Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, CA.

                                     Tuesday 4/24/2012

After leaving Cathedral Beach where we viewed Sentinel Falls, we continued on Southside Drive to Swinging Bridge.

I am not sure why this picnic area is called Swinging Bridge, but I bet there use to be a swinging bridge here at one time.

Looking up Merced River toward Yosemite Falls.

 

Looking back at the picnic area.

 

 

 

Next we drove to Sentinel Bridge.

 

At Sentinel Bridge parking lot you get a spectacular view of Yosemite Falls.

 

Yosemite Falls is the highest measuring waterfall in North America.

 

With this close up picture, you can only see the Upper Falls of Yosemite Falls. The Upper Falls drops 1,430 feet.

 

On 1/2/1997flood waters covered this meadow.

 

We walked over to Sentinel Bridge.

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This is the sixth bridge that has been placed here. The first bridge was a log bridge in 1852. This last bridge was built in 1993 with a longer span. The previous bridge were shorter and constricted the river causing soil/plant/ and meadow loss.

 

From the bridge we could see Half Dome.

 

An old Indian stories tell of how a traveling husband and wife got into a fight. The husband beat his wife and she threw her basket of acorns at him. They both were turned into stone for their wickeness. You can see the rock face of the wife with her stained tears on Half Dome.

 





 

There used to be the Yosemite Hotel  along the river here years ago.

 

We found the parking lot for the Visitor Center.

 

I love these trees. I have seen them throughout the park, just starting to bloom.

 

The trees have these individual white flowers on the branches.

 

We found that the Visitor Center was 1/2 mile away, and because it was getting late,we decided to try to find somewhere closer to park. ( Even though we needed the exercise)!

 

We drove around and parked out front of the Yosemite Lodge. There was no way around it, you have to walk at least 1/2 mile from anywhere to get to the Visitor Center. ( Joe thinks this is really dumb).  But at least we were walking right past the Yosemite Falls.

 

Close up of Yosemite Falls as we walk by.

 

On our walk, I saw a couple of these guys.



 

This little gal/guy was really scolding us around him/her. Maybe she had babies close by.

 

We finally found the Visitor Center.

 

The theater room was closed for renovations, so no short movie  for us that day.

 

I always enjoy the models of the park, so I have a better visual of the area.

 

We initially planned on staying at the park, but when we called they told us that the campground were full or still closed.

 

After our Visitor Center visit, we walked back toward the car. I wish we had had more time, because I would have liked to have done part of one of the trails. Between Upper Falls and Lower Falls there are multiple cascading falls that you can not see, unless you hike half way up. The Middle Cascades Fall drops 675 feet.

 

The park has shuttle buses, or you can opt to take this ride to see the valley.

 

On the way back from the Visitor Center, we stopped to see Yosemite Falls up close and personal.

 

Yosemite falls is 2,425 feet from the top of the Upper Falls, to the base of the Lower Falls.

 

This waterfall is something to see!

 

By the time it is summer, Yosemite Falls is usually dry.

 

We could only get a view of the Lower Falls from down below. Lower Falls drops 320 feet.

 

You had to be quick with the camera, because of the spray.

 

I got my smart phone out for these last pictures, because Joe didn't want me to ruin our new Canon Rebel camera.

 

We were headed home next, so I didn't mind getting my hair wet!

 

 

Looking down from the falls.

 

 Yosemite Creek

 

Our drive home took about one and half hours from the valley floor.

 

 

We would have loved to have stayed in the park, but we don't think we would have enjoyed the drive in the Nest to the valley floor.