Yosemite Valley

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. John Muir

Yesterday was a crisp, Spring day like the ones you hope for when you visit to Yosemite Valley. I was wondering if the falls would be running and if there would be climbers on the sheer granite walls of El Capitan. Yosemite is only two hours from our home so we periodically set aside a day to visit this place of grandeur. In a way it is a sort of pilgrimage that envigorates my soul. Every time we emerge from the tunnel leading to the valley, that classic panoramic overview simply takes my breath away. I then can't wait to see the ethereal cascade of Bridal Veil Falls on the way in or hear the sub-woofer-like rumble of tons of water thundering over Yosemite Falls. Yesterday the park was more serene than in summer. There were only a few visitors and we drank in the precious silence as we walked along the Merced River that runs the length of the valley floor. We met a hiker from New York. He was in awe of the stone cliffs that line the valley. He craned his neck upwards to view the snow-dusted granite faces and said, "In New York you look up just like here, but this, this is something else!" I agree...this is something else. You just have to see it to believe it.