El Capitan, meandering rivers, black bears, deep valleys and vast meadows can only describe one place: Yosemite National Park.
Its iconic mountains, rock formations, majestic waterfalls and giant sequoias set it apart from most other places in the world, and make it one of America’s most famed National Parks. Although the area is a gold mine for climbers, Yosemite is not just for the active – an exploration of the valley floor brings an abundance of wildlife to take in at your own pace.
A few years ago, along with my friend Harriet, I gathered my rucksack and headed out of San Francisco and took the Amtrak to Yosemite National Park. We briefly read about the place and thought it looked ‘pretty’ enough to spend a couple days. But we were wrong. Very wrong. ‘Pretty’ doesn’t even scratch the surface, it was complete and utter paradise, and we didn’t want to leave so soon.
