The 'f word'

I've just returned from Yosemite National Park. It was as glorious as I had hoped it would be. I was there for two days and three cold, cold, cold nights. 

When people said the temperature could go to 32 degrees at night during June, they forget to mention the 'f word'...f-f-f-fahrenheit! So rather than a warning of the heat, it was a heads up to pack thermal underwear! Oh, did I mention I had booked an unheated tent cabin? 

So you can imagine me, hopping off the bus in my one jumper, new raincoat and three quarter pants, jittering away. I already looked out of place amongst the rest of the crowd dressed like Michelin men, but I didn't really help myself blend in when I started doing star jumps to warm up!

Luckily, I had lots and lots of hiking to keep my blood circulating, there was also a communal lodge with a fireplace open until 10pm, and I had packed a sub zero sleeping bag to get me through the nights.

The highlight of my visit was seeing some seriously spectacular waterfalls. I took on some really steep hikes, breathtaking both in beauty and aerobic workouts! To put this into perspective, one of the hikes was like climbing up every floor of the empire state building...twice! At the top of each climb, a waterfall gushed off the edge. I had at least timed my visit well in this regard, because during springtime the snow begins to melt and the waterfalls are at their peak. 

To summarise, my 3 top tips for visiting yosemite:
#1. Pack for winter, as in snow, no matter what time of year you visit.
#2. Start your day early, get ahead of the crowds on the trails and enjoy the scenery all to yourself, (it also means you can end the day early and don't have to share the shower room with groups of school kids).
#3. Take lunch with you so that you can do longer hikes without having to return the valley for food. The food outlets there aren't amazing, you won't be missing out on any culinary delights. 

To borrow the words of the former governor of California, "I'll be back!" The cables were down for the half dome climb because of the snow, so I'll have to come back sometime to cross that off my list, but maybe in August next time.