We felt the need to get inspired after walking around in the smoke that had blanketed the park yesterday. What better place to get inspired than from a place called Inspiration Point?

Yosemite National Park

Got parking permits and park maps this time around when we entered the park, not to mention more pictures with the sign.

Yosemite National Park

Blue skies ahead. We could actually see the forest for the trees.

Wawona Tunnel

Driving through the nearly mile long tunnel that was blasted out of solid granite back in 1931.

Tunnel View

What a difference that a day makes. We actually got to see the classic views of El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and Cathedral Rocks.

Inspiration Point

Going up the trail and away from Yosemite Valley.

Inspiration Point

Anybody see a lens cap? That’s what happens when you go off-trail and bushwhack for a bit.

Inspiration Point

What big calves that you have. Echoes from another hike on another island.

Inspiration Point

The steepness slacked off with each foot of elevation we gained.

Inspiration Point

Found my own tree to stand on and ruminate.

Inspiration Point

The girls coming down from the obstructed granite shelf to the clearing with a commanding view of the valley.

Inspiration Point

Are we inspired yet? Can I get a hallelujah? Can I get a shaka?

Inspiration Point

Somebody was inspired enough to balance a pine cone on her forehead.

Inspiration Point

Passing the junction point where the trail that used to be the old stagecoach road splits off into other parts of Yosemite.

Inspiration Point

Did you guys see a bear? Does a bear sh*t in the woods? No, we were too busy looking for the missing lens cap.

Inspiration Point

Coming down the switchback trail that we had somehow missed on our way up.

All pau

Making our way back down to our Jeep where we finished our 2.42 mile hike and drove to Curry Village to hike to the last remnant of a large glacial lake that once filled most of Yosemite Valley.

Mirror Lake

Is it 2.1 miles to the trailhead? To the lake itself? Roundtrip mileage? One of the great mysteries of hiking trails.

Mirror Lake

Hiking one of the few flat trails in Yosemite.

Mirror Lake

Passing the “refrigerator rocks.”

Mirror Lake

Looking at the lake that is slowly disappearing due to sediment accumulation. Enjoying what’s left of it.

Mirror Lake

Some kid was beating the summer heat with repeated plunges into the cold water from the tallest rock in the body of water.

Mirror Lake

We found our own rock to stand on. No jumping. No judging.

Mirror Lake

Life imitating art. Or Tik Tok.

Mirror Lake

No mirror. No lake. Just sand. Lots of it. Soon it will be called Sand Lot. We decided not to to the loop trail that would have took us around Tenaya Valley and headed back down the trail instead.

Yosemite Park

Sitting on the stone bridge at the end of our hike.

Yosemite Park

Walking down the road closed to four wheeled traffic, but open to two legged hikers and two wheeled traffic.

Yosemite Park

We are done hiking. Let’s catch the shuttle bus back to the village.

All pau

Saying goodbye to one of the resident rodents in the park as we returned back to our Airbnb, where Jasmin cooked us up a pot of delicious Chicken Papaya. Chayote is the new Papaya.

Photos taken by Jasmin Nepomuceno, Mari Saito, Quan Haberstroh and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

Jasmin, Mari, Quan and myself flew into the original town of Yerba Buena (San Francisco) that was previously inhabited by the Yelamu tribe and later colonized by the Spanish, Americans and Chinese workers.

San Francisco

We picked up our upgraded Jeep and started our four hour drive to the third oldest national park in the country with a stop at Denny’s for breakfast.

Yosemite National Park

Entered the smoke filled and ash covered wilderness park that sprawls over 750,000 acres of cliffs, waterfalls, mountains and meadows. Reservations required.

Tunnel View

The smoke from the nearby Oak and Washburn fires had all but extinguished the views from the scenic overlook.

Tunnel View

We had to rely on this brass model of Yosemite Valley to show us what we were missing.

Yosemite National Park

Stopped at a nearby meadow with wildflowers and bicyclists going over the boardwalks.

Lower Yosemite Falls

We parked and walked over to the base of North America’s tallest waterfall.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Hiking tip: Trying to boulder with slippers is not a good idea.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Approaching the 320′ waterfall.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Scrambling over the boulders to get a closer look.

Lower Yosemite Falls

View from the plunge pool at the bottom of the fall. Didn’t see anybody getting in the water for a quick dip. Not even sticking a big toe to check the water temperature.

Lower Yosemite Falls

We contoured to the left to get closer to the ribbon of water, which was significantly diminished from the thundering volume of water displayed during spring and early summer from the melting snow.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Standing in front of the lower fall. Out of sight was the 675′ Middle Cascades and the 1,430′ Upper Fall.

Lower Yosemite Falls

The Ahwahneechee people who originally inhabited the base of the falls believed that the pool was home to spirits of several witches called the Poloti. Not to be confused with water witching.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Creek emerges from the base of the fall and flows into the nearby Merced River.

Lower Yosemite Falls

The most common rodent to be found in the park – the California ground squirrel.

Lower Yosemite Falls

The setting sun being filtered and colored by the haze and smoke in the air.

All pau

We left the park and checked into our Airbnb in Oakhurt and shopped at the nearby grocery store to fill up the pantry. Chayote is the next papaya.

Post hike meal at Kyoto Kafe. They gave us recycled wooden chopsticks. Recycled as in used. Don’t ask for less rice and more salad, they will just tell you to eat what’s on your plate. Other than that, the food was mainland quality and the service was zero tip standard.

Photos taken by Jasmin Nepomuceno, Mari Saito, Quan Haberstroh and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.