A walk to Upper Yosemite Falls

“But no temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite. Every rock in its wall seems to glow with life.” John Muir

When John Muir, the Scottish born naturalist got off a boat in San Francisco on March 28 1868 the story goes that he asked a carpenter what was the quickest way out of the bustling, chaotic city. “Where do you want to go” said the carpenter, “anywhere that is wild” was the reply. And so it was that later that year Muir saw Yosemite for the first time. Its sheer rock walls and natural beauty cast a spell on him which changed his life and led to him playing a pivotal role in Yosemite’s establishment as America’s third National park and secured his title as the ‘Father of National Parks’.

My own journey to Yosemite National Park had long been on my ‘must see’ list and I have an air of excitement and anticipation about me as we drive along the central Yosemite highway heading to the valley. The road is pretty hairy at points with some long drops down to the Merced River which was a maelstrom of raging white water, full to bursting with winter snow melt.

On our way to Yosemite Village we park up to admire the awesome sight of El Capitan. Three thousand feet of almost vertical rock face makes it the worlds tallest granite monolith and a mecca for climbers the world over.

Watch ‘The Dawn Wall’ or ‘Free Solo’ to get a sense of what this mountain means to climbers. Next to it, Ribbon Fall drops 1,612ft making it the longest continuous drop waterfall in North America. When describing Yosemite it’s easy to run out of superlatives.

In the U.K. May is generally seen as the start of summer, the birds are singing, the sun shining and the air is warming. Not for the first time on our Western States road trip had I miscalculated that May in the U.K. does not necessarily mean it’s summer everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere and my plan on hiking the Four Mile trail to Glacier Point had to be abandoned due to it still being snowed in.

Not that my alternative, Yosemite Falls trail was in any way second best and it gives me an excuse to return to Yosemite one day, making sure it’s July or August this time. Yosemite Village is very busy and I’m glad when we get sorted and set off along the valley loop trail. At the functionally named Camp Four, Yosemite Falls trail branches off from the main valley loop and the walking tilts abruptly upwards.

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At this point most people choose to carry on along the loop trail leaving a remnant, ‘we happy few’ to quote Shakespeare to start sweating it up the steep climb through the trees on a relentless zig zag, or switchback, as the Americans would say trail. It’s pleasant but steep walking up through a mature forest of oak trees and we are grateful for the shade. Yosemite Falls trail is one of the earliest trails in Yosemite having been completed in 1877 so it’s certainly a well trodden route.

Eventually we emerge out of the forest and the gradient levels off slightly as the path works its way, still upwards, along the valley side to Columbia Rock. Having left behind the welcome shade of the trees we are now fully exposed to the heat of the sun which is mitigated slightly by some intermittent cloud cover.

Now we are out of the trees and having gained significant altitude after the switchbacks the wonder and majesty that is Yosemite valley starts to open up to us. Vertical grey flat granite walls rise up above our heads, enclosing the valley on both sides and streams pour down their sheer faces in long silvery streaks to the valley floor which is a carpet of tall, pencil straight green pines.

Columbia Rock is a natural viewpoint and when we reach it the whole vista of the valley is laid out for us, the pièce de résistance being a view of the stunning and iconic Half Dome which dominates the head of the valley and still has a little cap of snow on it.

The attraction of Half Dome is its size and unusual shape, resembling a dome that has been sliced in half leaving a sheer rock face 2,200ft high on one side. The total height of Half Dome is 8,800ft above sea level, which accounts for the snow covering still on its summit in May.

After admiring the views at Columbia Rock and having a bite to eat we continue along the trail and it isn’t long before the sound of Upper Yosemite Falls starts to reach our ears. The falls are heard long before they are seen as they are hidden behind a corner of the trail known as ‘oh my gosh point’.

The closer we get, the louder the sound becomes. To me it’s like the sound of a jet engine just prior to take off and Mish remarks that it sounds like the roar of a huge dragon. A hiker coming back down the trail hears her and remarks “yes ma’am, a giant water breathing dragon”

As we turn the corner we see exactly what he means. Water from Yosemite Creek shoots off the cliff face through a small fissure and, like Wile E. Coyote in Looney Tunes seems to hang suspended in the air for a second before dropping, slow motion like down onto the rocks 1,400ft below.

It’s an impressive sight and as we get closer the breeze soaks us with fine mist and spray carried from the falls and we have to put our rain jackets on. It’s nature at its finest, providing us with a magnificent and natural audio visual experience and our senses are heightened to see such a wonder close up.

The trail carries on all the way to the top of the falls and beyond but Mish and I are satisfied. We make our way back down the trail to the village, which is now a little quieter in the afternoon and have a good look around, visiting the museums, the visitor centre and the Ansel Adams gallery. I take plenty of arty pictures, not quite Ansel Adams quality, but good enough for me.  

We also pay a visit to Yosemite Valley Chapel. The chapel was built in 1879 with the stated purpose:  “To erect an undenominational house of worship in the Yosemite Valley”. There can’t be many places of worship set in such a beautiful location.

And to round the day off I enjoy what else but a ‘rowdy cowboy western burger’ in the village grill.

Route Map, Walk Stats, Geolocated Pictures and 3D Flyover Video Below.

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