Yosemite - Part Three

We went back, as planned!

Now we have more pictures of Tunnel View than you can collectively find on the Internet. We started there, of course. This time the blue sky had a few clouds on it, so that was an obligatory stop.

From there, Jim found a sign to a trail going up the mountain to three different stops. The first and closest one was Inspiration Point. 1.2 miles away. Up the hill. We took it on with the girls, who incidentally seem to have the ability to out-hike us when the whim strikes. This was one of those times. I can't tell you what Inspiration Point is like. What I can tell you is that you need to be pretty inspired to make it there at all. We made it to the half-point mark and decided to turn around as the trail became steeper and snow seemed to be covering most of it at that point.

We made it to the Valley floor, rented a couple of bikes and attached trailers to them for the girls. We hauled them around across the Valley. I have not been on a bike in... gosh, about sixteen years at least. Needless to say, certain parts of my anatomy are screaming in pain... why can't rental bikes have nice, cushy gel seats?? I'd pay extra for that.

Anyway, back to Yosemite. What an amazing way to see Yosemite Valley! What an amazing way to become a part of it. We drove around, guided by Jim's uncanny sense of direction (great attribute, as I have none) and made it back to some of the same spots. I could spend a year in the Valley alone, and every day would make the sights different again and again. Maybe it's because we haven't been there before that we are so enamoured with it all - but I doubt it.

We walked to lower Yosemite Falls and got a few shots there. We run into yet more deer, who amazingly don't quite mind our intrusive behavior as long as we don't get too close - and we got pretty close. We caught the afternoon light and the golden light of the late-afternoon sun as we left the park and took another stab at yet another popular view of El Capitan.

We'll be back again... and again, and again. I don't think there's a way to avoid it. I don't think there should be.