Don’t worry, we caught it.
We did not let the iphone get cast away in the rapids, although that would have made for a very interesting story and blog post. My legs were like jelly and I held on to the camera, and myself, for dear life.
We left Nevada Falls at about 2:30 and at that point, I had been holding my bladder for the past three hours.
Let me tell you something. Holding your bladder while constantly being around rapids and waterfalls is no walk in the park. But what’s a girl to do? I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see an outhouse in my entire life. After that, I was a whole new person and ready to conquer the final rocky three miles.
Other than Nevada Falls, I think my favorite part of the hike was coming alongside Vernal Falls close to the end. Picture just being blasted in the face with icy cold water while looking down at hundreds of feet of waterfall and rocks below you.
It was sort of like rain pouring on you while running a very long distance in South Florida.
I’m proud to say I only slipped once during the entire hike, and have a very large bruise the shape of a heart on my left bicep to show for it. But it makes me feel hardcore, you know? We finally made it back to Camp around 5:00 and I immediately threw myself on the bed and triumphantly inhaled three large squares of Lindt Sea Salt Chocolate. Nothing has ever, ever, EVER tasted so good.
And then I took a shower. And it felt amazing….other than the fact that I couldn’t feel my legs. I put on a cute sundress and thought of all of you who laughed at me when I proclaimed I was packing a dress for a camping trip.
Cute sundresses are always necessary, especially after hiking for seven hours.
We went to dinner at the campsite and I proceeded to drink half a bottle of Bella Syrah (in dixie cup fashion) while housing a huge cheeseburger and chicken wings in record time.
I don’t want to hear it. You try hiking a mountain in the heat for seven hours and then tell me you don’t want a big juicy burger and some hot wings in your life. Actually, I’m just going to go off and say it: I think a passion for hot wings was reawakened in my soul that very moment.
I can’t stop thinking about them. So perfect and greasy with creamy blue cheese dressing. My heart!
After we ate, we took the shuttle over to the Ahwannee Hotel to see how the other half lives.
And then we drank more wine.
And I started to get delirious and make anteater noises while slurping up pretend ants from the table.
We decided ice cream was the only viable option and I made best friends with the founding mother of our camp!
After that I was put to bed.
The End.
{ 96 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats on the excellent experience! Personally, I love hiking. It makes me feel super *alive*.
2 things:
- Peeing outside is a definite MUST while hiking. If people see you, then you get bonus points.
- A beer and good, greasy comfort food is de rigueur afterwords. Once, I admit, I ate a huge burger BEFORE the backpacking trip. Not so hot. But after a hike, I am always craving a beer and something like a burger and fries, chips and salsa, fish and chips… Such bliss!
You survived!! Glad to hear the iPhone (and BF) did too. Phenomenal photos, Jenna!
This looks so much fun! I LOVE all of the photos.
I love hiking, too. Hiked up Camelback Mountain last year in Arizona – life changing!
Damn, lady! You are so hardcore. After that hike, you deserve a dress and some wine. Those views looked absolutely worth all of those miles and hills. I am so doing that hike one day!! Thanks for taking us along on the journey, my heart almost stopped with the iPhone slippage!
Congratulations for completing such a challenging hike! My boyfriend and I went on a 6-mile hike last weekend, and now we’ve caught the bug. Next weekend, a vista point with a view of all of Silicon Valley, baby!
Oh, and if you’re ever caught in the woods with a full bladder again, consider one of these bad boys: http://www.thepstyle.com/
Ahhh, such FABULOUS pictures! Sounds like it was a successful first ‘camping’ trip!! That last picture of you is sweeeet!
Congrats on your first camping experience! What amazing pictures.
As for wings, can I just say yes please? I love extra hot wings with lots of blue cheese sauce. I have even made a buffalo chicken salad (inspired by a foodnetwork.ca recipe). It is actually really good and super satisfying. It ain’t healthy either though. Though.. I think wings need to go with beer!!
You look so beautiful in your dress!
Awesome recap.
Heck, I’d chow down on wings and burgers too, in your position. You earned it!
I could eat chicken wings with creamy blue cheese dressing all day er’day! I think everyone should be proud of you
What a wonderful adventure you have had!!! So so much fun!
this seems like the the kind of place that is YOUR ELEMENT! seriously something about this whole series that is so you! i love this! what a freaking amazing adventure- seriously, look at all youve done!! <3
xoxo
I would like to concur with Kristina above. Peeing outside when hiking is an absolute must. In fact, as a long time reader, I confess a degree of shock that you’d be so prissy, missy!
i love that last picture of you, that is awesome.
i have been to yo…many times. my best memories are staying at the ahwannee and watching the snow drop onto the valley floor in their cabins. i have amazing memories from there.
the ahwannee has something called vitner holidays every christmas and some of the best winemakers go there. it’s a big deal and i highly suggest you go one year because it’s life changing having dinner in the ahwannee dining room. it’s massive and filled with rock that the whole hotel is made out of.
That looks like an amazing trip! Was it ridiculously crowded or did you get some trail space to yourselves?
love the landscape. looks incredible
ah, that all looks so fun. great pictures. i would have gone for a burger too :p
Sounds like a top notch trip! And a girl definitely needs hot wings in her life, there’s just no way around it!
Glad you made it to the Ahwanee for drinks after all! It’s so beautiful and peaceful, looking out over the grounds. And I think it’s totally appropriate to pack a sundress for Yosemite. Nothing better after a long hike than getting cleaned up and looking girly. Except maybe for a cheeseburger
Sounds amazing! I love Yosemite. And hot wings. Although I have a VERY soft spot in my heart for Chili´s boneless buffalo wings, super hot, all 1200 calories or whatever of them. I literally have dreams about them sometimes. Sigh.
Your photos are fantastic. I want to jump in a car and go to Yosemite right. now. Also, the way I see it? If you hike up and down a mountain for 7 hours, you can eat whatever you want! A burger and wings is exactly what I’d go for, too.
That looks like such a beautiful hike! My whole family (parents, brother & his wife and kids) had a terrific trip to Yosemite this past summer. We stayed at the Yosemite Bug, where I’ve stayed before. I’ve never done the Panorama Trail but would like to. We did more low key stuff like Tuolomne Meadows (GORGEOUS).
I used to have a HUGE thing about peeing outside, but somehow grew out of it and now I have to say I actually get a kick out of doing so when necessary on an outdoor adventure. It’s so liberating! Especially for girls. Yay for hiking and Yosemite!
Oh, and the Ahwannee hotel is so neat. I sent some postcards from the mailbox in the lobby, which apparently then get a special Yosemite postmark or something.
‘Ahwahnee–how the ‘other’ half lives.’ Hey. I resemble that remark and want you to know I currently have a very dea, very smelly rodent lodged in a wall in my abode. THAT’S how the ‘other’ half is currently rolling in Carmel. Oh yeah–hehe.
WOW you eyelashes looked amazing in that one shot!!
Agreed. What kind of mascara do you wear?
Ummm I believe it’s L’Oreal. thanks!
Nice! It’s not “clumpy” at all- my worst nightmare with mascaras!
That’s ‘dead’ rodent….but dea also works. Hard to type with one hand holding sweater over nose!!! And chattering from freezing coastal 1AM fog with all the windows open. Try it!! (hysterical laughter at this hour with dead mouse smell) . SWEAR am getting a cat tomorrow!!! DEXTER–PUHLEEZE runaway. Carmel-by-the-Sea is very nice right now. And don’t have to CHASE mice. They just show up and die for you in the walls!!! HA!
Don’t judge me, people. This is Del Monte Forest living at its finest!! Dead rodent room-mates and all.
Stunning – looks like an amazing time. And I agree – cute sundresses are always necessary!
great pics. you definitely earned that burger, wings and especially the glass (or two) of wine. looks like a great hike and a beautiful day. I always enjoy your blog!
Wow, great pictures!
I sent the link from the first part of your trip to my BF. He’s really into hiking and I have never tried it so he’s a little bit scare to bring me along… I want to show him that there is nothing to be afraid of! You totally rock your first hiking trip! Congrats!
These pictures are beautiful! Not just because the views are spectacular — but there are some pretty amazing shots in there.
And I also think that hiking for 8 hours means you can eat whatever suits your fancy. The hardest hike I’ve done is up Mt. Washington. I didn’t have any greasy wings at the end, but I did eat pretty much an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s by myself. It was the most delicious ice cream I’d ever had.
Oh….and I agree with some of the others — when you’re hiking you’ve gotta just pee in the woods!
It’s freeing (in a weird way). Plus, it means you don’t have to lock yourself into those stinky porta-pots.
Such great photosss! Sounds like an amazing experience.
Jenna, you’re fabulous. Period. But wait, I also want to say how happy I am to see my good friend having a blast on this camping trip!
Jenna, you are too awesome for words! Glad you’re having a great time!
Seeing as I’m already cooky enough, I have a feeling this whole camping/hiking thing would put me over the edge. But you keep at it and I’ll just live through you.
I wish I knew camping was so related to eating, I’m always trying to find a reason to eat more wings!
I love the way you write – you’re always so hilarious
Hot wings should speak to everyone’s soul in some degree…it’s not normal if they don’t.
That cheeseburger looks excellent, too. I had a bison burger last night and I died a little inside after each bite.
i hope you have a picture album in your house. some of these photos look like magazine spreads. Glad you had an amazing time with the boy. I’m even more proud that you pushed yourself and did something outside of your comfort box!
That last picture is so awesome. And you are awesome for throwing on a sundress after your hike to go drink wine out of a dixie cup!
Sundresses are always necessary, you’re totally right.
And that burger looks mighty tasty.
haha that last picture just makes the whole post! i would have done the same thing! greasy chicken wings after an 8 mile hike…heck yes!!! you crack me up, Jenna!
I completely agree with you. Wings are a key component of any epic, 8-hour hike. They help speed up the recovery process…they nourish body, spirit, and soul with their greasy goodness!
I LOVED reading your recap of your weekend adventure!! I just got back from a vacation to Cali myself (LA area and Arizona-grand canyon) and it was gorgeous. Now hiking Yosemite is on my Bucket List, along with hiking the Grand Canyon!!! I am in love with California and the weather and I am jealous that you get to live there! haha =)
Looks like a super cool experience! I’d love to be out west for more interesting terrain than what we have here in Indiana!
This looks like such an awesome vacation…I am oozing jealousy!! (in a good way)
I can “officially” say ADAM is a great photographer. As in, those shots of you are stunning. great angles. I’m so jealous of this trip!
He is!
I love that last photo. That’s AWESOME.
I agree–burgers, beer and hiking just work together. Wine’s OK too. Glad you had a blast. I’m totally jealous but in a happy-for-you kinda way.
Long hikes call for salt, in my opinion…I always crave burgers, grinders or pizza afterwards.
The pictures are absolutely STUNNING. I felt as if I were right there with you. Love it. Glad you guys had fun!
why do you look way more excited about your ice cream than the camp founder? hahahaha
I believe a hamburger was necessary.
haha! I love your post hike story! I think I would have been to exhausted to go out to do anything!
I LOVE that you packed (and wore!) your sundress
You are too cute!
What a great trip!
I really admire your passion for food. I love food, but you make me want to love it EVEN MORE. I love that.
xo
Kris
Best. Post. Ever.
You 100% deserved that burger and those wings…and let’s be honest, no meal is complete without ice cream!
Beautiful. Breath taking. Stunning. It makes me want to move into the mountains.
Sundresses, waterfalls, ice cream, hiking and burgers. I believe you just had my perfect day
Aside from the outhouse, I would have totally gone for the bushes instead!
I must say that your boy’s photography skills are out of this world. Gorgeous!
awesome recap and pics!!! what an amazing experience in a beautiful part of the country!
I’m pretty sure this looks the most amazing trip ever.
Wow, you guys had such a great time hiking! I so have to go hiking soon! It’s really the best way to re-set my soul.
so happy to see you eating wings the right way! lol! i am from buffalo, ny (home of the chicken wing) and all us Buffalonians know the only way to eat wings is with loads of Blue cheese! way to represent! Yosemite looks beautiful from all the pics……cant wait to visit there myself
This looks like an absolutely fabulous trip! I’m so jealous. I’m trying to convince the husband to do a trip like this in our fab NC mountains this fall. I’ll show him this blog and maybe that’ll help.
I stumbled upon your blog in the vast blogging world and love it. I’ve just started a health/fitness/foodie blog of my own and love learning from others. I hope it’s okay but I’ve linked your blog to my blog roll.
I have been to the hotel and it’s beautiful, your summer dress worked perfectly there
Awesome! I feel like I just read a great novel! So glad you had such a good time.
Ha, that last picture is awesome. And I don’t blame you for inhaling that cheeseburger and chicken wings. You hiked, what, seven hours?? You deserve all of that food!
you are so gorgeous jenna…i love that picture of you looking down! and great arm muscles girl
Great post Jenna! Love the last shot
Sundresses are always acceptable. I mean, they are the easiest thing to pack!
I am in love with all of the photos, and so proud of your outdoor skills!
Wine and cute sundresses are ALWAYS necessary
Sounds like you had a great time! I love all the photos! One thing though – if you’re going to be a hard core hiker, you gotta learn to “go” in the woods.
I much prefer the great outdoors to a port-a-potty or outhouse any day. But maybe you guys didn’t pack TP? I guess we readers left that out of our suggestions.
Sounds like you were quite pleased with yourself re: the sundress.
Love the whole recap – you have a great perspective on things. Sidenote: the camp founder looks just as I would imagine a camp founder to look like.
Completely unrelated comment– I made your lentil loaf last night and my husband and I loved it! We actually preferred the taste and texture over regular meatloaf. Both of us have leftovers packed for lunch today, and my husband has already suggested we send the recipe to a few people. Thanks for sharing it on your blog!
Greasy food is always amazing after hikes! Thanks for the wonderful photos, it was like being back in Yosemite!
I love love love hiking and think it would be so great to visit there. Everything looks so serene and empowering. Although, I admit that it does look tough. Especially knowing if I ever did it I would have to be hiking like your parents used to with a kiddo strapped to me.
And for the record – wings with blue cheese are perfect post hiking food. Yum!
I have the tiniest bladder ever. Walking around rushing water while having to pee sounds like pure torture to me!
What an amazing experience though!
I have a vivid memory of hiking the Grand Canyon with my family when I was 11 or so. My dad would also push us to the extreme. The last bit of climbing was so hard, we would walk a minute, rest a minute, chugging hot watered-down Gatorade.
Once we made it to the top, my brother and I were allowed to have ice cream. To this day, the best ice cream I ever had.
Gorgeous photos! You damn well earned those wings and blue cheese
We have done that hike and it is an awesome experience (we did it with 3 kids and not enough water. I really enjoyed reading your account of the hike and now want to go back and do it all again (only better prepared). We are hiking in British Columbia in September and I am going to pack a sundress. I agree you just want to take a shower, get dressed up and eat whatever sounds good. Congratulations.
You tell an awesome story
Looks like you had a great time and greasy food is just good after a great day like that.
I have to say I loved the way you recapped your trip in parts
and also, love all the pictures!
Just told the husband that I want to do this hike next time we go! What a great trip!!!
the pictures are breath taking and the recap is pure entertainment! glad you and the boy had an epic hike!
i dont know any mountainous journey that would not be complete with a sundress, wine, and anteater noises.
In a few of your pictures you remind me of “Mary” from Little House on the Prairie. That’s a compliment by the way.
That last photo needs to win some sort of photography contest. I love it! Your hiking looks like a blast, too! Can you ask the founding mother if I could borrow that outfit sometime?
This is the first time that I have seen that you have a tattoo, and I was wondering what it is?
it’s a wave with a cross. I got it about a year ago!
Hi! I love your blog!
Question – Where is that cute gray and yellow/white dress from?
Did you get an answer to this? I’ve been perusing the replies to this post again in hopes of finding out but I haven’t been able to! I love that dress!
Sorry I missed this!! That is a NIGHTGOWN from anthropologie….I got it about three years ago!
haha that is amazing! i have totally bought nightgowns there as well and wondered if i was the only one wearing them out as dresses….love it. thanks jenna!
Looks like a great trip! I am not the biggest fan of wings but I firmly agree with having a burger here and there when you are really craving it! It is one of life’s little pleasures
I love the last picture! You will get no grief about burgers and hot wings from me. After my first tough hiking trip we had milkshakes at the local restaurant that were “bucket sized.” After that I informed everyone I would hike wherever they wanted… as long as there were buckets of milkshakes at the end.
Wow, it looks like you had a great time. The scenery is truly spectatcular – great pics!
Long time lurker, first time commenter…can you tell us where you got that cute dress from?!
this is the first time i’m reading your blog and it sounds like a hiking post doesn’t come around too often, so i’m glad i caught it… i’ll be sure to keep reading now! i also would like to know where your super cute sundress is from and what kind of camera you use… keep up the great work (and amazing hiking!), girl!
Please share with us where your sundress is from! So adorable!