Jared and Jennie McBride Yosemite National Park, CA 2011

Jared asked me several weeks ago if I wanted to go on a hike next to a waterfall.  He asked me if I wanted to hike the “famous” mist trail at Yosemite National Park, in Northern California.

Okay, my husband, Jared is a smart man.  He knows that if there is a waterfall involved, he can get me to do just about anything to get there, including driving 1000 miles out of our way to get from St George, Utah to San Diego, Ca.

Jared wanted to climb Half Dome.  You can see the round dome in the first image on top.  He got up early in the morning to get the permits.  I wasn’t too sure about climbing up a Granite slab holding onto cables.  But I had not problem hiking up a very long granite staircase next to a Vernal Falls, a 300 foot tall majestic waterfall.  In fact, I kept hiking up to the top of Nevada Falls.  Nevada Falls is over 500 feet tall.

Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California

I hiked past Nevada Falls with Jared through Little Yosemite Valley, but started to feel tired.  We drove all day through Nevada to get to Yosemite on Friday and got up very early to get on the trail.  I decided it would be best for me to hang out by Nevada Falls resting, so that Jared could finish the hike that day, instead of dragging me up another steep incline.

I hiked back down taking pictures of flowers, trails, rivers, and rocks.  I sat on beautiful rocks and stared at the majestic views and wondered how anyone can doubt the existence of a God, a supreme being and the creator of Earth!

I found a very peaceful secluded spot on a rock over looking the Merced river just a few hundred yards from the 500 foot drop to death!  I was almost asleep when a young man jumped up near me and then very quickly jumped back.

I sat up and watched the young man scurry away, while a young women with a very long lens on her camera scooted in closer to take some pictures of some creature just a few feet below me.

I asked her, “What is it?”

To which she replied, “A rattlesnake.”

Okay, that wasn’t what I expected.  But sure enough, I peered over the granite rock and there she was, a beautiful venomous rattlesnake at least three feet long with at least 6-8 rattles on the end of her tail.

I started packing my backpack to find a new peaceful location that wasn’t already inhabited by asmall poisonous creature.

The young man jumped up on a rock above me, about 3 feet in the other direction and jumped back.  He exclaimed, “There is another one!  A bigger one!”

I peered up over the rock just a few feet away from my head and sure enough there was another rattle snake that was at least 4 feet long with 8 rattles on the end of his tail.

I started packing faster and decided it was time to find Jared.  I hit the rock with a hiking stick and got the little rattle snake to go in the opposite direction.  Neither of the snakes were very aggressive.  They both must have just eaten recently!

Just as I started to walk away a family started heading towards the snakes and I warned them about the TWO rattlesnakes just feet away.  They were from Europe and the father was not the brightest man I have ever met.  He leaned in closer, way too close, to get a better look.  ”I’ve never seen a rattle snake.”

I tried explaining to him that rattle snakes are dangerous and very poisonous, but he just wanted to check it out.  He was within 18 inches of the 3 foot rattlesnake taking it’s picture.  Like I said, he wasn’t very bright.

His children and wife and I stood back, begging him to join us.  Okay, we started screaming, because he just wouldn’t listen.

Finally, his family got the man to step back from the danger.

I’ve thought a lot about this experience.  There are always people in our lives who often warn us of dangers lurking.  The young man and women were a warning voice to me.  They helped me become aware of the the two rattle snakes.

I was a warning voice to the European Father.  He didn’t pay heed to my warning voice and kept inching closer and closer to danger, just to get a look.

There are many warning voices in my life, there are many people in my life who help me stay away from danger.  I am grateful for them.  I don’t want to be like the father.  I want to stay away from danger and stay on my path.  I want to stay on the path that leads me back to my husband, my family.  I want to stay on the path that will lead me back to God, my heavenly father.  I am grateful for the messengers he puts in my life to keep me safe from the dangers lurking all around me!

View from the rock! Merced River, Yosemite National Park

Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

Jared McBride, Climbed Half Dome July 2011! And was happy I wasn't eaten by snakes!