Only GOD could create such beauty

[popcornbird]

Hubby and I had the most wonderful day trip this past weekend. I had been telling him constantly, for the past year, that Yosemite was the absolute most beautiful place on earth, and he HAS TO see it this spring, when the falls and rivers are at their highest levels. Friday morning, we made sudden plans, and Saturday morning, at 6am, we were on our way.

It was my husband's first time seeing Yosemite, and he was just amazed. Its one of those places where, when you see it, you think, "WOW...ONLY GOD could create something like this." Amazing. I have been to Yosemite National Park many, many times from the time I was a child, but its the one place that never leaves my mind and heart. Even though I've been there so many times, I realized during this visit that I haven't seen more than 5 or 10% of this park's beauty...maybe even less, and it will take many more visits to see everything. It was my very first time hiking up to the TOP of Vernal Falls, and truly, an experience I will never forget.

Just thought I'd share some pics from our wonderful trip. I would love to go there someday, away from the busy life, and spend a week there in peace, in the beauty, surrounded by God's most wonderful nature.

Some pictures...

Entering the park
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1406.jpg

Beautiful Granite mountains
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1408.jpg

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1410.jpg

Beautiful Yosemite
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1411.jpg

Half Dome from the Meadows
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1412.jpg

Half Dome
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1413.jpg

A world of serenity
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1414.jpg

Upper and lower Yosemite Falls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1417.jpg

Lower Yosemite Falls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1420.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1423.jpg

[popcornbird]

The Merced River
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1425.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1431.jpg

Now, onto the hike!

An interesting tree
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1434.jpg

Up, up, up we went.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1435.jpg

The hike was steep, and difficult. We started out at 1:00, and were back in the valley at around 4:30. It was only 1.6 miles, but because we were going uphill, it was difficult, and took a lot of energy. We normally walk 4 - 5 miles every weekend, but hiking uphill is something else! We thought of going just to the bridge below Vernal Falls at first, but, when we got there, we had this view of the Falls...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1437.jpg

Gorgeous, so worth it, but not close enough. We stood on the bridge, admiring the nature for awhile, until my husband got a brilliant idea. "Maybe, if we hike JUST a bit more, we will get a much closer view!" I sighed, but decided we could go on, just a 'little' more.

So we went on...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1439.jpg

And on...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1440.jpg

And on...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1441.jpg

And on...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1444.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1445.jpg

[popcornbird]

Somehow, the more we hiked, the more our bodies got used to it. The trail got steeper and steeper, but we were enjoying it, and kept going up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1446.jpg

The Mist Trail was oh, so beautiful.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1447.jpg

This little guy met us on the way and decided to say 'hi'.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1453.jpg

After half an hour of hiking, we caught a glimpse of the fall.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1454.jpg

Beautiful, but still not close enough.
The river was gushing with full force.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1459.jpg

We got closer, and at this point we saw a sign. "0.3 miles to the top of Vernal Falls" We thought, "ONLY 0.3 miles? Wow! Maybe we can get up there!!" Little did we know that would be the steepest part of the hike!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1462.jpg

"Are we really THAT high?"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1464.jpg

Wow..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1465.jpg

We were just about to give up and go down, when God suddenly showed us this site.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1466.jpg

[popcornbird]

WOW! We went higher, and saw this...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1469.jpg

And this!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1471.jpg

By now, we were feeling the mist from the falls. In fact, it wasn't just mist. We were getting a nice cool shower. It was VERY refreshing after that long, tiresome hike. We were now determined to get to the top. Just the site of Vernal Falls, the mist, the beauty of it all made it ALL worth it.

Up, up, up we went!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1472.jpg

My poor camera lens got soaked! We went through these rocks...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1476.jpg

And again, saw a sight that left us in awe.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1478.jpg

And now, we were this high.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1480.jpg

We kept on going...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1482.jpg

And the beauty just motivated us to continue...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1483.jpg

And...WE MADE IT!!!

The view from above...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1488.jpg

A little squirrel lying at the edge of the cliff, admiring the beauty of its home, and the view below, or perhaps just showing off to the humans about how beautiful his 'home' is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1493.jpg

[popcornbird]

The Merced River below us.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1494.jpg

Beautiful Stellar Jay
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1496.jpg

And Vernal Falls, thundering down the mountain with such power.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1497.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1498.jpg

Such beauty..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1499.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1504.jpg

These magnificant mountains, rivers, waterfalls really make a person feel so tiny and powerless. I kept thinking, over and over again, "Only God could create such beauty." The feeling one experiences there is unbelievable.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1507.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1509.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1513.jpg

Merced River before it tumbles down to the valley as Vernal Falls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1515.jpg

[popcornbird]

Rocky mountains
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1518.jpg

It was so peaceful up there.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1521.jpg

We sat close to Vernal Falls for half an hour, resting and admiring the beauty, thinking the hike was all worth it. Finally, we started, on our way down, and got soaked by the Falls once again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1523.jpg

Mist from the falls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1524.jpg


This is the reason I love California so much. The beauty. Amazing.
That's all. Hope you all enjoyed!

[Dorothy39]

Wow!!!!! You hope I "enjoyed" this? Yeah, I sure did!!!!! You showed me ~ Yosemite ~ Breath taking Beauty~ Thank-You!!!!

[Karen]

Wow! Great pictures, what a beautiful place! Glad you kept going, so we got to see all the pictures - and the rainbows are just perfect.

To paraphrase the Joyce Kilmer poem

"Poems are made by fools like me
But only God could make Yosemite!"

[Ginger's Mom]

Wow, truly stunning. It made me dizzy hearing the rushing water and seeing those beautiful views. Thanks for sharing that. I doubt that I will ever get out that far west, so seeing Yosemite is a real treat for me. :)

[lizbud]

Absolutely beautiful pictures :) The more I see of America's west, the
more I understand the reverance & awe which the American Indians held
for their lands & fought so hard to keep.

You are right, no one but God could make such beauty. :)

[mugsy]

God definitely gave Mother Nature the power to do some amazing things!!!

That's very pretty...it would be difficult to leave.

[Cinder & Smoke]

wow! ... W:)W! ... and W:DW!!


Those are SPECTACULAR Photos!!

Thanks for taking us along on your Hike!
;)

[ramanth]

Gorgeous! I'd like to visit Yosemite some day. A lot of it looked like our trip to the Smokey Mountains. We loved hiking there.

[Almita]

Wow those are so gorgeous! I'm in love with the ones with the rainbow, I
love rainbows sooo much. Thank you for sharing these wonderful beautiful pictures. Yosemite falls is very gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.

[chocolatepuppy]

Such beautiful scenery. I feel like I've been there. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Jessika]

OK that pic of the squirrel laying stretched out across the rock.... is priceless... and just... the best picture of all!! That place is gorgeous!!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I truly am absolutely speechless......!
Wow, never knew that Yosemite NP was so beautiful!! We've visited several NP's in 1984, like Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, etc... . I won't be able anymore to visit this place; but thanks to you I feel as if I was there too! Thank you SO much for sharing these fantastic pictures!!!!! :)

This one is my favorite! A very unique shot!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/h12345/DSCF1478.jpg

[anna_66]

What awesome pictures, that place is truly gorgeous.

Thank you so much for sharing. I feel as if I've been there now:)

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

It is so completely unfair that some people get to live close to such beauty !!!!!!!


I would love more than anything to visit that place!!! YES... only GOD could create such beauty !! after looking at things like that... it only makes me wonder how some people don't believe ?!?!

[mike001]

Thanks for sharing----just fabulous scenes.

[Kalei]

Wow! :eek: All those pictures are so amazing! Thanks for sharing them with us I can't get over how beautiful your hike was, it must have been awesome!

[AmberLee]

I'd forgotten how beautiful Yosemite is. Thanks for sharing your trip photos with us.

[Miss Z]

Wow, breathtaking. I would love to visit Yosemite someday. The pics actually remind me of a place over here called Ingleton Falls, just on a MUCH bigger scale. ;)

Thanks for sharing those fabulous pics and taking us on a journey through Yosemite.

[captain]

Man!!! Just looking at those photos made me tired .....:D
POP - thanks for sharing those with me DownUnder - I would love to see Yosemite, but if I never do, at least I can look at your pics!! :D

[AdoreMyDogs]

Wow, how gorgeous! I've never been to Yosemite and really hope to go some day...even more so now that I've seen those incredible pictures. The squirrel lounging on the stone is just too cute!