Chilnualna Falls Yosemite

This hike is located south in the park near the Wawona Hotel. You drive through a small town to get to the trailhead on Chilnualna Falls Road.  At about .3 miles you come to the lower cascade.  This is pretty all by itself.

The trail was so green it really didn't seem like Yosemite. Lots of trees and moss.

Now the trail begins to climb up and up. The total elevation gain is 2,347 ft.

The trees are so tall...

and so wide.

The trail levels off at times to give a break to the steep climb.

Unfortunately, the higher we climbed we began to climb into a cloud.

Here we are at the top having lunch at the falls. It was hard to see much here. I read later that it is hard to get a good view anyway of the falls and it is impossible to build anything to see it either.
It was very cold and started raining so we didn't last long at the top. It was a great workout at 8.4 miles.

Yosemite Valley's Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls

On the second day we split into two groups. Ian and Scott did a ridiculous 13 mile hike (4 mile straight up to glacier point) and the rest of us started the waterfall hike up to Nevada and Vernal Falls. This is actually two waterfalls.                        
This trail starts at the shuttle bus in the valley and you head up with the crowds the first stretch. Because it was raining (and had snowed overnight) it was pretty quiet. The trail starts paved through a forest. It climbs pretty good as I recalled coming down it was quite painful on my toes due to the asphalt.

After a short distance you get your first view of the bottom of the falls over Vernal Falls footbridge.   .75 miles.

There was still mist settling on the tops of the surrounding rocks.

As you go you can get glimpses of the falls further up. Everything was so green!

This sign tells us we are on part of the John Muir Trail. This is the same trail we were on yesterday about 20 miles higher up.

Now we start climbing the steep granite stairway (over 600 steps) and it becomes the mist trail. It is highly recommended you wear a raincoat, it is quite cold early in the morning.

Climbing Higher we see a rainbow in the mist of the falls.

Here is when we were pretty wet. But you dry off quickly as you climb higher.

They have railings on the really dangerous overhangs. It is beautiful.

Heres a view of the falls below as we have climbed above.

Almost to the top

Heres a view at the top of the falls. It kind of plateaus and this large rock is called Liberty cap 7,067 ft. The total mileage to Nevada Falls and back is 5.4 miles.

Looking down on the falls from above. You can really see the steep sides of the valley.

The trail we took down was different and part of the John Muir trail. It winds in and out of forest. 

A view of the top of Nevada Falls from the trail heading back down. We climbed 2,000 ft elevation gain.