Lewis has a relaxing time at the Yosemite Bug
Before Lewis the Lion and Helen fell asleep in their peaceful dormitory in the middle of the forest, they met another traveller who was also keen to explore the Yosemite National Park the next day; a German girl called Ulrike.
Helen with Ulrike
So, the next morning, the three of them had a good, healthy Californian breakfast to start the day (toast, avocado, tomato and scrambled egg)
Lewis the Lion with a healthy Californian breakfast
and bought a packed lunch to take with them which included sandwiches, fruit and trail mix (nuts, raisins and M&M chocolates).
They caught the YARTs bus to take them back into the park which took half an hour or so and then made their first call at the visitors’ centre to decide on which walk they would like to embark upon.
Lewis stands by the welcome sign to the Park
The thing that struck Lewis the Lion the most was precisely how well organised the Americans were. The various routes were very well-planned out, with exact timings, difficulty ratings and with a free circular bus running throughout the park to drop you off at your starting point. Lewis the Lion together with Helen and Ulrike decided to hike a strenuous route up to the impressive Vernal and Nevada Falls, along the John Muir Trail.
Lewis hikes the John Muir Trail
Lewis arrives near the start of the trail
As they alighted the bus and got ready to start the trail, Lewis the Lion read some important information should he encounter a bear. It told him that whatever happened, he needed to make sure that he wasn’t feeding them, that rubbish was stored properly and if it approached, you should yell and clap your hands. As a lion, Lewis knew that as kings of the jungle, he would roar at it fiercely should it come anywhere near him, that’s for sure!
Lewis the Lion sees a gushing stream on the John Muir Trail
Their walk took them gradually upwards, along the clear, flowing Merced River which was flanked by high-rising white and grey granite cliff faces and enormously tall, evergreen trees.
The trees tower above little Lewis the Lion
The beautiful Yosemite National Park
En route, they passed many furry, little squirrels that Lewis the Lion thought were rather cute but he soon started to change his tune when they wouldn’t let him eat his lunch in peace and were all over him like bees to a honeypot.
There are hundreds of hungry squirrels in the park
Helen had to keep on jerking a foot or an arm in their direction as they cheekily came ever closer, trying to steal their food!
Lewis watches his lunch carefully with squirrels around
Obviously, they were used to visitors feeding them but Lewis the Lion knew that that wasn’t good for the squirrels, making them rely on human kindness rather than developing the survival techniques that they needed to survive in the wild.
White boulders lined the sides of the river and Lewis the Lion wondered if giants had perhaps had a boulder throwing contest in the middle of the night? He loved letting his imagination run amok! He did however discover that these rock piles are called talus and all sorts of animals make their home in them, such as spotted bats, black bears and grey foxes. Their activity can also attract predators from further up the mountainside like coyotes, mountain lions and owls.
Lewis hears the Vernal Falls before he sees them
As the walkers progressed further and further up the hillside, climbing steps as they went, gradually, the gushing sound of the river was intensified and as they rounded the corner, they could see the impressive Vernal waterfalls in sight. The sheer height of the drop was just magnificent and to add to this even more was that the sunlight was causing rainbows to shoot off it.
Lewis sees rainbows shooting off the falls
Lewis the Lion marvelled at such a wondrous sight: nature surely was the greatest artist ever!
Admiring the colours in nature
Click here to see the landscape which Lewis the Lion saw as he neared the Vernal Fall.
Lewis poses beside the Vernal Falls
The beauty of the waterfalls, temporarily took Lewis the Lion’s mind off the steep, stairway that he had to climb to reach the top of the waterfall. However, he embraced the little break when he stopped to talk to some of Yosemite National Park firefighters who had been sent in to put out a smouldering tree.
Lewis the Lion meets the Yosemite Fire-Fighters
Every year, lightening strikes cause many forest fires in Yosemite National Park and thankfully, the firefighters help to manage them. Lewis the Lion discovered however that not all forest fires are bad and that if managed properly, it can promote the growth of grasses and trees.
Lewis looks over the top of the waterfall
Before he knew it, Lewis the Lion was standing at the very top of the tall, Vernal Falls being deafened by the sound of its gushing water. He approached the top with a certain amount of trepidation. He was after all very high up indeed and he didn’t want to risk falling over the top. Click here to see a video of what Lewis the Lion saw.
A squirrel waits in anticipation
It was here that Lewis the Lion, Helen and Ulrike took a welcomed lunch at the top, soaking up the sunshine, dabbling their feet in the water as they ate, all whilst shooing the squirrels away.
The water is crystal clear at the top of the waterfall
In the distance they could see the picturesque Nevada Falls too but for today, Lewis the Lion wouldn’t have time to visit for he was conscious that he would need to return to the Valley Floor to catch his bus back to San Francisco.
The Nevada Falls in the distance
So, they bid farewell to Ulrike and headed down the steep stairwell back along the John Muir trail. Heading downhill certainly seemed much quicker than the upward climb but it certainly was a bit harder on the knees and Lewis the Lion felt like he had to give it one hundred percent concentration so that he didn’t go over on his little paws.
Steep, narrow steps run alongside the cliff’s edge to the Vernal Falls
Their visit seemed to be timed just perfectly, as Lewis the Lion had time to eat an ice-cream and spot a bright blue bird called a blue-jay.
Lewis spots a bird with blue plumage
Again here he was reminded ‘not to feed the animals’ as it is really not healthy for them.
He then visited the Yosemite Museum where he learnt about how this magnificent landscape was formed in the first place right from the time of the dinosaurs. Here he learnt more about volcanoes, glaciers, plate tectonics, waterfalls, the incredible wildlife found in the park, sequoias, fire and about the people who have lived in the park, the Ahwahneechee. Here is a photo gallery of the displays he saw.
Lewis the Lion gets ready to learn more about Yosemite in this museum
Yosemite dates back to the time of the dinosaurs!
How the tectonic plates have effected the landscape
How the tectonic plates slide and help form the landscape
Volcanoes have played their part in forging the landscape
How does granite rise to the surface?
Lewis learns about the different rocks that have formed Yosemite National Park
Lewis learns that Half Dome never had another half!
Lewis loves learning! This time it’s about glaciers.
Lewis the Lion learns how glaciers are formed
Waterfalls in Yosemite National Park
Lewis the Lion sees what the Yosemite Falls should look like!
Lewis the Lion learns about the people of Yosemite
Some of the animals which live at different elevations in the park
Lewis learns about the impressive sequoia trees
The importance of fire in the Yosemite National Park
Lewis learns about John Muir
What an incredible couple of days Lewis the Lion spent in Yosemite National Park and as if things couldn’t get any better, he saw the most fantastic sunset over a clear, San Francisco skyline.
Lewis the Lion sees San Francisco glow at twilight
Surely, he was the luckiest lion ever!
Lewis leaves the Yosemite National Park with a lasting impression
Lewis the Lion was bursting with questions about how the Yosemite National Park was formed, many of which were answered when he visited the museum, as you can see in the picture gallery.
If you were visiting Yosemite National Park, what questions would you like answered?
Can you find those answers in Lewis the Lion’s picture gallery?
Test out your questions on a friend and see if they can find the answers!
