Final Day - Yosemite

We spent our final day in Groveland playing golf!   Even though it was a rough start in Yosemite I will definitely return to see the falls and do some hiking.  I will even brave the crowds!  I do believe Yosemite has become my favorite!

From Groveland we headed to Fresno and checked out Kings Canyon National Park.  We saw General Grant tree and then headed out the Kings Canyon Scenic Highway.   We opted to drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Highway instead of seeing the General Sherman tree.  We were only there for 1 day and needed to do one or the other.

General Grant

View of Kings Canyon

Another view of canyon

After Fresno we headed towards the Grand Canyon.  We spent one night in Mohave Valley, CA and one night in Needles CA.  It was HOT!  I did not know that Needles, CA is on of the hottest places in the United States.  It was a balmy 107 when we arrived and 87 when we left at 930AM.  UGH. Charles Shultz grew up in Needles, CA.  Now I understand why the Peanut characters were always in shorts!

Lots of wind generators on way to Mohave!

Day 9 Yosemite - Sentinel Dome

One of the greatest places (according to our reading) to see a sunset in Yosemite is Sentinel Dome.  There are 2 easy hikes (2 miles round trip which take about an hour) from the same trailhead parking lot.  One hike goes to Taft Point and the other trail goes to Sentinel Dome.  We timed it to be at Sentinel Dome at sunset.

Taft Point was great and Sentinel Dome lived up to the sunset hype.  No words or pictures capture what you experience at Sentinel Dome.   We also took some pictures of what we think is left of the Jeffrey Pine made famous by Ansel Adams.

El Capitan from Taft Point (approaching sunset)



Do you see what I see?

Its me in the picture above!

View from Taft Point

Jeffrey Pine from Ansel Adams photo (whats left of it)

Panaromic from Sentinel Dome at sunset

Mr C living a very fine life (Half Dome in background)

Sun setting over El Capitan (right) and Taft Point (left)

View of Clark Range (I think) from Sentinel Dome

Hiked back to car under the moonlight!

Day 7&8 Yosemite - Tioga Road and Biking Yosemite Valley

We drove Tioga Road to hike Lembert Dome.  We got on the wrong trail and we ended up going to Dog Lake instead.  No Lembert Dome for us!  Maybe next visit.  There are a lot of popular, nice hikes from Tioga Road. 

Backside of Half-Dome

Lake Tenaya

Tuolumne Meadow



Dog Lake

Climbers on Lembert Dome

We rode our bikes around Yosemite Valley the following day.  It was really nice to tour the valley on bike.  We went to Curry Village (hantavirus city), Mirror Lake, Chapel, LeConte Memorial Lodge, Ahwahnee Lodge (rooms start at $460/night), and Ansel Adams Gallery.  It was very enjoyable.   Ahwahnee's Great Lodge was used in the Shining.  It was neat to tour the lodge's lobby areas.

Proposed sight for Yosemite Falls



People watching climbers on El Capitan

Climbers on El Capitan



El Capitan - we circled climbers from above picture (middle to right)





Day6 Yosemite - Glacier Point Road

We decided to go to Stars Over Yosemite presentation the Glacier Point Amphitheater. We drove out Glacier Point Road.  Wow!  The views were outstanding.  We stopped as Washburn Point which was unbelieveable. Glacier Point was even better!  Outstanding views and truly magificent!    We arrived as the sun was setting.  Our pictures don't do the views justice!

 

Half Dome at sunset

Half-dome, North Dome, Basket Dome and many more!

Unfortunately, no ranger showed up for the Stars Over Yosemite presentation so we left and stopped at Tunnel View to view the stars.  Tunnel View overlooks El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome.  It was dark and the stars were out. The night was clear, the stars were beautiful but the most moving thing I saw was the rock climbers lights on El Capitan.  The lights looked like little stars on El Capitan!  It was so cool!   I got goose bumps imaging what it must be like to be hanging on El Capitan on a portaledge (a hanging cot fastened to the sheer face) under the stars.  Talk about being alive!
I googled and found a picture that captures the sight, since available light night photography is way beyond our skill level.  Truly incredible. It really looks like that in the moonlight.
Original link http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5941717749_bf7bcc0afb.jpg

Day5 Yosemite - Mariposa Grove

We drove to Mariposa Grove, a grove of sequoias in Yosemite Park.    We lucked out in getting a parking spot.  We were later than anticipated.  We decided to hike to the museum.  It was a good call.  The upper grove seemed to have more sequoias than the lower grove.  We hiked about 5 miles through the grove. 

Grizzly Giant Tree

Mr C checking out the trees!

Mariposa Tree

Clothespin Tree

Day4 - Yosemite Mist Trail

We decided to hike the Mist Trail.  It is a strenuous 3 mile round trip hike to Vernal Falls.  It was definitely strenuous!  It was really beautiful. We didn't experience any mist but we did see a little water falling!    I could only imagine what it must be like early in the season when the falls are roaring. Yes, I am planning my return visit (regardless of our first day's experience)! 

The still beautiful El Capitan

Vernal falls (very small due to time of year)

Looking down on Mist Trail from Vernal Falls

Emerald Pool above Vernal Falls

Nevada Falls

Old craggy tree, my favorite

Vernal Falls

Knee jolting climb down Mist Trail

Yosemite Day3 - Tram

We drove into the park and took tram ride through the Yosemite Valley.  It was enjoyable even if there were no waterfalls.  We knew the falls would be dry due to the time of year.

Every time you drive through Yosemite Park the views are different depending on the time of day and the light.  It truly is majestic and wonderful.  John Muir said it best in The Yosemite,  'Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light.'

Proposed site for Yosemite Falls

El Capitan from Merced River

El Capitan and Three Brothers

View from Tunnel-View - Falls would be to far right

Yosemite Day2

We left Yosemite Valley NPS campground and headed to Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails campground for the rest of our stay.  We were going to split our visit at Yosemite between Yosemite Valley NPS campground (4 nights-no hookups) and then Thousand Trails (6 nights-full hookups).  Thankfully Thousand Trails had availability for the additional 3 nights.

After we settled into our site in Thousand Trails, we went to Hetch Hetchy.   The valley was flooded by the O'Shaughnessy Dam in the 1920's to provide water to San Francisco.  An act of Congress allowed the dam to be constructed within the National Park (Raker Act).  After watching the documentary on the National Parks we had to visit Hetch Hetchy. 

Arrived at Yosemite National Park

It was a very long drive to Yosemite.   The directions were spotty and goofy.  Its draining to have spotty directions driving a 35 ft RV with tow vehicle.  Rights and lefts were not required, Route 49 just changes names while going thru different towns.   We made our first mistake with our gas station selection.  We could get in but could not get out with car attached (nice slope with many divots).   We had to detach the car and the tow package to get out and then hook up again on side of highway.  Good times!  The great people from state of CA said not one word while we were at this gas station.  I guess we were entertaining the locals.  We then climbed a switchback road in the Sierra Nevadas.  Very gnarly!

Unfortunately, the best part of our trip had yet to be experienced!  We finally made it to Yosemite and like other National Parks, the roads are narrow and winding with cliff drop offs.  What the welcoming rangers neglected to advise us is the road has 3 tunnels on the road to Yosemite Valley.  Our clearance is 12'6" and the sign indicates 10'4" from curb.  You can imagine our first response.   Expletive, 2 sec processing, in the middle of tunnel praying no one comes from other side. If you stay to the middle you are fine but after a 6 1/2 hour drive it would have been nice to be told and not "figure it out" on the fly.  Lesson learned!

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the campground our RV did not fit in the site.  Steve called four months prior to our arrival and was told by ranger we would have no problem.   They put us in a handicap spot and then informed us we could only stay one night.  So after a year of planning and reservation for 4 months, we could not stay in campground.  Not a great way to start our visit to Yosemite. 



View of Merced coming from Big Oak Flat Rd going into Yosemite Valley 

Pulloff on Big Oak Flat Rd coming into Yosemite Valley

ACCKKKK!!

Half Dome at sunset from campground

We arrived in one piece and got awesome picture in spite of our long journey!