Yosemite Backpacking Day 2: Waterfalls and the Long Hike Out

After the rain, thunder, and first-night nerves of Yosemite backpacking day 1, we woke up with one big question answered: yes, Vung could sleep in the backcountry. It was not the most comfortable night, but it was doable. Now we had a whole day of waterfalls ahead of us.

The original plan was a three-day backpacking trip. Day 2 ended up being our last day, with a lighter waterfall hike in the morning and a much longer climb back to the car afterward. By the time we finished, the watch read 13.39 miles and 2,595 feet of climbing. That was plenty of hiking for a first backpacking trip.

Morning at Camp: How Was the First Night?

Breakfast started with hot water, washing up, and sunscreen. Then came the honest review of sleeping on the ground.

The sleeping pads felt comfortable when we first lay down. A few hours later, the aches started, and Vung kept changing positions through the night. I could relate. Sleeping on the ground is usually the part that makes me question my backpacking decisions, even when the hiking has been great.

Still, her answer was encouraging: not too bad, and definitely something she could do again. We had hiked, set up camp, gotten through the rain, and made it to morning. For a first trip, that felt pretty good.

We joked that backpacking is hiking with too much stuff and camping with not enough. You feel every extra item on the trail, then get to camp and start thinking about the comforts you left at home.

Chasing Waterfalls With a Lighter Pack

For the waterfall hike, we left most of our gear at camp and took the essentials: camera equipment, the water filter, and snacks. Vung got to hike without a pack, and I carried the lighter load. After the previous day's full backpacks, the difference was immediate.

This was the part of the trip where we could spend more time looking around. The Tuolumne River kept giving us reasons to stop: cascades, waterfall mist, and granite faces so large that the camera had a hard time showing their scale.

There is a lot of scenery in this stretch of the video and a little less talking. Sometimes the water does a better job of explaining why we came than we can.

The walk toward the waterfalls was downhill, though, and we knew what that meant. Every bit of descending was something we would have to climb on the way back.

Granite That Looks Smaller Until You Climb It

One of the surprises was how easy it was to misjudge the size of the rock around us. Something that looked like a little boulder from a distance turned into a huge slab once we were standing on it.

We lost track of the trail a couple of times around the granite. On one detour, we climbed across a large rock before finding the route again. Some of the sloping surfaces had us walking with our feet at awkward angles, and even the lighter pack started to feel heavier on the climbs.

We also noticed a small waterfall we had missed on the way out. Walking back through the same area still gave us something new to see.

Why We Decided to Hike Out on Day 2

By the time we talked through the plan, we had already walked more than seven miles exploring the waterfalls. We could spend another night near Glen Aulin, but we did not expect to hike much farther in that area that afternoon.

Swimming might have changed the decision. There were places where we wanted to spend more time by the water, and we did try getting in. The water was cold enough that we quickly changed our minds.

So we decided to hike out. We had already carried our gear into the wilderness, slept outside, handled the less glamorous bathroom part, and filtered river water to drink. Vung had experienced the things she had wondered about before the trip. A second night would have been nice, but we felt ready to head home.

That still left a long walk. The downhill miles from day 1 were waiting for us in the other direction, now with our full packs again.

The Long Climb Back to the Car

We said goodbye to Glen Aulin and put the camera away for much of the return. There was a lot of climbing left, and our attention shifted to getting back to the trailhead.

A marmot hiding among the rocks gave us one more reason to stop and look. Eventually, we reached the road, with another stretch still to walk before the car. Seeing the gate and our original trail entrance felt good.

Our watch totals at the car were:

• Distance for day 2: 13.39 miles
• Elevation gain: 2,595 feet

Those are the numbers recorded on our hike, including the waterfall exploring and the return to the car, rather than a standard mileage estimate for a single trail. The National Park Service's Glen Aulin trail description is a useful reference for the main route.

Would We Go Backpacking Again?

Vung's answer near the end was the one I most wanted to hear: she still liked it, and she wanted to do it again.

We had done long day hikes before, but carrying overnight gear made this feel different. The hiking was manageable. The sleeping needed some work. The next packing list could definitely be shorter.

That gives us something practical to improve before the next trip: look at what we actually used, make the packs lighter, and figure out how to get a better night's sleep. We finished tired, proud, and happy we had gone.

More From Our Yosemite Backpacking Trip

• Yosemite Backpacking Day 1 - permit pickup, the bear canister surprise, river miles, and our first night at camp
• The Best Way to Pack for a 3-Day Backpacking Trip - what we packed before finding out what we could leave behind next time
• Yosemite tea break - a pause along the Tuolumne River on day 1
• Katadyn Hiker Pro review - the filter we used for river water
• Osprey Atmos AG 65L Backpack review - a closer look at the pack from this trip
• Our Favorite Gear - more of the gear we use on our hikes