Down in the Valley

After our morning bike ride, we came back to our cabin to fix ourselves some lunch. While eating out on our porch, we drew a big crowd -- stellar jays and lots of fat squirrels that had absolutely no fear of people. Once we finished eating, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring more of Yosemite Valley. So we hopped onto the shuttle and headed over to the Happy Isles Nature Center first, mainly for M and me to pick up another passport stamp.

The nature center is right next to the Merced River, while the Mist Trail lies on the other side. On our way back to the shuttle stop, we spotted these folks jumping into the river. J so desperately wanted to get in and swim, too -- but we didn't come here prepared to get wet. I wasn't too comfortable with him swimming here anyway, because a few days ago, two boys drowned farther upstream, near the footbridge at the base of Vernal Falls. The body of the younger one still hasn't been recovered. So tragic. (Update: searchers found him on Thursday, 8/23.)

#70

It was hot again today, so we skipped the hike out to the Vernal Falls footbridge, thinking that we would do it later in the day. (We didn't. Put it on next-time-we-come-back list!) Then it was back on the shuttle over to Yosemite Village to hunt for smushed pennies and passport cancellations, as well as to turn in junior ranger booklets for badges.

Since there was little to no water running in Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls, we didn't take the time to go to those spots this trip. I guess our next visit will have to be in the early summer to catch the waterfalls in all their glory!

After dinner, I wanted to go out to see El Capitan and then back to Sentinel Bridge to try and get a picture of Half Dome at sunset. By now, we had figured out the shuttle system pretty well and knew where to transfer buses to shorten the transit times. (Let me just say again, the shuttles are the best way to get around Yosemite Valley! We parked our car yesterday after checking in and won't use it again until we leave.) The El Capitan shuttle doesn't run as frequently, so we waited for awhile and then decided to nix it for today and stop there on our way out tomorrow.

When we got to Sentinel Bridge, the view of Half Dome was gorgeous, but my pictures will not do it justice. I kept fiddling around with my camera settings, trying to get the right exposure. I started talking with a lady from Australia who was there trying to get the same shot, and we both agreed that our next order of business was taking a photography class!  *sigh*

Anyway, here are a few of my attempts...

While I was waiting for the lighting to change, the boys went down to the river. This time J came prepared to get wet. I felt better about him going in at this spot since the river was wider and the water was moving slowly.

For all of the reluctance the boys had about taking this quick trip, I think they really enjoyed themselves today. (R and I did, too!) Hopefully they're learning that, as with anything in life, the payoff at the end is worth the small amount of suffering one has to go through to get there!