hidden falls

Last night was just what I needed. Zach Kate and I hiked up to hidden falls to spend the night. Its this little waterfall that only park employees are supposed to know about. You hike for about an hour, past a lake and through a small forest area, and then you get to a bridge. From there, its a hike through rocks and boulders and over fallen trees... its a trick to get to, especially in the dark( which is what we did). We made it there eventually and laid out our sleeping bags on this huge slab of granite. The falls have all but dried up, but there were still a few little pools up there. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks is what makes it though... that sound always calms me. We turned off our headlamps and turned our attention to the stars above. They are so vibrant in the wilderness! The weather was perfect and even though I didn't get much sleep, I awoke to the sun just coloring the tops of the highest mountains. It was funny because in the dark we thought we had selected a flat place to sleep, but in the daylight we could see it was slanted and our sleeping bags kept slipping down the whole night. to wake up, we took a dip in a crystal clear (and cold!) pool and headed down the mountain to meet some friends to go swimming. It turned out to be just what I needed.
We drove to El Portel, about a thirty minute drive from Yosemite valley and instantly 10 degrees hotter. We parked on the side of the river and hiked for about twenty minutes until we reached this deep pool with high rocks all around and a waterfall on one end. There was a rope on one side of the rock so of course I had to try it out. It reminded me a lot of the ranch in south texas and the old blue hole. We had a fun time swimming and splashing around. Its fun because on almost every adventure, I've gotten to hang out with and meet new people. I like that... it will be sad to leave everyone in a few weeks and know I might not see them again... some of them have already started to leave.
I have the next few days off and I hope to have more spontaneous fun like today!