Eagle Peak (Yosemite), El Capitan & Top of Yosemite Falls

This is the best hike of my life, though I didn't know it yet at the time — the first hike I ever did with the person I'd later fall in love with, even though we weren't there yet on this particular day. Thank you Lupita, Francisco, Bianca, and Kishore for a wonderful hike to the top of Eagle Peak and El Capitan in Yosemite. We had such a wonderful day, and I really looked forward to the next hike with you all.

The day started at Camp 4 on the Yosemite Falls Trail, switchbacks climbing almost immediately and not letting up for miles, past Columbia Rock and up to a straight look down the top of Upper Yosemite Fall. From there the trail keeps going west along the rim, through forest and granite, out to Eagle Peak — the highest point on the north rim of the Valley at 7,779 feet, tucked between Yosemite Falls and El Capitan — and then over to El Capitan's summit itself, with Half Dome and the entire floor of Yosemite Valley laid out below the whole way.

Bass Lake was a beautiful place to camp, and Curry Village was a great place to enjoy pizza after the hike — a fitting way to close out a long, full day on the trail with good company. Thank you again, Lupita, Francisco, Bianca, and Kishore, for a wonderful time.

It was also to the top of Yosemite Falls — great hike. Three big rewards in one huge day, and a day that turned out to matter a lot more than I realized at the time.