Yosemite

I visited the majestic Yosemite National Park 3 times in 2019, between seeking out the Firefall in February to summiting Half Dome in July. To start, Peter and I ventured to the snow covered park in February in attempt to see one of its annual spectacles, the Yosemite Firefall. Every winter around the same time, as the snow slowly begins to melt and the sun sets at the perfect angle, Yosemite's Horsetail Fall appears to be spouting lava. Horsetail Fall flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan and with the right conditions during a week in February creates a wonderful mirage of fire flowing over its crest. In the spring, I returned to Yosemite to show my friend Stefan the park for the first time. After a heavy winter, the waterfalls were gushing in April and the valley was simply breathtaking.

Last but certainly not least, at the peak of summertime, Peter and I journeyed into the Yosemite Wilderness to summit the legendary Half Dome. On the first day, we hiked in along the John Muir Trail by way of the Mist Trail which took us past both Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. We camped for the night in Little Yosemite Valley along the Merced River. The next morning, we woke up early and made our way to the Half Dome cables, a short but treacherous stretch of vertical wires taking you to the top of the dome. The view from 8,839 feet of elevation was incredible, easily the most amazing hike I have taken in my life.