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Yosemite Valley April 2003 On the cusp between winter and spring. |
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April is a transition time in Yosemite. The snow is leaving the valley floor and rains are beginning to swell the rivers. It is too late in the season for winter tourist activities like ice skating and snowshoe ranger hikes and it is still too early for rock climbing and horseback rides. The valley is relatively quiet and the humans who go at that time of year are more likely those who enjoy the valley for it's own natural splendors. The trails are nearly empty and it's easy to get a seat on the free shuttle buses that circle the valley. The views are as variable and spectacular as the weather. There were six of us on this trip - my father-in-law, my two nephews from Washington State, my own two teenagers and myself. We had a single Housekeeping Camp unit that gave each of us a bed or cot to sleep on, a sheltered area for cooking and eating, and a fire pit - all with a view of the Merced River and the sheer face of Glacier Point. We took advantage of sunny spells to hike up to Vernal Fall (the kids braved the Mist Trail and made it to the top) and up the trail to the bottom of Upper Yosemite Fall. Rest times were filled with Magic Card games and campfires. It was a memorable trip. |
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