Crews In The Wild

In February, I visited my 25th and 26th national parks Yosemite and Pinnacles. My goal was to see Firefall because this year due to the parks being a 110 years old several things were for free which meant no reservations needed to see Firefall. So your girl hit the jackpot seeing it this year. I stayed in Oakhurst at Sierra Sky Ranch for 4 nights which was $122 a night. Breakfast is included and it’s within 1 hour drive of Yosemite National Park. I recommend flying into Fresno because it’s the closest international airport to Yosemite. It’s an 1 1/2 hour drive to Yosemite from Fresno. When I arrived in Fresno I bought tire chains just in case I needed them for Yosemite because they had a major snowstorm that week that caused them to have up to 70 inches of snow. The only problem with this scenario is tire chains aren’t allowed on rentals, and I had no idea how to install them. Oh well that’s what YouTube is for. I did put them on, but ended up not needing them so I was able to return them.

Day 1 in Yosemite I hiked with crampons on because the trails you could hike on and dense ice and snow. It was my first time using my crampons which was a lot of fun. I visited Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, and Yosemite Falls. I ended up seeing a bridal party at Bridalveil Fall. The bridesmaids were wearing heels on this trail and I’m thinking you’re a better woman than me cause I would never. The way I strap on my boots and say let’s go because your girl is about as graceful as a bull in a china shop. So I definitely need traction on my feet on ice or else I will attack the ground backwards. Bridalveil Fall trail is 0.7 mile round trip and paved so very easy to do. Lower Yosemite Falls trail is 1.2 miles round trip and during February I would recommend crampons for traction. Not many trails are open due to the snow and ice but you can still hike some.

After hiking I went back to and worked towards finding a good parking spot for Firefall. The closest parking is about a 1.5 miles away, but you have to get there early because parking fills up fast, and I was at Yosemite over the weekend which meant everybody, their momma, and grand momma was there. It was wild. I recommend packing snacks, layers, and a camping chair to see Firefall. You will be sitting for a little while and it’s cold in February. While I was there it is 32 degrees F plus there was snow everywhere so protect your bum or else it will freeze off. The views of Firefall were totally worth it. I saw it twice from two different angles on two different days, and it was mesmerizing. Firefall only about for 2 weeks in February. The conditions have to be just right to see a good view. A good snowfall makes a big difference because the waterfall is flowing more and when the sun hits it just right it looks like lava falling from the mountain. Situations like this remind that God’s masterpiece is absolutely wild, and He is THE OG artist.

Day 2 I hiked a portion of the Vernal Falls trail. I was unable to do the full trail because it was blocked off due to rock fall and ice, but I did make friends from California who were there for vacation and they also encouraged me to start a blog. Their words of encouragement ended up being the fuel to the fire needed for me to start this blog since I was dragging my feet. I ended up being a couple of group pictures which was hilarious because honestly I didn’t know their names until later. After the hike, I planned to see Firefall again and I got a way better look this time. I recommend seeing it from a side angle view because if you stay at it from the front you don’t get the full effect.

Day 3 I figured why not hit up Pinnacles National Park since I’m a little over 3 hours from it. I woke up at 5 am to leave and get some decent hiking in. The temperature difference from Yosemite to Pinnacles was a huge difference. My body was super confused. In Yosemite, temps were around the 30s-40s while in the Pinnacles it was around 50s-60s. I hiked Condor Gulch to High Peaks trail. This trail 5.4 miles round trip with an interesting section called steep and narrow where steps are cared into the cliff face and its basically a railing then nothing else. You do have the option to go around it if it makes you nervous but I figured why the heck not. Let’s do it for funnsie. It was a great day to see condors as well there were 3 condors flying around while I was hiking.

I definitely would go back to both national parks. I was unable to explore the caves at Pinnacles due to heavy rainfall, but the trip was still worth it. I plan to go back to Yosemite hike the Half Dome one day. I hope you enjoyed coming along with me on my adventures.

Yours Truly,

Crews In The Wild