Hike: Yosemite

Date: 9/16/00
With whom: solo

Images 24-31

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Yosemite: Yosemite Valley to Half Dome via John Muir Trail return via Mist Trail

Distance: 16.4+ miles
Elevation: 4000' to 8836'

After hiking down about 5 miles, I reached the junction for the Mist Trail. I took the Mist trail so I could see different views of Nevada Falls and pass by Vernal Falls. Below are two pictures of Nevada Falls.

Below (left) is a picture of the top of Nevada Falls. The image at the very top of this page shows the Mist Trail as it runs along the outflow of Nevada Falls. The Mist Trail is quite steep and much of it is like walking down stone steps. This was very hard on my knees and I had to take it relatively (for me) slowly. I also ran out of water by this time, which actually meant I had planned and metered my water almost perfectly...almost.

Because I was a little short on water, I had slowed my intake of water earlier (a couple of side notes: it actually isn't very efficient to chug a lot of water at once because your body can only absorb it so quickly. Any excess to this will show up about 30 minutes later in your bladder. Secondly, I look at my packing for a hike as this balance between minimize how much I carry so I can travel light (and water is pretty heavy at 2lbs/liter) vs. carrying enough to be prepared for contingency (extra water, food, clothing, etc.)). I was slightly dehydrated so I didn't feel like eating because my mouth was dry. I really paid for this because I ran out of energy. With my energy level low and the steep terrain, it took me just as long to descend as it had taken me to ascend (I can normally descned in 2/3 the time it takes me to ascend).

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