bodldops | (no subject)

So, today I actually went hiking! And because it's me, there's picspam. :D

So, got up at ungodly am, got set up, and drove the 2.5 hours into Yosemite. It's a gorgeous sunny day, if a bit warm in the valley. So I decide that I should take another crack at Vernal Falls.

Now, Vernal Falls/Mist trail is evil. It's 0.5% uppish, 0.5% random dips, and 99% evil uppish. With low oxygen content, 'cause we're up in the Sierras, yo. But it's a good day, right?
So I head out from the day-use parking lot, 'cause honestly, the hike across the valley is flat as a board and actually, really nice. It's just sliiiiightly farther across the valley than I thought, but hey, I still felt good rolling into Happy Isles.

The view from the bridge over Merced River, at Happy Isles.

And then I remembered. It wasn't just uppish. It's evil uppish, and I haven't done any high country hiking this season. And oooooooow. Theoretically, it's only 0.8 miles up the trail to the footbridge that goes over Merced River to start the Mist Trail. I'm not sure where this point is, but it's the point where I was wondering if maybe I shouldn't turn around and find another trail to be on, 'cause I'm getting slaughtered. Look, there's a waterfall across the way - it's actually a very nice waterfall.

But no, that wouldn't make a good story, and I really set out to get to Vernal Falls today, not just the footbridge. So I set off again, trying not to look too pathetic. Five minutes later, I found the footbridge.

So, the total distance to the top of Vernal Falls, from the trailhead, is 1.5 miles. So I've already done more than half! So off I go, merrily, feeling rather good about things at this point. And I was doing well - the trail sets off in that slightly-uppish way that msot of the trail doesn't, and I was making good time...
And then I found the evil stone stairmaster from hell. For the record, I'm not great about heights. And I'm really not great about going down from heights - there was a time even escalators were kinda really not fun.

Yeah, that tumble of rock at the bottom? Those are the stairs. That go down. Ohdearlord.

So I kept on scrambling up until the rocks started getting wet, and really, the view was good from there:

Vernal Falls at the start of the stairs

There was a short portion of evil stairs that had a guardrail, so I went up those, but then the rocks were not just a little slick, and I was getting tired and not just a little freaked out, and decided maybe this should be re-attempted a different day. The view was pretty awesome anyway, though.

The hike back wasn't nearly as bad, once I talked myself off the stone steps. I'm sure there's quite a few people who, tonight, when telling their hiker stories, are going on about the chubby white chick who side-stepped down half a freaking mountain, but I don't even care. Steep downhill has been known to make me whine in that particular pitch usually only heard made by German Shepherds at the vet. Maybe I need to go bungee-jumping or something to get over this.