Saturday, January 27, 2018

Wonder and Wildfires in Yosemite

The National Parks Service calls Yosemite "Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra."  I couldn't agree more.

We headed to Yosemite over Labor Day weekend 2017. Two days before our trip, we heard there were wildfires raging across Yosemite. Most people in their right minds would travel away from wildfires. A, on the other hand, thought it was the best time to avoid crowds and explore majestic Yosemite. Crazy, right? We weighed the pros and cons and decided to take one day at a time, with a promise to run out any time things got hot. You know what I mean there. We were lucky there was only some smoke in the regions we visited, but we were cautious throughout and managed to have a mindblowing time, especially because several potential visitors canceled their trip. 

Life in California means we get to explore natural beauty just a couple hours' drive away almost all year around. A and I are taking advantage of that when we can. It's crazy that we visited Yosemite a whole 10 years after moving to the U.S. We have this urge to make up for lost time...and traveled with close friends who also have kids so the kids had a blast and we had great adult company. 

If you want to combine nature, adventure, easy hikes and also get the kids to bed early (yay, me-time!) the majestic Yosemite has few competitors. The girls climbed on fallen trees, clambered up rocks, scampered like monkeys in mellow meadows, swam in shiny rivulets and embraced Yosemite with wonder and well-worn legs.

Pictures!



Lower Yosemite falls - water, rocks and perfect blue skies








We have a climber - S2. If it can be climbed, it will.



Sunning like lizards at the bottom of the falls. We had to precariously climb over huge rocks to get down here









Swimming impromptu in the shallow river. I carry swimsuits everywhere these days




Really shallow, you could sit in it













Thankful for our friends K and V and their sons who were companions in adventure








and she climbs on...












and on...
Soda springs? Curioser and curioser
Soda springs have natural geysers and salt water. Just like soda, it has little bubbles but salty water

















Who can resist skimming pebbles on rivers?


We found a rock and decided to climb it


It was a hill, really


or perhaps a mountain


The view was absolutely stunning


and everyone had to pause and ponder


Little Miss. Meadow








The sun has set but we shall be back soon, Yosemite. 3 days were not enough. 
We shall be back in Spring, Fall and Winter to see you change your colors and breathe in your beauty many more times.




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