Upper Yosemite Falls

Upper Yosemite Falls

The views from the photographs of the Upper Yosemite Falls are all very impressive. How much more when you're actually there?

Even if it would mean more than six miles of uphill climbing, the view from the top of the Upper Yosemite Falls is well worth the steep hike. Once on top, you can't get enough of the beauty that unfolds right before your eyes. Pictures may capture the view, colors and all. But it would never be able to define the sense of personal fulfillment that every hiker gets.

The Upper Yosemite Falls stands 1430 feet, but together with the Lower Yosemite Falls, they comprise the top five highest waterfalls in the world. Water that comes from the Yosemite Creek drops from the Upper Yosemite Falls and down to the Lower one in a wind-blown spray, drenching the nearby areas. Spring is the best time to see the grandeur of the Upper Yosemite Falls, with the abundant supply of melting snow. The water decreases to a trickle in some parts of the year and may even go completely dry during the later part of summer.

When the water is in a great abundance, it makes the sound of the Upper Yosemite Falls boom all over the valley. For those who are not up to the grueling six-mile (approximately 3 hours) climb to the top of the Upper Yosemite Falls, there is an area just past Columbia Rock, about a mile and a half climb from the base, which provides one of the best views of the Upper Yosemite Falls.

The trail from the Valley Floor to the Rim is actually among the steepest. Several accidents happen along this trail when hikers slip on drenched rocks or loose gravel. A lot of people also slip in the area reached by the misty spray from the waterfalls. The sprayed trail may not be a long one but nevertheless, it poses more danger with all the potential slips and falls. The initial half of the hike is an 80% shaded climb. This is particularly something everyone can thank for on summer days. Imagine how hot the remaining half can be.

Trekking to the Upper Yosemite Falls is best started early. Almost everyone who has reached its peak wanted to spend more than an hour to enjoy the view and take a dip in the Yosemite Creek. Although the creek is definitely tempting, people should think twice about taking a dip in spring when the current is too fast.

Coming down from the Upper Yosemite Falls is just as hard as in going up. Most accidents happen when hikers are in a hurry to reach the base, tired from the long hike up. But despite all the bruises and scratches from falls, it definitely leaves us with good memories and rolls of films to develop.