to break during the way down and so my knees were achy for 2 days afterwards. The trouble with hiking is that the way back is always hellish. You just can't wait for the damn hike to end but it just drags on and on and it can be a very boring hike down.

Dinner at the Wawona hotel was wonderful. This is our favorite breakfast buffet. It was not the most healthy dinner since I figured that I must have burned at least a 1000 calories hiking and could afford to eat up. I had a great mushroom soup, which is one of the few creamy soups that I love. Then followed it with a fried trout fillet breaded in corn meal. Finally, dessert was bread pudding, which wasn't really worth the calories since I have had better bread pudding elsewhere.


We saw a lot deer and squirrels in Yosemite. We also saw some sequoias. On the way to Yosemite, we saw a casino on an Indian reservation and stopped by. We had a lot of fun playing table games and didn't lose much. On the way home, there were plenty of farmer's fruit stands to visit. We bought some huge peaches and an apple pie. I realized by the taste of this apple pie that not all apple pies are made equally -- This one really sucked! Perhaps, I only like apple pies because they are so good from the pastry shop at my local grocery store. Also, it's probably apple tartes that I like more since the tartness makes it better. This would explain why I used to dislike pies when I lived in North Carolina -- some of the pies I had there were just yucky. Apple pies that are full of sugar and has a yucky crust is just not worth the calories!