RANCHERIA FALLS, HETCH HETCHY, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, ca
July 15-19, 2020
ALFRESCO
We made the reservation for our summer backpacking trip to Yosemite months before we entered a worldwide pandemic quarantine. We had originally planned to do the 26-mile Lake Vernon loop, but four months into shelter-in-place, our increasingly sedentary lifestyles necessitated a more modest endeavor. We decided to shorten our trip and do an out-and-back to Rancheria Falls which resulted in a much needed escape and relaxing nature bath in the great outdoors. This was our first foray into the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite, and while beautiful, we definitely felt the sweltering heat of the lower elevation during the peak of summer. However, this heat was the basis for what turned out to be an extended weekend of alfresco soaking in the cool and refreshing waters of Rancheria Falls to rejuvenate our bodies and minds.
