Starting from the valley floor, we hiked up the Cloud's Rest trail to Little Yosemite Valley where we camped for the night. One of the highlights of the trip for me was reaching the top of Nevada Falls, a 594 ft waterfall with a fantastic view over the valley. The smooth granite plateau with which the waterfall plunges over offers a broad, non-vegetated space to relax and take in the view.
Maybe it's their prominent bald heads with curvy waistlines, but the granite formations in Yosemite are almost cartoon-like to me. Each one with their own personality, peaks like Half Dome, El Capitan, and Liberty Cap take on features of a giant creatures propped up against each other lounging in the valley.
lots of granite
me with liberty cap
sequoias
looking for a camp pine cone-less campsite
liberty cap
craig at the top of nevada falls
craig looking over nevada falls
smoked salmon breakfast with miss liberty
the view
view from the valley floor
Although sequoias dominate Yosemite National Park, on the valley floor, there was an abundance of color from the deciduous trees scattered within the evergreens. It created a beautiful array of warm earth tones that are always quick to remind me why fall is my favorite season. On the way out of the park, we kept stopping to watch as the wind would shake the canopy, creating a scene of orange and yellow leaves falling through the air like snow.
nevada falls
afternoon in the valley
