El Capitan, Yosemite Valley

An easier day today but memorable nevertheless for visiting Yosemite Valley. We vowed that we must return to see the waterfalls for which the Valley is renown. Most waterfalls dry up in the autumn and this has been exacerbated by 3 years of drought. The iconic Yosemite Falls are non-existent and the Bridalveil Falls which usually flow all year had just a whisper of water.

We wanted to walk to the Vernal and Nevada Falls along the Mist Trail but gave up as we couldn't find the trail head. Wasn't a hardship though as the temperature in the Valley was over 30c and this was at an altitude of 4000 feet. Click here if you want to see the waterfalls with water falling.

So we did the touristy things. Stopping at places that took our fancy and soaking up the spirit of the place. Once seen, Yosemite Valley captures your soul and and makes you want to return and see its wonders in different seasons.

El Capitan is just one wall of sheer granite that soars from the Valley floor. Over 3000 feet of vertical rock that is a mecca for rock climbers. You get overwhelmed by the scale of these rock faces, their height and their presence. We saw El Capitan from above yesterday from Taff Point (yesterday's blip). It looked insubstantial from our lofty vantage point but was an entirely different proposition from ground level. Here the massive rock face is reflected in the calm waters of the Merced River.

This was the last but one stop of the day. The final stop was at Tunnel View which provides the most well known view of Yosemite from the Wawona road as it climbs out of the Valley. There were so many shots to choose from today. Hope you like this one.

We're now packed and ready to go tomorrow morning. A long drive to San Francisco airport for our flight that leaves at 7.20pm. We're flying BA Club World back, courtesy of Avios. So looking forward to that. Should be good overnight!

So our last few hours in Yosemite, California and the USA are slipping away. We're sitting on the deck of Cabin 23 in the dark of the evening at 9.15pm and the temperature is still over 20c. What an experience. The whole trip has been magical with the highlight being Chris' wedding. But the rest has been so special too.