Notes From the Cottonwood Tree: Yos.em.it.e Part 2: Swimming Holes

My first morning in Yosemite was pure joy. I awoke to the sound of our camp mate's car tires rolling off to greet the day. It was barely light. In response to the cold morning air I snuggled deeper into my sleeping bag until I could no longer ignore my pleading bladder. I took a leisurely stroll around the campground while Brent got the stove going for breakfast.

A calm stream a short walk north was clear as glass. I marveled at its pristine condition for a few moments and then headed back to fill my belly. We ate a hearty breakfast in anticipation of the day's adventures, but to be honest, we weren't really sure where to begin. After packing a lunch and some swimming gear we piled back into the car and headed down the road to Yosemite Valley. The trees were quite thick as we descended down the canyon, so I wasn't at all prepared for the view that awaited us. Suddenly we came around a bend and were delighted/awestruck to see this:

Huge granite slabs towered thousands of feet in the air. I felt so small next to the expansive cliffs. It was a little overwhelming.

We were so excited we hopped out of the car to snap a few photos.

Brent and Katie standing in the middle of the Merced River

Look how clear the water is!

View from one of the meadows

We drove the valley loop a couple of times until we decided where to begin. Brent had heard of a fun little swimming hole that can only be accessed when the water is low. Fewer crowds? Secret summer oasis? We all said "yes, please!" However, I did have second thoughts when the rubber soles of my 5.10 approach shoes refused to grip the surface of the sleek boulders we were climbing. Most of the rocks were worn smooth from the pounding waterfall that crashes down in the Spring. I had all of my camera gear, so I awkwardly made my way up from boulder to boulder until Brent made his way back down to give me a hand.

This simple view was indeed worth the climb:

The water was a pretty green color and I was terribly tempted to jump in until I realized it was FREEZING! That didn't stop Brent, & Bryan, & Katie from cliff diving though. Soon a bunch of teenagers were lined up like lemmings trailing behind them.

Another view of the falls

The spray from the waterfall above was light, but occasionally, the wind would kick up and throw the water out towards us. It was crazy! Every time I would scramble to grab a couple of shots before stuffing my camera inside my jacket to protect it from the delayed shower.

After spending a good chunk of the day vascillating between the two extremes of baking in the sun and freezing our hinies in the water, we headed back down the boulder field in search of our next adventure.

Brent wanted to find another swimming hole on the Merced River. We were still trying to wrap our minds around all there was to do, so none of us objected. Everything was awesome and everything was beautiful.

When we found this spot I felt like I had just walked directly into a Tolkien fantasy novel. The water was clear and inviting, just like before, but this time it was WARM! We spent the rest of our afternoon here as we were in total heaven!

Just before sunset I asked it we could head back to the valley to get some pictures of the meadow at the height of its golden glow. I grabbed a few head shots of us for future generations:

Bryan--Became best friends with our camp mates and scored valuable information about cool, out of the way places to explore. Spotted edible berries on all of our hikes and introduced us to their sweet flavors.

Brent--Trip planner extraordinaire. Did 90% of the driving and cooking. Never got ruffled feathers. Can sport the philosophical gaze at the drop of a hat.

Katie--The road trip champion. So, so patient. Laughs when she's scared, made me laugh when I was scared, didn't complain about a thing. Made me smile a lot.