Photo and caption by Jess Gibbs

It's only a 1.3 miles hike to the top of Yosemite's Vernal Falls, yet the steepness of the rocky ascent makes it a very strenuous 1.3 miles which can take several hours to complete. Here, on a hot August afternoon, two anonymous hikers pause in the shade of the pine trees to reflect and admire the ribbon of white water gushing down the rock face.

Location: Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park, California