Monday, July 8, 2013

Year in Review, Part 2

Yosemite National Park

I've made six trips to Yosemite National Park in the last year.  Previous to that, I'd never been to the park.  It's an amazing place, and I'm still just getting to know it.

July 22, 2012

I made my first trip to Yosemite the weekend after getting back from Yellowstone.  I didn't do much or spend a lot of time there.  My goal was basically just to see what all the fuss was about.  I drove into the valley, had lunch at the grill, took a few pictures then drove home.

Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, CA
I didn't get many good pictures on that trip.  The valley seemed cramped and full of people.  I was trying to get back that open feeling I'd discovered in the Grand Tetons, but I was still a little wiped out from that trip.  I got a hint of what it is that makes Yosemite special to so many people, though.  I also found that the drive there and back was an enjoyable part of the experience.  Very few weekends have passed since that I haven't made a day trip or an over-nighter to someplace interesting.

‎September ‎28, ‎2012
This is what you do in Yosemite, you stop and you gawk
Jim joined me for my second trip to Yosemite.  I had a goal this time to go to Mirror Lake.  It's a two mile one way hike from Happy Isle.  It's a flat, easy hike that can be done either by walking on the roads (closed to all vehicles except buses) or on trails.  We opted for the trails.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park, CA

The first trail we took followed the Merced River downstream.  Then we crossed over the road and headed up into the accessible lower part of Tenaya Canyon on a different trail.  As we walked through the trees we'd get glimpses of the high granite walls on either side of us.  Eventually we came to a flat sandy area.  We knew that the trail we were on was going to end abruptly due to rockfall, so we decided to cross over to the main trail here for the rest of the trek to Mirror Lake.  It was only when we got across that it donned on us that this oversized cat litter box we'd just walked across was, in fact, Mirror Lake itself.

Pfft.  What a sorry excuse for a lake.
El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, CA
After the hike, we stopped at El Capitan and took some pictures.  We spent some time looking for climbers and found a few. Often, what we thought was the climber was actually his or her gear, the climber would be seen a little ways above.  I'd already noticed how the appearance of the big rocks like Half Dome change over the course of the day as the sun and clouds move across the sky.  This was my first experiance with how dramatic that change can be as the sun sets, though.  The gray face of El Capitan turned a glowing golden hue in the fading sunlight.  This was my first glimpse of Yosemite Valley's quiet, powerful essence.  This is what draws people back time and again.  John Muir spent decades trying to sum this feeling up.  I certainly don't have any hope of explaining it.
I didn't see the climber in this photo until I got home that night

December 30, 2012
Merced River, Yosemite National Park, CA
Upper Yosemite Falls
Winter in Yosemite is where it's at, if you ask me.  The valley is a lot less crowded, but I don't really understand why.  The summer months of July and August are Yosemite's peak season, but the waterfalls aren't flowing and there's obviously no snow on the ground.  All the trails are open and the Merced turns into a swimming hole in those months.  I guess I can see the appeal, and most people do take their vacations in those months, but still, I'll take Yosemite in winter over summer any day of the week.

This was my first opportunity to see Yosemite Falls.  It was still just a trickle, but the ice cone beneath the falls was already large.
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, CA
I hiked to Mirror Lake again on this trip.  What had been an ugly little sandbox in September was now a glassy, beautiful pond.  Seeing that sight alone made the trip worthwhile.  The valley itself was amazing.  It was covered in snow above which hung a mist that gave the place an aura of the supernatural.
Mirror Lake, Yosemite National Park, CA

March 24, 2013
Yosemite National Park, CA
I brought my parents to Yosemite.  They came down for the weekend.  We'd spent the previous day at Point Lobos Nature Preserve, which is another one of my favorite day trip spots.  Yosemite put on quite a show for us that day.
Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, CA
This was my first experience in Yosemite when the falls are really flowing.  I was surprised at how they take over the park experience.  Every season reveals a different aspect of Yosemite.

It was tough to leave the park on this trip.  My dad had his camera, and we were both having a lot of fun taking pictures.  My mom put up with us.  As the light changed over the course of the afternoon we'd pass a spot we'd already been but it would look completely different.  We hiked up to the feet of Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls.  I was a little worried about wearing them out so I tried to keep the walks short, but they didn't show any signs of getting tired.
Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park, CA

April 21, 2013
Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, CA
So far, all of my visits had been focused on the valley.  I still finished this trip in the valley, but I was beginning to want to see what else was out there.  My main destination on this day was the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoiyas.
Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, CA
The Grizzly Giant
I have normally taken Highway 120 into Yosemite.  There are two more entrances from the West side using Highway 140 and Highway 41.  I'd heard that 41 has the most dramatic entrance into the park, so I tried taking my parents on that one but I missed the cutover (using 49, I think) and we ended up coming up 140 all the way.  140 is pretty cool because you basically follow the Merced River right up into the valley.  41 enters from the Southern end of the park, very close to the Mariposa Grove.  I managed to hit the cutover this time.

The big trees were pretty cool.  There's a different vibe to this place than in Sequoiya National Park.  The forest isn't as dense.
Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, CA
After walking through the grove, I drove up to the Valley.  I mostly wanted to experience the entrance, to see if it really was dramatic.  Coming through the tunnel is pretty spectacular.  The first thing you see is Bridalveil Falls.  As you come out of the tunnel you get an incredible view of the Valley, dominated by El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls.  I suspect the East entrance may be even more dramatic, but coming in from the West I'd say this is the way to go if you want to take someone's breath away.
Coming in through the Tunnel

June 2, 2013
Olmstead Point, Yosemite National Park, CA
Probably my best adventure yet in the park so far.  See my post for more details on that one.

Jim Takes Root at Olmstead Point

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