Before She Marries

November 8, 2014
Murphy Creek Trail
Total distance: 3 miles

On a crisp autumn morning, I hiked the Murphy Creek Trail with my newly engaged daughter, Julia.

The trail began near Tenaya Lake on Highway 120; elevation 8,150 feet.  Murphy Creek empties into the lake.

To start, we walked up the parched creek bed of Murphy Creek bordered by evergreens.  Thin streams of water trickled down the smooth granite shelf.

We left the creek bed when it narrowed and entered the lodgepole pine forest that was dotted with glacier erratic.

Patches of tiny pine cones and soft pine needles were scattered about.  Striped chipmunks scurried around storing food for the winter.

The footpath climbed gently through the forest and then became covered in snow from a recent but mild-natured storm that closed the road for a short time.  The easy climb helped to warm us as we walked in the dappled shade .

We followed footprints in the snow of deer and other animals; and crunched over icy puddles of water while discussing wedding plans.

We really had no idea if we were on the trail or not, so we headed over to a stretch of granite slabs and sat in the sun.  No one was around, all was quiet and peaceful.

The nearby exfoliating granite wall looked similar to the sloughing granite slabs.

After lots of wedding talk, we retraced our steps in the snow and took silly photos along the way.

Julia said, “We have all summer to  hike together, but I bet you’re going to write something in your blog about this being our last hike before I’m married.”  (The wedding is in October, 2015.)

She was wrong.  I wasn’t going to mention that this was probably our last hike before she becomes a Mrs. …until she put that thought into my mind.

It was an ideal day spent with my daughter in the high country of Yosemite National Park.  I look forward to more shared adventures before she marries.