At the end of June my good friend, Lauren, had a birthday celebration in Groveland, California, at her Mom’s new vacation house. Perhaps you have not heard of Groveland, I sure hadn’t but it is a quaint hidden town located on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park, 26 miles outside to be exact. It is suppose to be a good tourist destination for those who do not wish to camp inside the park. There is really now much out there besides lush green trees, a few pizza parlors, an old school saloon (the bar), and a flower shop. However, the lucky houses surround a giant lake, quite scenic, with easy access to beach, grass, and bliss. We drove in Friday from San Francisco and chatted over wine and sunset and kept the night very mellow since we would have to embark on our Yosemite Adventure in the morning.
Saturday we attempted to get up early, but realistically did not end up leaving the house until about 9ish. After some traffic getting into Yosemite park, and after circling for some parking, we eventually made it to the base of the great Yosemite Falls; a 4 out of 5 hike for difficulty. Note: I would recommend if you choose to hike Yosemite on the weekend to get up as early as you possible can. There are long lines of cars waiting to get in and then parking is very limited, and fills up fast. Plus the heat flairs up the later you wait.
Yosemite Falls Hike- Wow. It was intense. I would say I’m in decent shape, not hiking shape, but I work out and eat healthy. This hike killed. The sun beat down on us and sweat dripped down me the entire way up. I recommend bringing a huge cold water bottle because you will drink it. I actually ended up drinking from the stream because
I wanted ice cold h2o (not recommended by guide books though). I’m not sure how long it took our group to get to the top…maybe 3 hours?? It was worth the accomplishment though. I mean, how many times can you say you’ve been to the very top of a waterfall? Let alone, the great Yosemite Falls! Though, the best scenes were about half way up on the hike when you are right next to the falls and can feel the cool mist drip down on you and the calming water sounds. We started the hike at about
11ish (maybe) and ended about 5ish (i think). Let me say a shower was greatly needed, a new water bottle was chugged, and I wish we had a masseuse on hand. My legs and calves were soar for the entire next week; even yoga couldnt help. We took a small detour on the way back and hopped in the Rainbow Pools. The water was very cold (too chilly for me), however other people in our group
cooled down with some cliff jumping. Once the sun began setting we piled back into the car and got clean back in Groveland. Night adventures= Bday cupcakes (made glutton free just for me, thanks Lauren!) & ice cream, then a
nice trip to the local Saloon with the locals. Despite having problems walking the rest of the week, the trip was awesome, and well worthwhile. It’s too bad there is no easy way to get to Yosemite from San Diego– an 8 hour car ride or a flight to San Jose is best.