The waterfalls of Yosemite Valley

I tried to get an earlier start than usual this morning, eager to see the sights of Yosemite National Park.  I left the town of Mariposa, driving east for about an hour to the park.  I tried not to plan my day too much, just wanting to relax and enjoy myself.  The first thing I saw was Bridal Veil Fall.  The misty spray was a bit too much to get too close...I didn't want to get my camera wet.

As I was driving along the main park road, I pulled over to take photos of the famous El Capitan and the adjacent Ribbon Fall.  At 1,634 feet, this fall is the tallest, continuous drop waterfall in North America.

 

My big workout of the day was hiking halfway up the Mist Trail to get the glimpse of Vernal Fall.  The paved trail was about a mile of steady incline to a foot bridge with a view of the fall.  That view wasn't the greatest, but I had enough walking uphill and opted not to continue up the trail to get a closer look.  At least there was another fall to look at along the same trail.  The Illilouetter Fall was a lot nicer!  

As I made my way back down the trail, a lot of people were walking up...seems like I beat the crowd.  One young couple caught my eye.  The husband was toting a baby in a backpack, and the wife was pushing a stroller with a toddler!  Amused, I told her she was brave for doing that.  When she replied that she was getting a workout, I told her that the trail was going to get a whole lot steeper, which was true.  I'm not sure if they made it to the bridge. 

After lunch, I headed over to do the short hike to the Lower Yosemite Fall.  I got a lot of nice photos of both the Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls.  I never get tired of looking at waterfalls!

My day just isn't complete unless I see wild animals, especially in a national park.  There were deer grazing near the Yosemite Falls area, and they were VERY unafraid of people.  I got some very nice pics of a doe and her fawns hanging out right next to the sidewalk!  Here a sweet shot of a fawn.

 

And, after seeing the Yosemite Falls, I was walking back to my vehicle when some movement in the grass caught my attention.  Squirrels!  Or, in this case, ground squirrels.  A couple of California ground squirrels had their underground den in a grassy meadow.  Both were feeding on blades of grass, and one of them was keeping a sharp eye on me.

After a fantastic day at Yosemite, I drove to my next pit stop.  For some strange reason, my GPS chose a route deemed the fastest, but went off the obvious highways.  Soon, I found myself on a deserted country road literally COVERED with patches filling in potholes.  We're talking several MILES of patched road.  It was pretty amazing...and VERY bumpy!  I guess the road is not traveled enough to merit new pavement.  Perhaps if more GPS units sent travelers on this road, it might qualify as a well-traveled highway?  All I know is, I need to review my GPS routes more carefully and avoid this happening again.  Tomorrow, I'll be driving all day long with no sightseeing.  And, yes, I'll be sticking to the roads most traveled!