The hike to the top of Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park is rated as moderate to strenuous, and is one of the most popular, and therefore crowded trails in the park -- especially on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The first part of the hike begins at the aptly named Happy Isles and the first three quarters of a mile takes you a smooth, but relatively steep incline to the Vernal Footbridge. From there, the sign says its only a mere .3 of a mile to the top -- the part the sign leaves out is that it's also a 1000 foot elevation gain up granite steps built into the side of the mountain. Yeah, a natural stairmaster workout. Feel the burn. I'm not really to write about my experience on the hike yet, other than to say it could have been a lot worse, and other than a slightly sprained wrist, the only thing that was hurt was my pride.. This was taken on the way down -- about halfway between the top, and the footbridge. I'm standing on a huge rock in the middle of the river that provides a nice view of the entire fall. I had my back turned toward the fall as I was getting something out of my backpack, and as turned back again to my camera, I was stunned by the late afternoon light that bathed the trees on the left side of the frame and the hillside on the right in golden light. For a sense of scale, check out the box in the photo of the hiker on the trail.