The long and winding road (it's sometimes worth it)

So following on from yesterday's epic 32-hour day, I realise how fortunate it was I did all that walking in San Francisco yesterday. It was a good warm up for today's fair hike in Yosemite National Park. It was well worth it.
But we'll come to that later. Today I met the other 11 people (+ tour guide) I'll be spending the next week with. And wouldn't you know it, there's four other Australians, all from Melbourne, on the tour. Not that that's a bad thing. It was just something I wasn't expecting. Everyone gets on well fortunately. I guess you've got to be able to get on with strangers before you think about going on one of these tours (especially travelling alone like me).

The first half of the day was largely about gold. A rickety old bridge once known as the longest covered one east of the Mississippi was a location for lunch before we hit the Iron Door Saloon. It's the oldest in the US (est. 1852). They have a little game at this pub, which has the ceiling scattered in one dollar notes. So fancying myself I gave it a go. You have to use your own dollar, so I used that. The barman gives you a thumb tack, then you grab a quarter, pierce the coin with the tack (to give it a bit of weight), also pierce the dollar and then throw it up there. Needless to say it was a total failure. Not only did I not get my tack to stick up there, when it came down it got lost between a wall and some stage. No second chances was what I got out of that.

The straightest bit of road of the day.

Money on the roof. Enough to build a new pub!

Then the long and winding road began. Firstly it went up to 4000ft (1219m) then up to 8000ft (2438m) before dropping into the Yosemite (which some were calling Yoz-e-might not Yo-sem-it-ee. I mean please, didn't any of these people see Looney Tunes cartoons when they were young?) Valley in the national park. Then there was another long and winding path to Vernal Falls (97m, 317ft). When you say 600 steps, it doesn't sound like a lot. But when it's a 1000ft incline, and you've got mist from the waterfall itself spraying you in the face, it takes its toll. Lucky my arms still work, because after that my legs didn't. Got some cool pics though: 



Vernal Fall

View from the top

Long-exposure rapids

Well worth it? Yep. But I didn't see any bears, mountain lions, squirrels though. And afterwards I had a quick glimpse of the Yosemite Falls, the fifth highest in the world (according to the tour guide - other sources seem to disagree. 2425ft, 739m).

Tomorrow I think we're off to see some other cool stuff. Hopefully I can bring you something a bit more insightful.

Comments please! Tips on things I should to my main blog page? Remember this is for you not for me.