It is always interesting to see the contrast between the weather in the Bay Area, Central Valley, and the Sierra. Whether driving up to ski or for some other play in the snow, going up the mountains in the spring is like transitioning a few months back. To avoid potential delays, I took Highway 140, usually a snow free route that enters the Yosemite Valley along Merced River.

I started seeing snow shortly after passing the entrance into the park. A break between the showers was a good time to take in the snowy landscape from Tunnel View.

I had more company at Tunnel View. It was above the snow line and the wet snow was coming down heavily. As the shower wound down and the sunset approached, a familiar line of tripods formed. I ended up watching the clouds and fog roll around the valley below until the light was gone, and no one remained.

I got an early start the next day. I was first at the trailhead parking right around the sunrise, and first to hit the trail that morning. I was headed to the top of Nevada Fall, a familiar trail, first crossing the Merced River, then crossing it back on Vernal Fall Footbridge, and continuing up John Muir Trail, bypassing a seasonally closed section of the Mist Trail.

As I continued up John Muir Trail, the amount of fresh snow quickly increased, and the scenic factor multiplied. I took in Vernal Fall from above before crossing over to Mist Trail just above the fall to avoid a closed section of John Muir Trail.

As I continued up, the tral was getting a little less distinct but it was still clear enough to follow. The snowfall overnight did not cover it completely. I finally reached the top of the fall and admired the snowy wonderland.

It was still freezing, and I figured there was not much chance of a rockfall. So I entered a closed part of the John Muir Trail to the south of Nevada Fall to get a different perspective of the fall and Liberty Cap from the other side of the valley. I have always been fond of fresh snow. Here was plenty of it, ice covering rock faces above, and a view to boot, and as far as I was concerned, this was heaven.

It was hard to part with the beatiful winter landscape, and after having snack, I hung out above Nevada fall a bit longer.

Some time after I started to make my way down the switchbacks of Mist Tral next to Nevada Fall, I met a first party of hikers going up. Their leader greeted me with disappointment - they were not the first up there. I responded with glee, and commented that not virgin is still pretty. Later, I met a couple more people who said they had come up Mist Trail the whole way. I decided to take a chance on it too.

The trail was icy as water dripping from the cliffs above was freezing up in the deep shade of the gorge. Every time the snow is melting on steep rockfaces, some rockfall can follow. I was thinking these people were really taking a chance, and I was one of them.

As I am writing this, there was a fatal accident there in winter of 2018/19 where a woman was hit by a falling rock and killed instantly. Then again, what are the chances of that. Life is too short to avoid every one-in-a-million type of danger.

I made it down just fine, except for a fall on a slippery section near the bottom of the stairs below Vernal Fall. The afternoon snow melt made it easier to leave the beauty behind. It was time to drive back to the Bay Area.