I think I just took a shower while walking...

The next morning we woke up to a full campground. We gained more travelers after going to bed the night before, including the following:

1. A family (we think?) of 8 or so that brought in several trips worth of food, duffel bags, camp chairs, firewood, air mattresses, and jugs of juice (again, I THINK it was juice!). Father and son were prone to the wheezy cough - and the accompanying inhaler. Really? How in the heck do they expect to hike this anywhere!? We never did see what happened to them...
2. Mom, Dad and family of two teenage boys who had just climbed straight up Yosemite Falls to the very top - then day tripped for a few days from there. They were on their way back to their cars after what sounded like a great trip. Very cool, though a little intense, family. The two boys seemed happy, adventurous, and appeared to even like their parents. Key to success, maybe?
3. Two young men who had just rock climbed the face of Half Dome. They hired a guide and made it to the top. They were making an incredible breakfast (jealous!) in order to use up their supplies and fuel, etc. According to them they were also basking in the "coolness" of climbing the face. "We feel like big shots, but we're really not." I liked them - they were fun. They also told us that just that day a Japanese/Swedish/I can't remember hiker tried to rock climb the sheer face in one day without any gear or guide, only made it half-way up before dark and had to sleep in the harness in biker shorts with no food, other clothing, etc. OMG - crazy! How do you sleep halfway up the sheer face of Half Dome? I suppose the bears aren't any problem there, huh?!

We headed out and made our way to Happy Isles trail-head. Deep breath, and off we go on the Mist Trail. :) The Mist Trail is named as such because of the instant shower you receive making your way up past Vernal Falls. Check out the pictures - I can't even describe it! I'm sure that later in the season you can sneak past without a complete drenching, but not in June. It can be a dangerous trail if you're tired or distracted, since at the wettest part you are walking up cliff-like steps along the side of Vernal Falls. The only casualty - my Oakleys. I took them off since I couldn't see with them on, hooked them into my pocket (all the while thinking, "That's probably not a good spot for them."). Next time I thought of them, at the top of Nevada Falls a few miles later, they were nowhere to be found. Anyways, I hope someone found them and is enjoying them!

The hike up to the top of Vernal was a tough one - about 1,000 uphill in total - and I was feeling it a little. My first mini meltdown came after the shower, just before the top of the fall. I looked up all the sudden and thought, "I can't do that!". I was having doubts... We took a minute break, and then one step at a time I just kept going. At the top I was a pretty proud girl. And then I saw a 5-year old in flip flops on her way back down. Seriously? Two things. One - you made it up here and you're not tired? Two - where are your parents who let you wear flip flops!?