Joe Petkovitch and I left Marin on Tuesday June 22, 2021 for two days of hiking in Yosemite. We stayed in rural Mariposa in a 2 bedroom 2 bath house that sits on three secluded stunning acres; a place called Boulder Creek Retreat. On Wednesday we hiked the Chilnualna Falls Trail out of Wawona, on Thursday we hiked the iconic Half Dome Trail to the tops of Vernal and Nevada falls (half way to Half Dome), out of Yosemite Valley. All pics and videos were shot on a iPhone 11 Pro. Both hikes started around 4000’ el and topped out around 6,300’ el. Both round trips were around 9.2 miles. Chilnualna Falls took 4.5 hours; while the Vernal and Nevada Falls hike took 5.5 hours (more to see!).
boulder creek retreat
Chilnualna Falls hike
Cascade near the trailhead
Approaching the “Summit”
The Upper Falls
The lip of the main falls. The free-fall here is 240 feet, but is not viewable well from the trail.
Headed down from the falls.
Vernal and Nevada Falls
Trail head; The Merced River on the Valley floor. 8am
vernal falls - 317’
First view of Vernal Falls
Mid-way up the Mist Trail
The Morning Light was Perfect
Long shutter exposure
Swimming Hole 100m Upstream from Vernal Falls (the calm before the storm)
Just Above the Swimming Hole
Tight Gap Downstream from Nevada Falls
nevada falls - 594’
First View of Nevada Falls - 1100’ of Elevation Still Ahead of Us - Mostly Hard Steep Granite Steps Carved Into a Tight Canyon Off to The Left
Getting Close - Leg and Lungs Working Overtime - Very Loud This Close
Easy to look up blue-bellied lizards in the Sierra Nevadas, but I cannot find any with blue-speckled backs!
Grinding bare feet into the sandy bottom (50m from the top of the falls) feels great!
25m From The Top of Nevada Falls
Pretty Sure the One Time a Fish Shows Emotion is When They Go Over The Top of a 500+ Foot Tall Waterfall
West of Nevada Falls Headed For the Downhill Trail (The John Muir Trail)
Liberty Cap - A Granite Dome Rising 1700’ from the Top of Nevada Falls
My Favorite Pic From This Trip
