My colleagues from the Climateprediction.net project (Dave Frame and Tolu Aina) are in the Bay Area for a week and want to see Yosemite. What better excuse for a trip?

With Erica, we load up the mighty Honda Civic, leave at 6:30, and are at the Cedar Lodge by 10:30 or so. Erica is disturbed by noise and vows to get a back-facing room next time.

Next morning we drive into the valley and head up the Mist Trail. Yosemite Falls is dry but there's still some flow through Nevada and Vernal falls.

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Vernal Falls

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Ditto

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Liberty Cap

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Nevada Falls in background
We descend, see the cheesy movie at the Visitor's Center, watch some climbers on El Cap, and return to the motel for a home-cooked meal.

Next morning we drive to Tuolomne Meadows and climb Mt. Hoffman. Frame's old knee injury is aggravated and he has a lot of pain. Tolu and I climb a castle, and do the summit.

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May Lake

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Slabs

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Flaky granite

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Plateau

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Tolu atop castle

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Tolu on summit

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Canonical pose

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Descent to May Lake

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Candid shot