Yosemite National Park has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. It's still sinking in that we were able to explore and experience this incredible place in person. These photos and stories are literally a dream come true.

It was pretty difficult to decide what to do during our stay. Not because there wasn't much to choose from, quite the opposite! Meadows, trails, rivers, waterfalls, and mountains. There is endless things to do and too much to fit into the few days we had. We made a list of the main things we wanted to see, confident that we'll be back one day to see the rest!

Our first stop was Vernal and Nevada falls.

There were other things higher on the list but we wanted to save those for a sunrise or sunset!

We woke up early and headed to the trailhead, excited to do our first hike in Yosemite.

The hike to both waterfalls is a steep, strenuous trek up the Mist Trail. You can choose to just go to Vernal Fall and back or continue the uphill climb to Nevada Fall, a couple of miles further. We originally planned to go all the way, but decided to go back down the way we came once we'd made it to the top of Vernal Fall. In the end we were very glad we made that decision. Keep reading to find out why!

The Mist Trail starts by the river and takes you through the forest where the steepness steadily increases. The first glimpse you get of Vernal Fall is away in the distance, hiding amongst the trees. As we spotted it, the early morning light peaked over the distant mountains and lit up the view ahead of us. It sat in distance almost in a spotlight, pushing us forwards, making us even more excited to see it up close.

We didn't give ourselves a break until we finally made it to the base of Vernal Fall. The sun was slowly rising above the mountains and shone through the mist creating some subtle but beautiful rays. It was a welcome photo break.

As you continue up, it's basically turns into a big rock staircase. You keep climbing and climbing, step by step, until you're standing right above the waterfall watching it tumble down the cliff face.

It was pretty amazing to stand above the waterfall and look down on where we'd just come from.

As a photographer though, the angle isn't quite as impressive from above. We sat down to recover for a few minutes and decided whether we wanted to keep pressing on to go above another waterfall, or head back down and take a few more photos of Vernal Falls from below.

We were up for doing either, but agreed to head back down and spend the rest of the afternoon in a different trail to try and see more of the Valley in the short time we had. We picked up our bags and started to make our way down the Mist Trail, where everyone else was coming up (it gets crowded very quickly, leave early if you want to avoid the busiest times!), relieved to not have more stairs ahead of us.

Going down isn't much easier though! It's tough on your feet and knees, as you try to keep yourself upright and not fall down the steps. It's a long way to fall!

We took our time. The one thing that was good about the crowded trail was that we had lots of opportunities to wait and rest as people clambered upwards.

As we came out of the trees and back near the base of Vernal Falls we saw a flash of colour. We took a few more steps and I shouted RAINBOW! We quickly bounced down the last few metres of steps, forgetting how much our legs were aching. As we got back to the same spot where we stopped for a rest earlier that morning, we were in the perfect position to witness not one, not two, but three rainbows shining in the mist of Vernal Fall.

It was quite a spectacle.

If we'd carried on up the trail, we never would have witnessed this beautiful view. You just never know what you're going to see, whichever way you turn in Yosemite Valley.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Yosemite National Park was the ninth stop on The Big Trip. Follow us to see the rest of our journey as we spend 3 months exploring America’s most beautiful National Parks.