05-20-2022, 10:59 AM
I'm beginning to think I should no longer take guests or visitors to Yosemite. I am now 3 for 3 of having people the worst experience in the park while in my company. I almost killed tQ's mom by taking her on a hike that far exceeded her abilities so much so she couldn't breathe. Scapino's kid screamed at the top of his lungs for twenty minutes about how he hated hiking after tripping over a root and face planted. And yesterday, during the hike up the mist trail our two guests found out much they hated heights. The husband was so scared he was on his way to having a massive panic attack. Good times.
Now, I had been mentally gearing up for this hike for some time. The plan was to hike to the top of Vernal Falls via the mist trail and hike down via the John Muir trail. It's a strenuous hike but short and it's really scenic. I made sure tQ asked our guests if this was what they wanted and to inform they would get sopping wet on the hike. They said yes so were go for launch.
tQ's guest was one of her best friends. You met her at the wedding. She brought along her husband as wives do. The four of us geared up and set off in the car. And by geared I mean tQ and I loaded way too much gear while the guests put a water bottle into their knapsack.
Things immediately veered out of control during the drive. The road near my house to take us up to the main Highway curves a lot. But I'm used to it. I drive it fast but not as fast as some of the neighbors. And definitely not as fast as the husband would drive it. About a mile into the drive, I had to pull over, because the twists and turns were giving him severe vertigo. He was on the verge of vomiting. So, that was bad. We paused by the side of the road. I resolved to drive slower. That worked out. He recovered and made it to the park.
I didn't slow for any of the usual first time visitors spots through the valley but headed straight for the Mist Trail parking lot. I could feel the crowds coming. The parking lot was already almost at capacity. We had a lovely walk through the fen to the trail head, pit stopping at the last bathroom before the Vernal Fall Bridge.
The Mist Trail is steep without any switchbacks, basically the trail hugs the canyon wall as it rapidly ascends. I headed off quickly letting the other two and the husband chat away and set their own pace. The first big landmark on the hike is the bridge where you can see Vernal Falls for the first time on the hike. The bridge crosses the Merced river as the trail switches sides of the canyon. The bridge is only .8 of a mile from the trail head so it's a really great with a big payoff with the view of the falls. It's steep but not long. I felt my heart pounding when I got there. It's usually as far as I've hiked because the last several times I've done the trail the gate is closed to hike further up the trail. the exception being when I backpacked with DM and we came down the John Muir Travel from our expedition. But it has been at least 20 years since I've up close to Vernal Falls. Maybe longer. I longed to stand at the base of the falls.
The threesome hiked kind of slow. We stopped at a couple of view spots to see Illouette Falls and Yosemite Falls. But I was tired of hearing the ladies chatter and I was excited to get to the point to see the waterfall. I went ahead. I got to the bridge very quickly. The view was great as always. And I waited for the rest of the party to catch up. I took photos. I took photos for other people. I waited. I waited. I wasn't that far ahead of them. Eventually, I went back down the trail to see how they were doing.
Not too far back from the bridge I spotted tQ, but not the others. tQ informed me the husband discovered his fear of heights on the trail. And it was a bad fear. His skin looked ashen. The husband and the wife were back down the trail trying to figure out what to do. The wife was also suffering from the heights but not as bad. Now, in my opinion the Mist Trail is kind of a broad trail and the slope from the trail to the river isn't that dire. Unfortunately our guests had different opinions. I walked back to them. They were only about 150 yards shy of the bridge and only part of that was a steep climb. I mentioned this to them that they were almost done. They both agreed to go on. I hung with the husband to basically block him from looking off the edge of the trail.
Kudos to him for making it to the bridge. He walked across it head so he could only focus on his feet. He did finally look up at the end of the bridge and leaned agains the railing. The Wife was better but she didn't want to get too far from the center of the bridge. They were done for the day.
I was kind of relieved, too. I no longer had to climb the stairs to the top of Vernal. But I did really want to get closer to the water fall. The couple agreed to hang out for another thirty minutes while I climbed the .2 of a mile to the base of the falls. They started the climb back down the trail to a sunnier spot. tQ went with me to the base of the stairs where the mist from the falls started to make it's presence known. That was her quit spot. I climbed on, fearing the wet granite steps but I was going to at least get a shot of the falls from close up. Which I did. I was pretty soaked when I was done
I caught up with tQ at the bridge. We got the rest of the party further down the trail. They were unsteady but very happy to be descending. We ate lunch at the Village Store Grill and then walked from there to see lower Yosemite Falls.
In conclusion, I'm not taking any more people into the park.
Now, I had been mentally gearing up for this hike for some time. The plan was to hike to the top of Vernal Falls via the mist trail and hike down via the John Muir trail. It's a strenuous hike but short and it's really scenic. I made sure tQ asked our guests if this was what they wanted and to inform they would get sopping wet on the hike. They said yes so were go for launch.
tQ's guest was one of her best friends. You met her at the wedding. She brought along her husband as wives do. The four of us geared up and set off in the car. And by geared I mean tQ and I loaded way too much gear while the guests put a water bottle into their knapsack.
Things immediately veered out of control during the drive. The road near my house to take us up to the main Highway curves a lot. But I'm used to it. I drive it fast but not as fast as some of the neighbors. And definitely not as fast as the husband would drive it. About a mile into the drive, I had to pull over, because the twists and turns were giving him severe vertigo. He was on the verge of vomiting. So, that was bad. We paused by the side of the road. I resolved to drive slower. That worked out. He recovered and made it to the park.
I didn't slow for any of the usual first time visitors spots through the valley but headed straight for the Mist Trail parking lot. I could feel the crowds coming. The parking lot was already almost at capacity. We had a lovely walk through the fen to the trail head, pit stopping at the last bathroom before the Vernal Fall Bridge.
The Mist Trail is steep without any switchbacks, basically the trail hugs the canyon wall as it rapidly ascends. I headed off quickly letting the other two and the husband chat away and set their own pace. The first big landmark on the hike is the bridge where you can see Vernal Falls for the first time on the hike. The bridge crosses the Merced river as the trail switches sides of the canyon. The bridge is only .8 of a mile from the trail head so it's a really great with a big payoff with the view of the falls. It's steep but not long. I felt my heart pounding when I got there. It's usually as far as I've hiked because the last several times I've done the trail the gate is closed to hike further up the trail. the exception being when I backpacked with DM and we came down the John Muir Travel from our expedition. But it has been at least 20 years since I've up close to Vernal Falls. Maybe longer. I longed to stand at the base of the falls.
The threesome hiked kind of slow. We stopped at a couple of view spots to see Illouette Falls and Yosemite Falls. But I was tired of hearing the ladies chatter and I was excited to get to the point to see the waterfall. I went ahead. I got to the bridge very quickly. The view was great as always. And I waited for the rest of the party to catch up. I took photos. I took photos for other people. I waited. I waited. I wasn't that far ahead of them. Eventually, I went back down the trail to see how they were doing.
Not too far back from the bridge I spotted tQ, but not the others. tQ informed me the husband discovered his fear of heights on the trail. And it was a bad fear. His skin looked ashen. The husband and the wife were back down the trail trying to figure out what to do. The wife was also suffering from the heights but not as bad. Now, in my opinion the Mist Trail is kind of a broad trail and the slope from the trail to the river isn't that dire. Unfortunately our guests had different opinions. I walked back to them. They were only about 150 yards shy of the bridge and only part of that was a steep climb. I mentioned this to them that they were almost done. They both agreed to go on. I hung with the husband to basically block him from looking off the edge of the trail.
Kudos to him for making it to the bridge. He walked across it head so he could only focus on his feet. He did finally look up at the end of the bridge and leaned agains the railing. The Wife was better but she didn't want to get too far from the center of the bridge. They were done for the day.
I was kind of relieved, too. I no longer had to climb the stairs to the top of Vernal. But I did really want to get closer to the water fall. The couple agreed to hang out for another thirty minutes while I climbed the .2 of a mile to the base of the falls. They started the climb back down the trail to a sunnier spot. tQ went with me to the base of the stairs where the mist from the falls started to make it's presence known. That was her quit spot. I climbed on, fearing the wet granite steps but I was going to at least get a shot of the falls from close up. Which I did. I was pretty soaked when I was done
I caught up with tQ at the bridge. We got the rest of the party further down the trail. They were unsteady but very happy to be descending. We ate lunch at the Village Store Grill and then walked from there to see lower Yosemite Falls.
In conclusion, I'm not taking any more people into the park.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm
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