This Week in Yosemite Hiking and Dining

This week in Yosemite we were lucky to have talented photographer Kim Carroll and his wife Josie Gay with us for a few days of much needed picture taking.

Thanks much to all the kind, enthusiastic guests who let us take photos amidst all the fun going on.  We sincerely appreciate everyone’s cooperation and participation.

We thought it would be fun to share a couple of casual pics while we’re waiting for the fancy ones to be processed.

We followed our own advice and left early for the Valley floor. It paid off as we were ahead of the crowds and ahead of schedule enough to squeak in a quick hike to the Vernal Fall footbridge mid-day.

By then the trail was pretty packed, as was the bridge, filled with people from all over the planet having the time of their lives. What fun to see! The water was running strong, so it was pretty thrilling.

What a contrast the next day when the photo shoot was done and we hiked out to Wapama Falls at Hetch Hetchy! Just a quick little drive from the Evergreen and we had this spectacular site practically to ourselves, seeing only a handful of other happy hikers along the way. Wapama Falls was flowing strong too, with a refreshing mist that was a terrific reward at the base.

The rewards just kept flowing as we made friends with this little lavender butterfly who insisted on hanging out with us at the base of the falls. It’s tough to see here, but we’re on a mission to figure out what kind of butterfly it is – any ideas?

Keep in mind that our Recreation team is always ready to help you plan your own awesome adventure – Yosemite hiking, touring, fly fishing, you name it!  Call them at 209-379-2606 x140 or email them at recreation@evergreenlodge.com.

Our crew had a great time sampling the summer menu.  The pretty pictures will be along soon, but for now we love this deconstructed tamale, which was delicious and happens to be vegan.  Chef Jesse offers grilled salmon, chicken or steak as an added protein for meat eaters.  So delicious either way!

We can’t forget the Marinated Fresh Burrata platter that we shared to start. This combination of Copa Ham, Quince Paste, Cantaloupe, Candied Pecans, and Balsamic Reduction was so good no one stopped eating long enough to get a photo with one of our phones!

Here’s the full version of the mouthwatering dinner menu this summer, and you can visit our Dine section of the web site for more information.