Yosemite

I took a day trip to Yosemite National Park with David & Rachel while we were in CA. We planned on hiking a bit, so we left the kids back on the farm (thanks parents). We didn't see a lot of wildlife in the park, mostly various bird species. We did pass this nice pair of deer though, who seemed content to let people photograph them. There was very little snow in the valley, but the mountains were still covered.

Here is the traditional view of the valley that you see on all the postcards. It is visible from one of the vista points. It was a beautiful day--plenty warm, extra sunny. El Capitan is the large mountain on the left, half dome is visible tucked in the back center, and the large waterfall on the right is Bridalveil Falls.

Rachel & me (with David's head shadow):

This is a picture of half-dome from the main (central) valley floor. The valley is quite large and very flat, with lots of trees and large meadows.

Rachel & David:

Yosemite Falls. I had a difficult time getting a good picture of both the upper and lower falls because it was sooo sunny. The camera had a hard time getting areas of shade and full sun figured out. Plus, this pair of falls is very tall.

Me with the lower Yosemite falls:

Back on the valley floor with half dome. David took this picture for me.

Rachel on a bridge in the central valley. I am not sure what waterfall that is behind her.

David looking up at Bridalveil Falls. This waterfall gets quite slow in the mid-late summer, but in the spring, it is rushing full-strength with melting snow.

On the way into the main valley, we passed several other valleys. This one had recently burned, which gave it a unique look. Rachel is wearing her fuzzy bear sweatshirt, which is super soft and encourages extra hugging. :)

David and I did one hike up in the mountains. In the higher areas, there was plenty of snow. David only had sandals to wear, but he was not deterred. He did roll his pants up a little to keep them dry.

Here I am, more appropriately dressed for snow. This hike was prettyup and down, so by the end I needed to take off my hat and sweater. I was happy for the boots though.