Yosemite!

For 8 years I have wanted to return to Little Yosemite Valley and summit Half Dome. This is the summer it finally happened! I went with my sister, Catie Hobbs, and her husband Steve. We had a wonderful time! I relived a lot of fond memories of my backpacking trip with McKay and Rachel and our friends, the Allgoods. Besides climbing Half Dome, which of course was the most fabulous part of the trip, we went to Bunnell Cascades and slid down the natural water slide there. We saw a bear and Catie practically ran into a rattlesnake that was viciously rattling its tail at her. We saw beautiful sunsets, wandered in the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoias and day hiked the famous 4-mile trail. We also hiked Sentinel Dome, which was beautiful but no real "accomplishment." It's only a mile-long hike. :)

The Yosemite trip was only one tiny part of my summer, but it's a good start for my blog because it was the most thrilling for me. Besides Yosemite I spent a week in Washington DC, a week at girl's camp (including an overnight hike with the 4th year girls), a week at the Grand Canyon (mostly hiking Havasu Canyon and camping at Havasu Falls) and a week in the Uintas with Catie, Steve and Sami Ouimette.

Here I am starting to climb the cables to the top of Half Dome. It looked like it would be scary, but it ended up not being scary at all. It was fun!

Cathy is at the bottom of the cables in this picture, and I am at the top of the cables.

Here I am on the top of Half Dome. (I'm the pensive looking one in the orange shirt.)

Here I am on another part of the top of Half Dome. We spend a couple of hours up there. It was so amazing and cool!!!

Here's the bear we saw on our way to Bunnell Cascades (the natural water slide).

And here I am sliding down the natural water slide. It was just as much fun this time as it was 8 years ago!