The Merced River gave me a warm, audible welcome when I rose early and opened my window.

Entering the park and driving along Southside Dr. was so peaceful and relaxing. Upper Yosemite Fall provided the sight I needed to stop the car, take this shot, and savor the Valley floor. Breathe in, breathe out.

Later, when I was on the other side of the field, I talked briefly with a man about 35 years old shooting the same fall from a closer distance with a digital camera and a long zoom lens (probably 2.5 feet). He reminded me of my younger self, holding (and traveling with!!) a similar camera — and film! Only then did I reflect on how easy it had been to use the 10x zoom on my iPhone. Would I want to go back to those days and those experiences? No — I enjoyed my earlier experiences, but let me only savor the memories!

I parked at Yosemite Village and walked the short distance to view both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. The first picture below shows both falls, which is followed by two shots of Upper Yosemite Falls.

This fall stands at an amazing 2,425 feet, one of the tallest in North America. I stand at about 0.2% of that height!