Gary and I spent most of our time in Yosemite Valley walking the easy trails to Lower Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Mirror Lake Trail and at Tunnel View (just up a few hundred yards on the trailhead for a better view). But we did one major hike to Vernal Falls. This is a hike Carol & I did in 2022 and it’s pretty steep, rated hard on Alltrails. I think it’s moderate if you stop at the Falls and hard if you continue to the top. We wanted a challenging hike after such an easy time so far. Plus Gary said the top of the falls were worth the effort although he wasn’t feeling up to it today. So I continued up the trail and he headed back down.
The trail above the falls is narrow, steep, and wet this time of year. Vernal Falls were flowing full force so there was a lot of mist. I used my iPhone and GoPro and kept my camera bag under my rain jacket. I felt quite the accomplishment making it the top. It has an amazing view of the valley.