A Day in Yosemite - Part II

Whew! Got through Election Day and now, hopefully, we can move on (to New Zealand or Canada! Haha!).

Anyway, today I am hoping to finish out the narrative and photos of our Yosemite tour and our journey back to ordinary days on Vine . . .

I asked Clare what he thought was the most outstanding thing of our day in Yosemite and he, quite rightfully, said that it was the amazing El Capitan. Not too long after we turned off from Tioga Road into Yosemite Valley, this granite monolith came into sight; is it enough to say that we "couldn't believe our eyes?" And all we had to do was turn 180 degrees west to gaze at the beauty of Bridalveil Falls.

Three thousand feet from base to summit, this is most definitely a breathtaking sight.

At this time of year the 617 foot falls are light and swaying; still gorgeous.

To the south and west of Bridalveil Falls we could see the Cathedral Rocks/Spires which, with the autumn color and dark green evergreen framing them, made for a lovely photo opportunity too.

Wonderful contrasts.

We got back on one-way Southside Drive heading east into Yosemite Valley.

Another shot of El Capitan. 

The forest, right up to the shoulder, was brilliant and the redwoods towered over all. I started getting a crick in my neck gazing out the front window!

Since it had rained, the road was wet, as was the forest floor. We had the windows rolled down to take in the incredible autumn, woodsy scent . . . intoxicating!

All along the drive we caught glimpses of the Merced River (River of Our Lady of Mercy) which begins high in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas and flows into the San Joaquin River. It is fed, of course by the various falls in the Yosemite Valley and in places, is rough and tumbling; in others, smooth.

Before looping back around to Northside Drive and the return journey over Tioga Pass, we stopped at least four more times to gaze up at the mighty Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls and Half Dome, east of the road and towering at 8,836 feet. 

The falls look tiny but they are most certainly not!

Zoomed in just a bit.

Half Dome, named for its distinct shape.

Sadly, so many of the trees - Ponderosa mainly - have been attacked by pine beetles. The infestation has not been helped by the many drought years California has experienced.

Another view of the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. 

From this meadow it was possible to hike to the Falls; being the old folks we are, we didn't take advantage of that opportunity!

We continued our drive into the Valley and eventually to the Visitor Center then a bit further southwest towards Curry Village. Stopped at Stoneman Bridge on the Merced and I took these photos:

Black oak branches.

Half Dome in the background.

Another shot of the colorful leaves and Merced River.

Following are photos taken at various places on the Loop Road and then back onto Southside Drive as we headed back to Tioga Road.

At the parking area of Curry Village (closed for the season); One of the many shuttles traversing the Valley and Half Dome looming in the background.

Half Dome. Note the variety of trees in the foreground - Incense Cedar, Black Oak, Ponderosa Pine, and Sequoia.

Yosemite Valley Chapel.

This 1,470 square foot chapel, built in 1879 and placed at this location (trailhead of Four Mile Trail) in 1901, serves the public for worship and has become popular for weddings. Glacier Point is visible in the background.

Directly across the road from the Chapel is the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. There were three ladies (two here in the right corner) painting and sketching the Falls. The view here is definitely inspiring.

A peek through the trees at the wonderful Falls.

Clare took this photo of El Capitan not far off the road at El Capitan Bridge. "Awesome" just does not describe the feeling one has looking at this.

Needless to say, there are many more photos than can be shown here! It is a grand feeling to have seen this remarkable place. This quote from John Muir, conservationist, pretty much sums it up:

“It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.”

“Yosemite Park is a place of rest, a refuge from the roar and dust and weary, nervous, wasting work of the lowlands, in which one gains the advantages of both solitude and society. Nowhere will you find more company of a soothing peace-be-still kind. Your animal fellow beings, so seldom regarded in civilization, and every rock-brow and mountain, stream, and lake, and every plant soon come to be regarded as brothers; even one learns to like the storms and clouds and tireless winds. This one noble park is big enough and rich enough for a whole life of study and aesthetic enjoyment. It is good for everybody, no matter how benumbed with care, encrusted with a mail of business habits like a tree with bark. None can escape its charms. Its natural beauty cleans and warms like a fire, and you will be willing to stay forever in one place like a tree. 
– John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, (1938) 

We continued on our drive back over Tioga Pass and back into Lee Vining, stopping at Olmstead Point, Tenaya Lake and the Tioga Pass Entrance. Those stops will be recorded in Part III of our journey. 

Until next time.

A Day in Yosemite (is not enough!) Part I

Monday, October 24, we put on our woolies, stopped and had breakfast at Nicely's in Lee Vining and got an early start for Highway 120 and Tioga Pass into Yosemite. We hadn't gotten very far onto 120 when we were stopped by a CalTrans worker who told us that the Pass was closed until the snow that had accumulated overnight could be cleared; he predicted a couple hours wait. Well, undeterred, we decided to pull down a side road pointing to Big Bend Campground, part of the Inyo National Forest, 12 miles from the Park entrance. Had a walkabout a mile or so down that road and took a few photos, setting a precedent of clicking at every turn!

East side of Highway 120 starting up. The road was wet and it appeared to be snowing in the peaks ahead. This is just before we came up on the CalTrans crew.

(Just an aside, this is photo #99 - that I edited - for our trip to this point! No wonder this trip is turning into chapters!)

Although it was chilly and the wind was up a bit, we got out and pointed our phone cameras every which way to take in the colorful beauty all around. We spent about an half hour down on this road clicking and foraging and gaping.

Looking west; possibly Tioga Peak.

Looking autumnal (hair blowing up).

The quaking aspen and cottonwood still had gorgeous yellow leaves clinging, making for a wonderful foreground to the dark evergreen and snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Looking southwest; possibly Mount Dana

The Ponderosa pines are loaded this year, evidence of a good water year.

Clare retrieving souvenirs.

Just one more photo from the Big Bend Campground road.

It was beginning to clear to the west.

We drove back up to the highway and saw that the CalTrans trucks were gone and the traffic cones set to the side of the road; we made the assumption that it was clear over the Pass and started up. I had a hard time keeping quiet and not making Clare stop the car for a photo opportunity every five minutes . . . here are a few shots taken from the window.

Again, possibly Tioga Peak (the snow-covered peak).

The wind drifting the snow on these high, rocky peaks. 

Sheer granite cliff right off the roadside.

We did stop at a turnout near Ellery Lake, a manmade lake just a little ways from the Yosemite Park Entrance in the Inyo National Forest. 

Ellery Lake looking east; possibly back side of Tioga Peak.

We had started our journey at 8:30 a.m. and reached the Tioga Pass Entrance (east side of Yosemite National Park) at about 9:30. With our Senior Pass (there are benefits to being blue-hairs!), we collected our map and Yosemite Guide, October 5, 2016 to December 6, 2016 edition and passed through to the greatness that makes this this most-visited park in the United States.

The roadway as it looked just west of the entrance.

It took about an hour and a half to go over the Pass, with just a couple stops for photos, before reaching the junction of Tioga Road with Big Oak Flat Road which would take us into Yosemite Valley. One stop we made was in Tuolumne Meadows, a beautiful open valley where the Tuolumne River and its tributaries meander through; it is ringed all 'round by amazing peaks such as Lembert Dome, Mammoth Peak, Unicorn Peak, Cathedral Peak, Fairview and Medicroft Domes, and Pothole Dome. It is difficult to know which peaks/domes we saw as we turned 360 degrees; it was all spectacular.

Possibly Lembert Dome.

The Meadows.

Rango getting a drink from one of the tributaries.

A fabulous place to contemplate.

Possibly Ragged Peak way in the background.

The amazing immensity of it all.

We would stop at Tenaya Lake on the way back. We stopped at Olmstead Point (named after landscape architects Frederick Law Olmstead and Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. - a very interesting story) and I was able to capture a couple photos of the north side of Half Dome and Cloud's Rest. The wind made it a struggle to hold the phone still and so we decided that, if on the way back it was less windy, we'd stop there again.

Zoomed in to show Half Dome.

Half Dome in the center and Cloud's Rest to the left.

The trailhead at Olmstead Point is at 8,300 feet elevation, down from the 9,945 foot elevation at the Tioga Pass Entrance. All along the rest of the Tioga Road were roadside falls, towering pines, granite cliffs, and glimpses of Snow Creek, Yosemite Creek, Siesta Lake, and the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. Once we got to the junction of Big Oak Flat Road into Yosemite Valley, the temperature had increased to a pleasant 50-ish degrees, the skies were clearing to a bright sapphire blue, and the winds had calmed. The elevation at the junction, Crane Flat, is 6,200 feet, which explains why more moderate conditions were present. Down at this elevation, the quaking aspen and dogwood were in full autumn color and now we began seeing groves of the magnificent Sequoia redwood trees too. 

We traversed Yosemite Valley for about two hours stopping many times up to the visitor center and back. This part of our day, I think, deserves yet another post in order to do it justice! 

Stay tuned . . .