TENAYA
Obviously we didn’t get much sleep and so very early we headed to Tenaya Lake. It was a beautiful day and we found a paradisiacal landscape. Tenaya Lake is considered the most beautiful of all Yosemite’s lakes. It’s a mile (1.6 km) long and bordered on three sides by granite peaks and domes. The lake was created by the Tenaya Glacier, which flowed out of the vast Tuolumne Ice Sheet and down to Yosemite Valley. This same glacier created Half Dome. It’s a long way from Yosemite Valley, so it’s not as crowded as other water attractions like Yosemite or Bridalveil Falls, but it’s definitely worth the trip – especially if you like to go windsurfing or flat water paddling. As I got into the water with my board, before everyone stepped out of their tents, I felt the privilege of having a windSUP with me. The light breeze is just perfect for my purpose: cruising around the lake and taking advantage of such stunning views all by myself. Definitely windSUP can be a form of meditation for me – especially when you sail solo at 9000 ft. elevation in the heart of Yosemite.
It’s a nice place to go sailing but don’t expect to have the place to yourself, as we discovered a little later that morning when several families and other nature lovers headed to the sunny shores. My session got interrupted when the first families arrived to swim or set up a picnic spot: at that moment all the magic around that first morning session was already gone. No problem, we were ready to move to our next destination.