3 seasons in 3 days! Our Yosemite Adventure.

We had an awesome and adventurous weekend in Yosemite with our good friends Chris and Yohanna Castro! It was their very first time in Yosemite! (Corey hadn't been in several years and Donna hadn't been in Yosemite since High School—doing a one-day trek up to Half Dome)

Early Thursday morning we headed out packed to the hilt. Chris' boss was so stoked to have them visit Yosemite for the first time that she gave him $40 and told us to have breakfast at the Ahwahnee Hotel! Chris sat in the "Queen's seat" at the head of the room (Queen Elizabeth sat at this spot back in 1984 or so) fun times... The weather was beautiful, trees were green, and a few clouds in the sky.

We set up camp in the valley and headed off to our first hike of the weekend! We took the John Muir trail up to the falls and found some *gorgeous* views!!!

Most of us had to strip off layers because we thought it was going to be colder! Yohanna, Chris and Corey made a nice wall for Donna as she shed some layers! 

Look at that beautiful panoramic view! It was truly amazing.

One of the beautiful falls we saw. Donna is contemplating taking a dive while Corey is enjoying the view. 

This picture is at the bottom of the fall, called the Mist Trail. We got nice and wet as we walked past the fall. 

Friday evening we decided to cook a nice camping meal: pasta with sausage! (also to fuel us up for the longer hike we had the next day) Dinner worked out well...dessert, not so much. We had smore supplies and were really excited to roast marshmallows at the fire and make these desserts. One problem—the supplies were over a year past when there were to be "enjoyed" by. (guess it took awhile for us to go camping!) So... the cookies were stale, the chocolate was white (and it was milk chocolate not white chocolate) and the marshmallows were hard!! Truly the worst smores ever. 

 

The following morning we were eager to get going on our "long" hike, but slept a little past when we wanted to, as it was sprinkling. It started pouring so we made our sandwiches under the cover of trees (Chris made it happen—he was dedicated) and packed our bags to go, but didn't get out of the campsite until lunchtime... Off to Yosemite Falls for a 7 to 10 hour hike! 

Yohanna and Donna started out the hike with some funky moves, don't even ask them what that was about—they don't know! 

Camel water packs filled, on and ready to hike at Lower Yosemite Falls... MANY people stop at this point, take a nice picture, NOT US! We are going to the TOP...to the UPPER falls! At the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls, we didn't know which way to go, and the path only went to the right. To our excitement, we saw a family of deer trying to cross the little paved path! The last deer was very hesitant to cross... but when it finally did, it sorta slipped on the paving with its hooves... They were SO CLOSE to us. Obviously excited looks from the onlooking crew (from left Chris, Yohanna, Donna) After we found that right was the wrong direction, we went back to where we started until Corey spotted a 3d replica of the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls (with trails!). So at 1pm, we finally made it over to Camp 4 and began our hike up the mountainside. We took lots of pictures as it rained off and on. Chris and Yo wore our thin little ponchos (we had kept from our honeymoon in Italy—Yes, they are Italian-made ponchos, a little different than Italian leather) - enough to keep them dry, but certainly more sweaty! Yohanna snapping off a picture of Chris while sporting the poncho. (she was contorting to get just the right shot!)

We saw sweet views all the way up and we tried to capture them. It was breath-taking. (and we were going up at a pretty good pace—which also took our breath away!)

here is a shot of Chris is rockin' out! (truth is, it was nice and cool to the touch)

Donna is stretching out and posing for Corey. (you won't believe how many shots he took over the weekend...or maybe you would...it was around 400)

This was probably the best view of the falls from here on up. If it weren't for the breathtaking view of the rest of the valley, searchers of Falls views should just stop hiking here. For much of the hike we were being rained on... and parts we were getting hailed on!

But we were determined to make it all the way up and down before dark! Listed as a 7-10 hour hike, we knew we were going to have to move extremely quickly to do so leaving at 1pm! After a while of Donna charging ahead and the rest of us dragging a little, we decided that Corey & Donna would charge ahead, and let Chris & Yo make it as far as they felt they could go with Chris' knee and Yohanna's sore hip flexor.

Here is Donna above the "source" of the falls just before it goes over

Corey leans over the rail to get a better view... Nah, its not *that* dangerous! ;)

Little flakes of snow began falling on us as we were at the top, as Donna beautifully poses with some flakes, while wearing Corey's jacket to stay warm

To our delight Chris and Yohanna made it to the top 15 minutes after we did! They got all our "voicemail" as we gave messages to downhill travelers to give them ;) So here we are freezing our fingers while eating our sandwiches at the windy, snowy cliffs. Notice Chris' short socks and tennis shoes! By the time we left the top, we were walkin' in a winter wonderland!

Crazy! 

Eager to get back to camp by dark, we were cold and wet, so we made it down the mountain in record time! We made the entire trip in 5.5 or 6 hours!!! (so much for the 7-10 estimated time!) Donna was stoked to "beat" the average! 

When we got back to camp, it was raining a bit, so we got into dry clothes and played cards in the Castro's tent while waiting for the rain to let up so we could make dinner. Well... it didn't let up. So after we decided we were hungry enough to go elsewhere for food, we ended up at this little restaurant with a couple of guys playing some really fun cover songs on acoustic guitars while we ate (some pretty gross but warm) chili and played SkipBo!

Chris tried to to Corey's scary "shush face" but laughed so much that he couldn't get his lips to stay where he wanted them! Of course, we all busted up laughing at the 2 minute spectacle! (Yohanna pictured in hysterics)

After a fun time there, we decided to get back to camp to hit the hay. Upon realizing that the rain was making puddles on top of Corey & Donna's sleeping bags and under Chris & Yohanna's, the Castros decided to "tough it out" by sleeping in the car, while we just tried to keep our things dry while having a towel collect the rain that was dripping in. (Rain getting into lightweight summertime tents? Who woulda thought?!) The next morning (after a pretty rough night of sleep) we were a bit wet, and heard Chris say, "guys, are you all right in there?" Little did we know that the tent's doorway top was sagged down to our feet and there was 5-6 inches of snow outside!! The Castro's tent had completely collapsed under the snow through the night - good thing they weren't inside! That would have been awful! Chris and Yohanna are pictured below propping their tent again.

Chris is wearing Yohanna's form fit jacket to keep warm and dry, since most of his clothes were wet from the weekend's events and it was still snowing pretty hard.... A little sassy are you?

Donna pretends to warm herself by the fire of snow, where we had warmed ourselves less than two days before. Smore's coathanger skewers are even piled with snow!

See the 5 inches or so on the benches and table?!

From hot and beautiful to snowy and beautiful in two days... what a trip!

So we really hit three seasons in three days: the first day being warm, second day rainy and cold, the third day SNOW! Certainly a trip we will never forget.