Ted's Hiking World Chilnualna Falls
Yosemite National Park

May 26, 2017

Having done almost no hiking this May, I feel compelled to accomplish something noteworthy.  To that end I am willing to incur yet another eight hours of driving for a five-hour hike.  After perusing my lengthy Bucket List, one appealing option would be finally to climb Liberty Cap; but the thought of dealing with the Memorial Day Weekend crowds in Yosemite Valley and on the Mist Trail sends me over here instead.

No matter how one accesses the park, it is unnecessary actually to enter the valley in order to get down to Wawona.  This trail is somewhat downplayed in online statements such as "less visited" and "one cannot get get a clear view of the falls"; but it is a waterfall after all, and that is good enough for me.

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At the trailhead

The weather should be perfect today; it's about 55 degrees out right now.  Having managed to sleep less than five hours last night, though, I hope that I don't doze off at the edge of a cliff.

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Getting started

Whoa!  Within just a couple of minutes, I get a preview of coming attractions beside a thundering cascade.

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Lower Chilnualna Falls

This trail detour has been created just for the effect.  It is quite steep and utilizes a few dozen stone steps.

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There isn't a good view, but there is plenty of noise

Above this point the trail mellows out as it winds slowly uphill on a well-planned gradient.

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A giant patch of Mountain Misery

One can find out why those little white flowers are so-named, by eating some of them.

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The first water hazard

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Miner's Lettuce
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Groundsel

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Bowltube Iris
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Indian Pink

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Now the trail traverses a giant manzanita patch

Soon the terrain becomes a bit more interesting.  Across the canyon is a giant clump of granite that comprises Wawona Dome.  Suddenly, I get a sneak preview of coming attractions — a loud roar and lots of spray in the cliffs high above.  The scale of this place is greater than what I had anticipated.

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Still out of sight

Finally, there they are!  This must be that "best view available" that others have written about.

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The Third Tier is about 300'

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Lovely

More switchbacks ensue as the route skirts the sheer granite wall.

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Yep.  No more good views to be had

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It does look interesting over there, though

Finally, the trail turns and leads toward the falls.

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This is exciting

Made it!  As soon as I come around the corner, a woman reclining on the rock at the brink beckons me over; and this is why:

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Very nice!

A chat with my new acquaintance meanders over to the Mist Trail.  Debbie tells me that the Vernal Fall Bridge is covered with water, but that I really should get over there in this time of exceptionally high water.  Perhaps I will return next week and do just that.

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A strange cloud is coming over the horizon

Debbie offers to take my photo, and I reciprocate by promising to make her world-famous with a photo on my website:

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Yours Truly
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Debbie from Coarsegold

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Horsing around at the brink

What this first-time visitor didn't know was that there is so much more going on up here than a mere climb to the brink of a hard-to-view waterfall.  There is a big playground at one's disposal, and many folk are taking advantage of it.

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This is a good-feeling place

The trail leads ever-higher, so naturally I must follow it.

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The Fourth Tier is part of an overall 690-foot drop

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I won't be going there
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I will be going back that way

Wow!  There is yet another sizable cataract ahead.  Unfortunately, because of all the water rushing over the nearby rocks, I cannot access a vantage point suitable for a good photograph.

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The best view I can manage without getting wet

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Upper Chilnualna Falls, ≈200'

I do manage, however, to find a nice spot to rest weary feet, munch some gorp, and contemplate my existence.  As I sit looking at the beautiful cascade, with water flowing on all four sides, I marvel at the fact that I nearly talked myself out of coming here today due to a dearth of sleep.  What a shame that would have been.

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This is why I go hiking

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That cloud is flowing this way

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Those trees might be considered pretty if they weren't known to be dead

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Starting back down

At the brink of the big falls, the rainbow has disppeared; so I was lucky to have seen it at all.

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Leaving the playground

Because the trail is so relatively friendly, I find myself scurrying downhill as fast as I can walk, stopping only for the requisite flower photos.

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Mountain Pride
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Mountain Dandelion

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Back at the nice creek

A nostalgic reprise:

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Farewell to the falls

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A portion of Wawona Dome

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A group of young backpackers approaches

In fact, I have encountered a couple dozen backpackers coming up the trail.  So much for the suggestion that this is a "lesser-used" route.

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Harlequin Lupine with Bug
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Withered, yet photogenic

Subsequent research on that black and yellow beetle revealed that its official name is "Black and Yellow Beetle".  Who could have guessed that?  In any case, it's my favorite flower-shot of the year.

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Back near the trailhead

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So long to Chilnualna Creek


§: Well, this outing greatly exceeded my expectations, and for that I have upgraded the rating accordingly.  Most of the fun here begins near the top of the climb, not the bottom.  The trail itself, albeit rather mundane, is well-graded and relatively easy on the feet.  There was enough shade that I didn't bother with sunglasses or my hat for much of the time.

The planning was good in that I opted for the coolest day in a while to tackle this walk.  As I finished at 2:15 p.m., it was 66 degrees and rising.  There would be some outstanding swimming opportunities up in "The Playground" at times of lower water, but enjoying them would involve hiking in excessive heat at these lower elevations.

Scenery *
Difficulty *
Solitude *

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That crazy cloud did interfere with the rest of my day after all.  I had planned to head up to the nearby Washburn Point and Glacier Point for some late-afternoon photographs, but that virtual fog-bank was starting to cut off the sunlight.  Instead, I detoured into Yosemite Valley, which of course was a total zoo on the biggest holiday weekend of the year.  Big mistake.  Despite the glories of the ephemeral Ribbon Fall and Sentinel Falls, I could not get out of there fast enough.  I was home by eight o'clock.

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