~Wednesday, August 24th ~
We took only one hike while in the valley, partly because all of the waterfalls were dry, partly because it was hot, and quite honestly, there aren't that many hikes in the valley. (Most that would interest us are from Glacier Point.) This is a hike past Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, then loops with the JMT as a return. We woke at 6am to catch the first shuttle of the day (supposedly 7am, but it came at 7:15am) to the trailhead.
We were on the trail about 7:45 am with very few people....ahhhhh! So here's where the hitchhiking story continues........We originally thought of hiking to Glacier Point from here (about an hour's drive from the valley), and thumbing a ride back to the valley. However, after our chatty driver with our first hitchhiking a couple days prior, there was no way we were going to listen to some boring person ramble about for an hour or more, so a one-way hike was nixed. This left the loop as previously described. It was about 5.5 miles and 2,000ft elevation change.
The trail began paved for a bit......
Vernal Fall (not Falls) from far away.
Remember those rock-steps we complained about before - here they are again, although better formed and going up - much easier!
There's the trail down below...........
Vernal Fall.
The precipice of the falls....
You'd never know this calm water becomes the raging falls..........
Still working out way up to Nevada Fall.........
Nevada Fall........
Top of Nevada Fall
Best view of Nevada Fall was on the return trip via the JMT
A different perspective of Half Dome as well. Most of the people we met on the hike to the falls were heading to Half Dome to hike up the side with cables. One needs a permit for that.
A few switchbacks on the way down......
People! Yeah - did you notice how few people have been in our pictures all along. We got within a mile of the trailhead and holy shit! It was about 11:30ish and these people were just starting their hike on a HOT day.
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