The Journey To Yosemite Falls

     My lungs and throat burned. I wasn't getting enough air, and when I did, it was hot and dry. My legs were bruised and my face was dripping with sweat. Rock after rock I climbed in Yosemite Park, California. My brother and father fell behind, but I wouldn't wait. I had to make it to the top. I grabbed and pulled and lunged over rocks, just to see the park's prized possession up close: Yosemite Falls.

     After what seemed like hours of climbing, I finally saw the water fall. At least, what was left of it. A small leak of a waterfall fell from the large mountain's granite walls. It landed in a small, fresh water pond, nestled between giant boulders. even though it was many times smaller than it should be, it was beautiful. The sun's bright light glimmered off the falling water, making the waterfall a cascade of rainbows. The sound of the water crashed softly into the small pool at the bottom. Yelps and screams of joy echoes off the walls of the valley as people jumped into the deep, cold water. I took a deep breath of mist filled air and grinned, looking around for my brother and father.

     They seemed to have caught up, standing right next to me, also looking at the beauty of the waterfall. Then suddenly, my father laughed and said "This is disappointing." I looked at him accusingly. "It's beautiful?" I retorted. "Well it could've been ten times better if it weren't for the drought." my brother added, matter of factly. I rolled my eyes, annoyed at their pessimism. After a few more minutes of observing the beautiful landscape, I said "I'm going to climb over there, to see the waterfall better" as I pointed towards the pool of water, that was barely visible. I immediately started to climb but my father stopped me in my tracks with a stern "No". "Why?" I asked, confused. "We won't have time to see the other attractions" he explained. Plus, I could see my cardio deprived brother was exhausted. "Fine" I said sadly. We started the decent.

     I went down as fast as I could, excited to see what else I would experience in the beautiful park. Going so quickly, I got myself in a difficult position. As I climbed, I reached a cliff-like rock, with a steep decline to the next rock I could reach. Going back and around would take too long, so I began to panic. Where could I go? My father and brother were quickly gaining on me and I didn't want them to know I led them into a trap. I looked over the edge of the steep rock and a few feet under it, a small pool of water stood, smiling evilly, waiting to engulf me. "You'll have to slide down" my father said, reaching me. I took a deep breath, scared, and sat on the edge of the rock, looking over the precipice. Then, I slid. I rushed down the rock and used my two feet to stop myself when i reached the wall of a boulder, perpendicular to the steep rock. I stood and grabbed a rock, ready to pull myself up and continue the journey back, but I slipped. I nearly fell into the jaws of the insect infested cavern of water below me. I sighed in relief and continued the trip back to my mother.

     The few minutes left of descending were easy. I climbed the last small mound of rocks, back to the trail where my mother and other tourists were waiting. I walked to where she was, sweaty and smiling. "Wow, you went fast!" she said, pointing to where my father and brother were. Just a few yards away, they started to walk towards the small mound of rocks where I just came from. They reached us a few minutes after, also sweaty. My brother looked like he ran a marathon. "That was fun!" I said, happily. "Now let's go see everything else!" I started to walk quickly, not wanting to waste any time. My family groaned at my unwavering energy and followed tiredly. As I walked, I knew this would be one of my most memorable journeys.