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Yosemite Valley with El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the back right and Cathedral Rocks on the right. |
Yosemite
is perhaps the most amazing place, overall that I have been yet. After bailing on a PCT hike because of the rainy forecast, Jennifer and I hit the road for some day hiking in Yosemite. We were fortunate to get a site at Crane Flats to make our base. We then headed down into the valley where we were way-layed by the bus system with a thousand stops!
We made it to the Yellowstone Falls trail head after 2 hours of comedic bus rides with transfers (less than a mile from where we parked). We scrambled a mile up the trail for the view but the impending darkness thwarted our plans for the full 7 mile hike.
At camp we decided to hike the valley floor hike of 13 miles to familiarize ourselves with the area. We had decided to pack light, no lunch just snacks, due to the easy nature of a trail that should go four hours max.....
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| Bridalveil Falls |
Our hike began at the Pohono Bridge on the west end of Yosemite Valley. It followed the Merced River gently upstream through the forest past beautiful pools of the clear mountain stream. After a mile we came upon the motor tourist crowds pulled over at the view for the impressive 620 foot Bridalveil Falls.
We crossed the road just past it under the massive Cathedral Rocks. We paused to watch climbers on the Lower Cathedral Wall, a 600 foot wall. It was astonishing to see four climbers dwarfed by the enormity of the cliff face.
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| Lower Cathedral Rocks with four climbers pointed out. |
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| LeConte Memorial Lodge |
We walked a couple of miles away from the road under the massive walls of the valley and at one point came upon two big mule deer bucks
bedded down in the dark forest. They seemed unconcerned sitting thirty yards from us. Eventually we emerged back to civilization and visited the LeConte Memorial Lodge. LeConte was a friend of John Muir and co-founder with Muir of the Sierra Club. While the cute little lodge bears his name it was actually built for a wood carver known for his "beautiful and dainty souvenirs in California woods."
After ice cream at Curry Village we cut across the campgrounds to the Royal Arches and taking the high trail on the North side of the Canyon were once again treated to the spectacle of climbers. It is addicting watching their efforts. At the Awahnee hotel we came out of the woods once again to see some more of the absolutely massive boulders that lie on the valley floor throughout the canyon. Easily thirty feet tall they dwarf everything but the immense canyon walls from whence they came.
Lower Yosemite Falls was a tourist mecca, being the easiest hike in the canyon (half mile round trip). Just past it at Camp Four we crossed the road to the meadow that was the most grand place on earth.
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| Valley floor meadow |
Crossing the meadow brought us to swinging bridge and the banks of the Merced River lined with flowers. We followed it west and just past Sentinal Beach on the opposite shore we went for a swim. It was like jumping into a pool of ice. After our break we were very fortunate to come upon a Bear. It was golden brown and seemed quite small. It never saw us and wandered off into the forest.
At the El Capitan bridge we met a guy who films climbers. We had seen several groups on the 3000 foot wall and it is amazing how small they are. He had a telescope spotted on a group ascending the wall. If you find the biggest Douglas Fir in your area and imagine an ant on the side, that is what a climber is like on El Capitan.
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| El Capitan with inset drawn on it |
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| Inset of climber on El Capitan |
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| close up of climber in inset |
You can barely make out the climber here as a dot. On the right is a closeup that brings it more in to scale. We learned that this was a solo climber and his pack below him attempting the "Mescalito" route on the southeast face. This sight was simply awe inspiring.
We came within twenty feet of two deer in the meadow near El Capitan Bridge. We slugged out the last of about a fifteen mile day with side trips and staggered back to camp.
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| Jennifer is dwarfed by a giant sequoia |
We decided to take it easier the next day as we both now had blisters. We headed South for Wawona and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. This is a challenge to even photograph because nothing seems to portray the enormity of the trees!
This Cabin is two rooms and is indeed good sized although it seems tiny. We hiked a four mile loop that included the Grizzly Giant measuring 28' diameter and being somewhere between 2000 to 2700 years old. One of these trees contains as much lumber as one entire acre of Douglas fir forest in the Pacific Northwest.
After the grove we went down to the historic town of Wawona. The town is preserved as it was in the late 1800's complete with the original buildings and even the covered bridge.
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| Jennifer in contemplation atop Sentinal Dome |
From Wawona we headed to climb Sentinal Dome. You can see it all from here. El Capitan, Half Dome, Cloud Rest, a 360 view from the top and found a cool brass map on a granite boulder that named 20 or 30 peaks surrounding it.
We left in time to catch sunset from Glacier Point.
In the morning we headed out before dawn for the trail head at the Happy Isles Bridge, determined to hike up to Half Dome. The hike is 17 miles round trip and includes a 5000' elevation climb and subsequent descent. We knew we would need to utilize all of the daylight available.
At the trail head I pulled in to park next to a Lexus SUV. Strangely its flashers were on but there was no alarm going off and no one around. Then I noticed it's door frame had been peeled open by a bear. There in the gravel was a hat, a empty bag of chips and a pile of glass. Sadly there are Bear proof containers for free use all around this parking lot and the whole park.
We set out up the Merced River on the Mist Trail and climbed a thousand steps up past Vernal Falls, a 240' waterfall. In the morning dawn it was shaded and we knew the good pictures would be in the afternoon. We kept moving past Emerald Pool and up many more steps beside 594' Nevada Falls. At the top is the wonderful Little Yosemite Valley at about 6100 ft elevation where we took a cold pizza lunch.
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| The final ridge to the saddle is a steep scramble up marble steps. |
Continuing our ascent we climbed to a ridge and then west up the backbone several hundred feet up steep small granite steps to the saddle below the final ascent cables.
This is where we stopped. The final 400 feet are for people who are not absolutely phobic about heights. Imagine 2 cables running up the face with pieces of wood you climb to every 6 feet. As a side note, Jennifer wore a skirt hiking this day, a wonderful way to hike as it affords airiness that works well to keep one cool during long hard hikes. The Half Dome hike is certainly not the one you want to be wearing a skirt on!
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Jennifer and I with the cables behind us
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| Vernal Falls |
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| Bugs and I at Nevada Falls |
We drove to up Tuolumne Meadows the next morning. Along the way we past beautiful Tenaya Lake set among granite peaks and domes. We continued on to Lembert Dome where we hiked to the top.
Actually Jennifer went to the top, I stopped just short. The views form up here are amazing from Mammoth Peak to Unicorn Peak and Ragged Peak, so much to see. We decided that we must come back here and backpack, not just day hike. From there we hiked down to Dog Lake and back. That evening we took in the sunset from the middle of the meadows after photographing the Tuolumne River in the evening light.
In the morning we hiked to Cathedral Lakes via the John Muir Trail. This hike took us past the towering and majestic Cathedral Peaks to the lakes. We lunched at the main lake and marveled at the surroundings.
We left Yosemite knowing we must come back and backpack. We drove out the Tioga Pass and made our way to South Lake Tahoe.
We had lunch and headed back to our kayak. Returning to the Wailua River we continued upstream past the Fern Grotto (the only shore parking was taken by 2 kayaks). We went upstream about a half mile and found a ropeswing! About that we also witnessed a fish chasing a fish? or a frog or something seemingly above the surface of the water. Our paddle back included a stop at the grotto ( we tied off to the big dock and climbed up the tires) and a head wind. What a great all around workout. 
Another day we drove up to Ke`e Beach. We then hiked the Kalalau trail 2 miles to Hanakapi`ai Beach. This is a well used barely maintained trail. It is very slippery throughout and gives you a great core workout.
At Hanakapi`ai Beach we headed inland 2 miles to100' Hanakapi`ai Falls. Half way up that trail we got rained on for about 10 minutes and I am sure that in that time more than an inch of rain fell. This part of the Island got 700+ inches of rain! I see how. On the return trip the trail was swamped with red clay puddles. This was perhaps the most exhausting 8 miles I have hiked!
We had lunch and headed back to our kayak. Returning to the Wailua River we continued upstream past the Fern Grotto (the only shore parking was taken by 2 kayaks). We went upstream about a half mile and found a ropeswing! About that we also witnessed a fish chasing a fish? or a frog or something seemingly above the surface of the water. Our paddle back included a stop at the grotto ( we tied off to the big dock and climbed up the tires) and a head wind. What a great all around workout.
Another day we drove up to Ke`e Beach. We then hiked the Kalalau trail 2 miles to Hanakapi`ai Beach. This is a well used barely maintained trail. It is very slippery throughout and gives you a great core workout.
At Hanakapi`ai Beach we headed inland 2 miles to100' Hanakapi`ai Falls. Half way up that trail we got rained on for about 10 minutes and I am sure that in that time more than an inch of rain fell. This part of the Island got 700+ inches of rain! I see how. On the return trip the trail was swamped with red clay puddles. This was perhaps the most exhausting 8 miles I have hiked!
Our final long hike for the island was up at Alakai Swamp Trail in Koke`e State Park. The drive is long and the hike is as well but well worth it and all beautiful. Interstingly this swamp is the highest elevation swamp known in the world. The trail we would follow at least roughly followed the traditional native route for the natives to get to neighbors and relatives on the North coast.The trail begins down a ridgeline where there are spectacular views on one side of the Na Pali coast and the other side down the inland valleys of Koke`e State Park. It should be noted that these views are subject to cloud cover, a constant visitor to Kauai. We were fortunate indeed. 
