Not bad for a new Septuagenarian or any other age for that matter. I used to get excited walking a mile every other morning. Got your backpacking gear and trail runners on? Let's get to it!
Short YouTube videos of the same trails we hiked:
Mariposa Giant Sequoia Redwood Grove -
http://youtu.be/fQoGv-qFnJs
Vernal Falls -
http://youtu.be/wtAgi4hmTEQ
Need to pause here and tell a funny story. After returning from Vernal Falls, we thought we would head for a much easier hike around Mirror Lake. Somehow, we ended up at The Ahwahnee Hotel and decided to walk and gawk inside. Yeah, we were grungy. We had heard that dining was by reservation only and for guests only but asked and were surprised to learn that anyone could eat in the grand dining hall without reservations for breakfast and lunch.
Starved, we rushed to the restrooms to well, clean up as best as possible. We rushed back to the reservation desk and noticed a sign stating lunch was only served until 2:00. It was three minutes before.
We anxiously waited for the hostess to return and asked if we could get in. She looked up over her glasses and ordered the head waitress to seat us at table 24 (or whatever). I knew we were headed for some closet seating out of the way. The head waitress asked us to follow her for what seemed like an eternity. We were paraded through the full length of the grand dining room. Yup, were gonna eat outside, although I saw a perfect little table by some huge windows looking outside to the Valley and Yosemite Falls. "This is our Honeymoon table", she informed us, and our jaws dropped as she seated us. We had lunch fit for King and Queen, which after reporting later to our B&B host, we were told that is the exact spot the Queen ate at when she visited Yosemite! This was a much bigger sensation to my wife until it settled in with me that few people get to sit in this spot. Look through the candles at the young couple to see what it looked like. The video starts from the rear of the dining room. I have some great pictures of the falls from the window.
http://youtu.be/bdfOUxBxjjw
Next to Monterey, Cannery Row, Carmel and Point Lobos.
Hiking Point Lobos. We had to park a mile round trip outside the gate.
http://youtu.be/4dfKroiBG9M
One last highlight: 99.5% of fellow hikers wore no masks. We wore masks about 80% of the time when near people. Home for 3 days without symptoms, so far.
Take a Hike....and enjoy! |
