Postcard from the John Muir Trail

This is Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park. It is not in Yosemite Valley, but you get to it from the Valley via the first leg of the famous John Muir Trail that runs from the Valley to all the way to Mt. Whitney…some 210 hiking miles to the south and an elevation gain from around 4,000 feet to over 13,000 feet. That’s only part of the story as a hiker must go up and down 7 mountain passes on his way to Whitney.

This first part of the trail from the Valley to Vernal Falls is 3/4 of a mile in length with an elevation gain of 400+ feet. After hiking it the last time, I felt like I had climbed 4,000 feet. It is uphill all the way to the falls. These old legs and lungs ain’t what they used to be.

I did this hike in May, meaning the falls were overflowing with snow melt water from high in the Sierra’s. That year set a record for snow fall, so this photo shows the falls as full as you will ever see them. I took this photo with a 300mm lens as I was back a ways from the falls…but I could still feel the mist of the falls in my face.

If you look to the top of the falls on the right, you will see two hikers. This gives you an idea of scale (click on the image to see a larger version of this photo). The falls are 317 feet high. There is a wonderful trail that takes you up to the top of the falls, aptly named Mist Trail. It is not a trail I recommend in Spring when the falls are this full.

If you stay on the John Muir Trail for another few miles, you will come to Nevada falls, almost twice as high as Vernal Falls. On this day, I did not have the energy or time to continue on to Nevada Falls.

Frankly, one of my life-long dreams was to do the entire John Muir Trail, but it never happened. Oh well.

PS…you can see both Vernal and Nevada Falls quite clearly from Glacier Point, high on the south side of Yosemite Valley...and you can drive up there. Thank God or would have never seen Nevada Falls.

PPS…the John Muir Trail joins up with the Pacific Crest Trail for about 160 miles. That trail runs from Mexico to Canada. I never did that one either. 

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com