October 21, 2022
Yosemite Chapel to Happy Isles
Total distance walked: 4 miles
On a pleasant Friday morning with a fresh chill in the air, Marilyn and I headed out to capture photographs of fall. We walked a short distance on the Yosemite Valley Loop trail beginning at Yosemite Chapel.
Leaves strewn about the forest floor crackled under foot reminding us that autumn was well underway.
We found mushrooms, hidden gems of the forest, growing on deadwood and popping up from the ground.
In a sunnier area, milkweed had gone to seed. Monarch butterflies require milkweed for their larvae. No milkweed, no monarchs.
The path took us past LeConte Memorial Lodge (aka Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center). The Lodge is run by the Sierra Club and is used as a natural history library. It has limited hours and was closed the day we were there.
Farther up the trail we entered Happy Isles where dogwood trees were losing their depth of color.
The Merced River surrounding Happy Isles was quite low compared to springtime.
Temptation overtook us and we left the trail at Happy Isles to sit amongst the rocks. It was shocking to see the river—usually surging with energy—so dry.
From there we headed back to the car on the undulating path through the woods, stopping to photograph more of Yosemite’s fall treasures.
We enjoyed our autumn walk where Yosemite was slowing down and waiting for winter. Though I continued to hike throughout the remainder of 2022, this was my last visit to the park.
Hiking Yosemite and Beyond 
Absolutely gorgeous pictures. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you. 🙂
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The tone of the photos even make me feel the slow pace of the valley. My favorite photo of this batch was the beautiful contrast after happy isle with the red leaf and green leafs and red berries with background of the grey rocks and dark shadows. Good job.
I wonder how wild the river will look when you see it soon?
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Thanks, Cathy. I liked that photo too. Well, I’m not one to drive in ice or snow, so once the Valley is free of those, I’ll head back. The water should be raging this spring. Yay.
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Absolutely gorgeous. My favorite photo was the maple on ferns; so striking.
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The leaf was there when I walked by, but I think someone might have placed it there. Thank you. 🙂
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Great pics! I especially like the mushrooms.
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Thank you. 🙂
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I followed your blog. 😊
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Thank you, so kind.
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What a cute little chapel. This looks like a pleasant hike. I love all the different mushrooms along the trail. It’s a good reminder to slow down and take a minute to look around and enjoy your surroundings.
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I hope to get a better lens to do more macro photography, it’s my favorite. Looking up and looking down besides around at eye level while on a nature walk is a must.
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Beautiful!!!!
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Thank you! Must be totally under snow now.
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