The Unexpected

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir-Wapama Falls Hike

This last week I received an unexpected gift. Sort of a gift within a gift within another gift! A friend invited me to go with her on a hike at Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. We would be hiking a 5.4 mile loop called the Wapama Falls Trail. Halfway through the loop you come upon a spectacular waterfall flowing down from the top of the mountain into the canyon and finally, to the reservoir below. It sounded like something that I would totally enjoy so I said yes to my friend right away.

My friend and I left early in the day and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise as we drove south and east towards Yosemite. Once there, the weather was perfect-cool and crisp with a light breeze. There weren't too many people and the trail was almost empty. The views of the dam and reservoir are spectacular and don't reveal at first just how big the Tuolumne River Canyon really is. Once you start walking however the canyon goes back and back and you wonder at the magnitude of the size of the valley that was flooded to create the reservoir. 

The hike was going well but taking awhile. There are lots of rocks to go over and steps to go up and down. We were close to the waterfall but had a ways to go still. My friend and I talked about stopping and going back. She remarked to me that we should keep going because she felt that this was probably the last time she would be able to do this hike. She is 74, not old really but getting on, and who knows exactly when she might come back to this spot or be able to physically do it? So, we pressed on and were amply rewarded! What a beautiful waterfall! The photo above just doesn't do it justice.

As we were walking back I thought about what my friend said about making this trip, possibly for the last time. Though I am sure she didn't intend it this way, she really gave me a gift. This gift of spending the day with me, of all people, on what was probably her last visit to this spot was really special. And I had no idea that this was even going to be the case so it was a total surprise. Top that off with the views, the weather and the injury free day and I had a gift within a gift within a gift! Talk about appreciating God's presence in the every day!

Hope that if you are reading that you find something unexpected today!

Libby