On the steep Mist Trail up toVernal Fall at Yosemite.
You know you're getting older when you stray away from steep hikes. Living in Virginia, where a good portion of the Appalachian Trail goes through, you may be "used to" winding and steep hikes. Well, maybe you are, but I'm not.
Having been a preemie, I think I lost out in the lung capacity department, making steep hiking a real challenge. So my hike up to Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park in April was a challenge too. I saw many others "bee-bopping" along on this trail that seemed to go almost straight up. We only got partway, to the wooden bridge where you can snap a pix of the fall from a distance. But there were some interesting rock formations, like (above) this pix of me with a facelike set of rocks all strewn together.
It is amazing that some 150 years ago (or more) John Muir took to these steep hikes at Yosemite like nobody's business. And when climbing he didn't have a piton (pin) and ropes to get him up. He used his hands and boots for many of his adventures in this high country. Could I have done the same? No way.
And in the last 6 months I 've injured my right knee twice. So no steep hike up a trail at Mountain Lake. My knees would give out; they need some therapy and rest, and I hope to swim at Claytor and help them out.
