Yosemite has been on my list even before I came to the US and so was on one of my friends who was visiting from India. We decided to take a weekend trip to Yosemite, explore nearby areas and do Mist Trail Hike till Nevada Falls.
Mist Trail is a total of 7 miles round trip if you go till Nevada Falls and gains a total elevation of around 2000 feet. Mist Trail is Yosemite’s signature hike it starts at the bridge overlook, progressing to two mesmerizing waterfalls and ending with the view of Nevada Fall, Liberty Cap, and the back of Half Dome from the Muir Trail return segment.
We started hiking around 9 in the morning and it took us around 3 hours to reach the top of Nevada Falls. The hike starts with a gentle slope and soon you reach to a water tap, this is the last water tap on the trail so make sure to fill your bottles here and carry at least 2 litres of water. In a few mins, you cross a small bridge and this where it starts getting difficult. The great part about this trail is that you are always surrounded by amazing views and in every direction, you see the beauty of Yosemite. After around an hour, we could see Vernal Fall. Last few hundred meters up the Vernal Falls trail are stairs cut from the cliff and climb becomes strenuous.
We took a long break at Vernal Falls and then started our hike to Nevada Fall. After one hour, we could see the Nevada Falls and just thinking that we have to go to the top of the waterfall made us feel tired. Once you see the waterfall the hike again becomes taxing and would take another half an hour to reach Nevada Falls. Once you reach the top of Nevada Falls you can see the Half Dome, Yosemite Valley and the views are just breathtaking. It just feels amazing once you stand and just look at the breathtaking views and get immersed in the beauty of Yosemite.
We decided to take John Muir Trail while coming back and it turned out to be a great decision. The views from the trail are mesmerizing. From a point, you can see Liberty Cap and Mt Broderick. We had to cover more distance while coming down but the way was not as steep as the mist trail. In around one and a half hours, we were able to come down.
Hike to Nevada Fall is very strenuous but at the same time, it’s very picturesque and satisfying. With 2 waterfalls and the amazing view of Valley from Nevada Falls, Mist Trail is a must go for those who are interested in hiking.
The Itinerant Analyst 
Looks like another world!
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