Memorial Day Message: Don’t Become a Yosemite Blog Post

I haven’t mentioned it yet but, this year is the 10th anniversary of Yosemite Blog and in that time I’ve, unfortunately, posted a lot of articles about people missing in Yosemite after they’ve gotten too close to, or gone into the water around Nevada and Vernal Fall.

Here’s my word of caution: the rivers are high and cold right now in the Sierra. Granite get’s slippery when it’s wet (I know, I fish and I’m a photographer so I’ve had my fair share of dunkings). When you get around the falls there’s a lot of mist coming off and it travels for a good ways. The rocks may not look slippery but they almost always are. Stay back. Don’t scramble on the rocks around the base of Vernal and Nevada Falls. It’s too easy to fall in right now and with the swift, cold water you have almost no chance for survival.

For sure don’t go swimming in the Merced above the falls. The pools may look inviting after the long hike in the sun but every year someone is swept over the fall because they misjudged how strong the current there actually is and how slippery the rocks are.

I tell my kids, this isn’t Disneyland. There’s no aid station just down the trail. The nearest help is a half hour to an hour away. You can die of hypothermia in under 10 minutes.

Play it safe this year. Stay away from the rocks around Vernal and Nevada Falls. For sure don’t swim above the Falls and heed the warning signs and railings along the way. They’re there for YOUR protection not for some other persons. Don’t become a Yosemite Blog Post.