Yosemite

June 15, 2016
Bill and I flew from Honolulu to LA, where my parents were visiting relatives.  Mom and Dad picked us up at the airport and we took a 6 hour road trip to Mono Lake.  We arrived at our motel late and went to sleep almost immediately.

June 16, 2016
We woke up early to watch the sunrise over the tufas in Mono Lake on the South Tufa Trail.  Tufas are limestone towers that form underwater when calcium-enriched springs react with lake water.

Tufas surrounding and within Mono Lake

Then we drove into Yosemite and hiked Cloud's Rest, which was challenging due to the distance (14.5 miles roundtrip), high altitude (9,926 feet at the top), abundance of stream crossings (including one where we had to wade to our knees through really cold water), and a section where we became lost because the trail was covered in snow.  It was worth it for the spectacular 360 degree panoramic view at the end.

Dad & Mom wading through really coooold water

Me jumping across a stream

Me and Bill sitting on a fallen tree

Bill taking a picture of Mom & Dad making it to the top

Bill making it to the top

View of Half Dome from the top (spoiler alert - this was our hike the following day)

We slept overnight in a canvas-tent cabin in Tuolumne Meadows.  We had to place all our toiletries and food in a bear locker.  Although we had 4 small cots, each couple shared a cot to huddle together for warmth.  It dropped to the high-20s overnight.

June 17, 2016
It was a little bit painful to wake up at 4am in freezing cold weather to drive over 90 minutes to our next destination, but we wanted to beat the crowds and heat at Yosemite's most famous hike: The Half Dome.

All four of us had entered the 2-day lottery for access to the Half Dome, and my Dad was the only one to win a permit.  Bill, Kelly (a girl we met on the trail), and I used Dad's permit to hike the Half Dome.  It was about 15 miles roundtrip, a 4,800 foot elevation gain, and took us 9.5 hours.  The highlights were multiple views of two incredible waterfalls (Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls) and the well-known harrowing cable ascent to the top of the Half Dome.

Vernal Falls - the trail goes so close to the waterfall that you get wet from the mist

Me & Bill & our new friend Kelly at Nevada Falls

The cables are the vertical line to the left of Bill & Me that look like ants on a rock

Bill & Me going up the cables

Bill coming down the cables

Bill on the top of Half Dome (the guy standing)

Me on the top of Half Dome

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad hiked up the Mist Trail (the first portion of the Half Dome trail which has the beautiful waterfalls), descended down the John Muir Trail for even more views of the waterfalls, and then visited Yosemite Falls.

Dad & Mom in front of Nevada Falls on the John Muir Trail

Lower Yosemite Falls and Upper Yosemite Falls

It was a 2.5 hour drive to Mom's friend's condo in Mammoth Lakes, where we stayed overnight.  After a long few days, it felt amazing to eat a meal, take a shower, and get a full night's sleep in a bed.

June 18, 2016
Today was our relaxing day; we slept in, had moderate climate, didn't take any long drives, and didn't go on any long hikes.  We took a shuttle to an easy 5 mile hike in Mammoth Lakes that featured Devil's Postpile (a cliff of hexagonal and pentagonal basalt columns created by lava flow), Rainbow Falls, and Lower Falls.

At the bottom of Devil's Postpile - you can see the columns from this view

Bill & Mom & Dad at the top of Devil's Postpile - you can see the hexagons and pentagons from this view

Top view of Rainbow Falls

Me & Bill at the bottom of Rainbow Falls

Bill & Mom & Dad at the top of Lower Falls

Dad at the bottom of Lower Falls

After our hike, we had an incredible Mexican lunch at a hole-in-a-wall restaurant, relaxed in a Jacuzzi, and drank Dr Pepper floats while watching The Princess Bride.

June 19, 2016
Today was Father's Day.  Our original plan was to hike in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, but we couldn't get past one of the roads that was covered in water.  Instead, we drove through the Red Rock Canyon State Park and hiked the Hagen Trail, which was full of unique desert rock formations.  It would have been a really easy hike if it hadn't been 105 degrees, and we were all anxious to get back to our air-conditioned car by the end.

Mom & Dad & Bill on Camel Rock

Bill & Me at Window Rock

Bill

Me

It was another long day of driving, and it took us about 6 hours to arrive at my uncle's home in Claremont.  Bill, Mom, and I went out for a hot stones massage.

June 20, 2016
Bill and I took a short easy hike nearby called Thompson Creek Trail, but it was a struggle due to the >100 degree weather.  That afternoon, all four of us took a shuttle to the airport and ate lunch together there.  Then Mom & Dad flew home to Virginia while Bill & I flew home to Honolulu.

Thompson Creek Trail