The alarm goes off, but I am already awake and well under the covers. It got very cold last night and with only the protection of the canvas walls, the wool blankets were a necessity.
Wendy heads off the bathroom for a quick wash-up while I wake up the kids to get them up and going. No complaining this morning as we are all looking forward to the ride.
We grab the donuts we bought at the store the night before, head to the car and make the 5 minute walk to the stable and get there on time. Turns out it is not a horse ride – but a mule ride. Mules are the only animals that can traverse the route we will be riding. They are as big as horses and have a field of vision that allows them to see all four feet at the same time. They also spook much harder and can carry a much larger load for longer distances making them perfect for outings such as this.
We all size up for helmets and watch the mandatory 15 minute video. The other family that will be on our trip has never been on horses before, so we will see how this plays out. They inform us that if we can’t abide by the rules and lag behind we will not be able to enjoy the views from the top and will have to just turn around to head back. 5 minutes on the trail and I am thinking we may have issues. One of the boys seems scared, another can’t keep his mule from stopping and eating and another takes a wrong turn requiring Julie Ann (one of the guides) to head off in his direction to corral him in. They all begin to get the hang of it after a while, although some are still having issues pulling up the reins when they want to eat slowing us down.
The views along the trail are incredible. The trail starts at Happy Isle and heads up parallel with the Mist Trail that Wendy and I took while hiking to Half Dome 18 years ago. We get views of Yosemite Falls on the other side of the valley and great views of the Merced River as it crashes through this valley. The water is higher than it has been for years. Next are views of Vernal Falls and the backside (south) of Half Dome. I ask if we will be able spot the east side with the approach and chains up the side. Josh (our other guide) tells me that we will be able to spot the east side and if we have time can walk a very short distance to see the chains. Once at the top, we have great views of Nevada Falls and are able to dismount and take some pictures. We don’t have time to walk over to where we have a view of the final ascent up Half Dome, but we can see the Quarter Dome where we climbed just before making the ascent.
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| Clark Point and Nevada Falls |
Some quick pictures and then back on the mules for ride back down.
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| Nevada Falls |
We are a little behind schedule, but they hope we can make it up on the way down. The mules like to hug the edge of the switchbacks. I am on Mikey, Wendy has Marilyn, Charlotte is on Gypsy, Jackson’s is Slick and Georgia is on Red (named for her red eyes). We are at the back on the way down and can talk to Josh as we move slowly down. He tells us that the white mule up front was the one that took Oprah on her ride a while ago. We ask if she did the half day or the two hour ride. He tells us that she had a “much modified” ride as the mule really could not handle much more. These the larger mules can hold 225 pounds – but some of the smaller ones – not so much – so read into that as you will.
After 4 hours on the mule, bumping up and down and around the switch backs, I am glad this was not more than a half day. I am testing out yet another set of muscles I did not know I had. Now I ache from the surfing, hiking and mule riding.
When we get back down, we head back to Curry Village for some lunch. We decide to let the kids cool out a bit while Wendy and I head over to the laundry to do yet another 4 loads of wash.
When we return, Charlotte is sound asleep and wants to rest some more. We grab Jackson and Georgia and drive over to Yosemite Falls; the fourth tallest water falls in the world. We find parking right at the trail head (although this really is more of a .3 mile walkway) and head toward the lower falls. There are a couple spots where you can see the top and bottom falls and we stop for some pictures.
Once at the base of the lower falls, the water is throwing off a lot of mist. The water in the park is running higher than it has in over 20 years, and there have been a lot of incidents due to people getting caught up in the running water. Just a couple weeks ago, a couple was swept away while trying to cross a bridge that had water running over it on a marked trail. Once you see the water falling here, you respect the power that this water brings with it. In fact, when you think that this entire valley was carved out by these rivers (though granite), it really makes you think how much force is here.
We listen to the thundering roar, climb up on a fallen tree and have someone take some pictures.
We then head back to the camp and wake Charlotte to head over for dinner. We opt for the Grill rather than the buffet tonight, place our order, pick up a beer and margarita at the bar and stand waiting for a table to open. Our order comes out right after we find a table. Charlotte and Wendy love the Yose-vege-mite veggie burger. Jackson eats some wings (mild that are really pretty hot). Georgia devours a cheeseburger and large order of fries. She had never really eaten burgers before this trip, but seems to have acquired a taste for them now. The kids all decide to skip ice cream for dessert and we all opt to head back to the cabins for an early bed.