Being in Yosemite Valley and Staying at The Majestic was Amazing!

(Majestic Hotel used to be called the Ahwahnee Hotel).

Last week my wife and I wanted to go see the waterfalls because of the incredible amount of snow that came down since December was going to create really amazing waterfalls in Yosemite Valley and all these falls go into the Merced River which also goes through Yosemite Valley. Further down by El Portal there are groups riding the rapids now too on the Merced River which is very high right now. The water even in Yosemite Valley in the Merced River was very high and they weren't allowing boats or floats in the river likely because they were concerned about flooding and safety in general right now and also the water likely would be close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or Freezing. So, if someone fell in in the present weather (in the 30s at night) they could easily get hypothermia, start hallucinating from hypothermia and be gone in a few minutes time. (Hypothermia means extreme loss of body heat to where you cannot think straight anymore and could easily die just from not being able to process information right unless someone sensible is there to save you).

The views from the 4th floor windows and terrace was amazing of Yosemite falls and other falls and cliffs all around us including Glacier point. My wife wanted to see Camp Curry that they have renamed Half Dome Camp or something like that. We got there and I was sort of turned around a little because I hadn't been there in years since I last stayed in a Tent Campsite there with my girls when they were little and a bear put claw marks into our old 89 Toyota 4runner looking for food in our truck. So, I couldn't believe I was in old Camp Curry until I looked up and placed myself from some of the falls I knew near Glacier Point. IN the Valley you are almost always surrounded by trees and or animals and the Merced River so unless you have a good viewpoint for looking up it's hard sometimes to place exactly where you are. Also, we saw about 8 deer nearby and a Coyote that likely was the healthiest specimen in the Valley I have ever seen.  A year ago I saw what I thought was a German Shepard with legs too big but my daughter told me it actually was a bear I was looking at near the river out our cabin then near the Merced River which is part of the majestic Hotel there.

Until I had my 2011 Tundra repainted I also had bear scratches on the tailgate them looking for food in my truck too.

This morning when I woke up at about 7 am I looked out and the snow was down really low and there was ice around some of the waterfalls because it had gotten below freezing maybe around 4500 feet or lower. So, there was snow and ice a lot above that altitude all around Yosemite Valley.

The temperatures in Yosemite Valley go down to 39 degrees Fahrenheit tonight (Saturday Night) and 30 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday night by the way. Hopefully back packers either left that weren't prepared for all this or have settled in for a longer stay with good equipment for staying warm in the snow in the high country.