#6 Post - A few words on Hiking in the Valley

There are so MANY great walks/hikes in Yosemite Valley.  I've done quite a few over these years of mine.

• The hike up Yosemite Falls, shouldn't be attempted in 90+ degrees, lemme tell ya.  It's a steep climb with NO water, but it has it's rewards.
• The Four Mile, from the Valley Floor to Glacier Point will get your blood pumping.  It's a knee blowout waiting to happen for the 'less than fit'.  Amazing vistas, though.  Ride the bus either to the top or back down, based on which way you'd like to hike...top to bottom or bottom to top.
• The Mirror Pond walk is perhaps the easiest, shortest and doable for any age group
• The hike from Glacier point to the Valley Floor via the Panorama Trail is one that left me stiff as a board the day after doing it back when I was a spry 59.  I LOVE this hike.  Allow all day.  And another to recover.  It's mostly down hill and hard on the knees and hips.  Poles are HIGHLY recommended even for folks in their 30's.

But if I HAD only one hike to do, and maybe only 2 hours to do it, I'd probably do the Vernal Falls Bridge Trail from Happy Isles.  One gets there from anywhere in Yosemite aboard the fabulous free bus system in the valley.  From the Trail Head it's like 1.6 miles to the bridge and while not too strenuous it CAN seem a bit arduous at that altitude (4,000'+).  Much of it is on asphalt, which though strange works for strollers and wheel chairs...kinda. Even in the fall when the Valley Falls are not producing much Vernal Falls will still be handsome.

If I had more energy and maybe 4-5 hours to make the whole trip, I'd keep going up to the top of Nevada Falls, because, well... maybe I wanted to see if I could do it.  It's the trail that would take the really fit hiker to the Top of Half Dome.  But hey...just making it to the top of Nevada Falls fills one with a sense of accomplishment and many great vistas.  Beyond Vernal Falls Bridge is probably NOT for kids under 10 though...or over 70.

I hope, dear reader, that we'll be making one of these walks together this Fall 2010.