Yosemite

On August 18th, we entered Yosemite for a day of hiking and had to leave the park in the evening again, as we were unable to reserve a camping spot in the park. Therefore, on the first day, we chose an easy route since Brian and I were still battling our persistent colds. My UTI was improving quickly with the antibiotics. The landscapes were still breathtaking, and with hardly any elevation to conquer, I was able to enjoy the hike.

On the 19th, we aimed to visit Yosemite Valley with its famous sights like El Capitan and Half Dome. This involved a 2-hour drive through the park, which, of course, took us through even more stunning landscapes. We arrived quite late in the valley (afternoon). Since most hikes from there require good fitness due to quite steep inclines, we selected a hike from which we could turn back: the Vernal Falls Trail. I made it to Vernal Falls (1200m of climbing 😮‍💨😆) but had to turn back afterwards. Brian and Kirsten proceeded to the next big waterfall. It took them longer than expected, and so we left the valley around 11:30pm. We were too tired to make it all the way back out of Yosemite. Therefore, we just pulled over at a small parking area next to the road and hoped no one would disturb us. Luckily, we had a good night and could continue our journey the next morning, well-rested.