Hello and welcome to the earth rangers podcast, no wait, actually welcome to earth ranger Emma's ultimate guide to national parks.

Hey guys, I am super excited to have you joining me on my latest adventure. I know that technically I'm supposed to be on holiday, but chilling by the pool doing nothing is just not how earth ranger Emma operates.

So instead I decided to check off one of the biggest items on my bucket list to visit a whole lot of national parks in Canada and the USA.

It's so perfect, I just might be a genius.

I'm starting today with a doozy. I'm in California on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Yosemite National Park.

Because of its location, climate and the different elevations in the park, there's a huge amount of biodiversity here at Yosemite.

And if you're looking for breathtaking scenery, this is the place for you. There are countless waterfalls, including the stunning 2,425 foot tall Yosemite Falls.

There's also this really awesome half dome made of granite. It's over 8,800 feet tall. The half dome is a really popular place for experienced hikers to climb.

It's a 17 mile round trip up and back and it's incredibly steep. I thought about maybe trying this hike today, but after I heard that there was a section where I'd have to use climbing cables.

I thought maybe I'd leave that to the experts.

Right now, I'm hiked up to the upper montane forest. This area is known for short-wet summers and among winters.

I'm talking snow that lasts from November all the way up until June. And not just a dusting either. Up to 6 feet of snow.

Thankfully, the path is clear today. In this part of the park, there are super tall red fir trees.

And an interesting type of pine called the Jeffrey Pine. Can you guess what it smells like? Definitely not a Christmas tree.

The Jeffrey Pine smells like? Wait for it? Vanilla. Yeah, or some even say butterscotch or cinnamon. No matter what, it's a lovely aroma that makes me wish for a big dish of ice cream.

Along with the tremendous trees at this elevation, there are also meadows of colorful wildflowers and...

This might be my favorite part of the park.

Oh, oh, hey. Oh, little dizzy. You can really feel the elevation up here.

If I were to hike up even higher, I'd end up in the sub-alpine forest. That's at an altitude of about 8,000 feet.

The winters there are even longer and snowier. I think 9 feet of snow. Inside or tip, you definitely do not want to hike that in December.

Finally, if I hiked up as far as I could go, I'd end up in the alpine zone at 9,500 feet. I guess what I wouldn't see in this area.

Um, trees? It's got a few flowers and grasses, and as soon as the weather gets a bit cooler, a ton of snow.

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