“This is honestly the coolest place I’ve been to (along with my hometown in Mexico),” wrote Maria Hernandez, a sophomore at Dos Palos High School, as she sat sitting in front of a campfire in Yosemite. Maria along with her fellow ARC participants had visited Chilnualna Falls earlier in the day and had just finished preparing and eating a meal together. For Maria, it was not an average Friday night after a long school week.
“I like the trees, the little hills, the people, and overall the environment. I know it’s been just one day, but I can’t wait for what’s ahead.” What was ahead for Maria’s ARC weekend? On Saturday, she woke up at 7:30AM and hiked seven miles round-trip on the Mist Trail. She climbed 1,900 feet up stone steps, saw a rainbow extend across the powerful expanse of Vernal Falls, and she lay in the sun next to the pools of water above Nevada Falls (the top of the hike). It was a weekend of physical challenge and beautiful scenery with the waterfalls near their peak.
Maria wrote of the experience, “Right here, you are face to face with nature. To be able to step away and leave your daily life, even for a little while, is one of the most awesome feelings ever. Here you can not only hear the silence, but you can feel it, as if engulfed in a warm and fuzzy blanket in the middle of winter.” It was Maria’s first time in Yosemite and she is excited to return again soon!