Heading up the Mist Trail

Ready to head up on the hike

After a leisurely morning, our group was ready to head off on our main event - heading up to Nevada Falls! I was  bit nervous, because the last time I was in Yosemite, we tried to go up to Vernal falls, and I got too scared. Now, this was a while ago, but the memory stayed with me. I was curious, if with a little trepidation, to see how "scary" the trail actually was. 

The man manning the front booth of our campsite was great. We asked which was the quickest way to get to the vernal falls trail and he answered, "Well, this is the most beautiful way to get there - it might be the quickest too - but it's the way you should go". He sent us on this great singletrack that followed the river upstream and was the perfect start to our day. 

After about a mile, we found our sign that directed us onto the real trail. 

Just a short way in, there was a booth set up warning us that 50% of park incidences with Search and Rescue happen on THIS trail - so be careful. I think most were connected with half dome, as this shares the same route, but still - good to keep in mind. 

After a bit longer, we got to the "official" trail head, with our stated mileage. 

The start was deceptively easy - a paved trail that lead you back through "little yosemite valley" towards the fall. After about a mile, you came to a footbridge and got to see this:

Pretty spectacular, even from a distance, but we were ready to get closer. As we started off the main part of the mist trail, it stayed fairly easy. But soon, we reached the granite steps, and the trail showed us how it got its name.

Before long, the mist became unbelievable - we were soaked in minutes. Streams were literally running down the stairs, with huge puddles to navigate. It still felt pretty safe going up, but I was starting to think about alternative routes heading down. It was fun though, and the views were well worth it!

As we kept climbing, I put my camera in Ed's pack to keep it safe from the water. The coolest part was the last bit, where the trail was built into the side of the cliff that the trail is falling from further down. We were high up, but there was a good iron railing which kept me feeling safe. 

It a short time, we made it to the top, where everyone was relaxing, picnicing, and enjoying the awesome views. 

Looking down from the falls

Resting sounded like a good idea to us, so we broke out our lunch, gobbled it down, and then took some well deserved R&R. 

And, of course, time to appreciate the trail we had just traversed.

And, be thrilled to be here with the one I love, my husband (in only 3 days). 

Of course, our journey doesn't end here, though with all our resting, it could have! After we were sufficiently relaxed and full, we headed onto our next falls, Nevada