Category: Yosemite National Park

One Word Describes Yosemite

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(2025 Wild West Wander Ep 9)

Yosemite’s natural beauty can be found in things big and small, from towering granite cliffs and giant sequoias to diminutive wildflowers.

The words above are from the National Park Service visitor handout.  They capture the essence of Yosemite, a special place like none other.  Multiple WOW moments left us with an appreciation of God’s magnificent creation, of the natural forces that shape the landscape and of the foresight of those who preserved Yosemite for us and future generations.

The WOW Moments Took Some Getting There

Our son, Phil, joined us for a couple days.   

We drove a half hour from where we were staying in nearby Groveland to the park entrance and another 20 minutes or so to the Yosemite Valley.  The valley is seven miles long and a mile wide, surrounded by 3000-foot walls and high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan.

We hiked to see a nice reflection of Mt Watkins on Mirror Lake

Tall Falls

Our son, Phil, poses with us near the base of Yosemite Falls

Our first WOW moment came as we approached Yosemite Falls. The falls three-tiered plunge of 2425 feet are the tallest waterfall in North America.  As we posed for a photo in front of the lower falls, I recollected our 2001 family visit to Yosemite and Phil’s scramble up the rocks at the base of the falls for a memorable photo.  Times change and you can’t scramble up the rocks anymore, but the falls are still breathtaking.

Phil at the base of Yosemite Falls in 2001

Brave Climbers on El Capitan

Further along, we stood near the base of El Capitan and watched climbers ascend the 3000-foot-high granite monolith.  The world-famous location is frequented by big wall climbers who choose from dozens of routes up the rock face.  Although most climbers use aids like steel anchors and ropes for their ascent, a few have free climbed El Capitan, an amazing feat of skill, endurance and bravery.

Climbers on El Capitan could hardly be seen
Pat zoomed on these brave climbers making their way up the rock face

A Safer Climb to Vernal Falls

The Mist Trail leads to Vernal and Nevada Falls

That afternoon we hiked a steep trail to the Vernal Falls Footbridge.  Phil and I continued up the Mist Trail and after climbing hundreds of steep granite steps we came to a vantage point near the base of 317-foot Vernal Falls.  The view was amazing – a great payoff on the trail that we would rate five-out-of-five boots.

Phil and I stopped for a photo in front of Vernal Falls

The trail continued to Nevada Falls, nearly twice as high as Vernal Falls.  Phil and I had already ascended more than 700 feet and the trail ahead was wet and slippery, so we decided to carefully make our way back down the wet granite steps and steep trail back to the parking lot.

Family portrait with Yosemite Falls in the background

A View Like None Other 

The next morning, we skipped the valley and instead drove the steep, winding road to Glacier Point.  We had another WOW moment as we viewed the broad landscape of snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains, several waterfalls including Vernal and Nevada falls, and Yosemite Valley 3000 feet below.  We could also see ant-sized climbers on Half Dome, another well-known granite monolith across the valley.

Spectacular view from Glacier Point: Half Dome, the Sierras, and Vernal/Nevada Falls
The line of ants above are climbers ascending Half Dome!
Phil, Liz and I viewed Half Dome at sunset from Glacier Point in 2001
Near Glacier Point red snow plants sprouted in the shaded areas – these unusual wildflowers lack chlorophyll and feed on underground fungi instead

More Big Trees

From Glacier Point, we continued to Mariposa Sequoia Grove where we hiked a short trail to see the Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree, two of Yosemite’s famed sequoias.  The Grizzly Giant is 210-feet tall with a circumference of 92 feet. It’s the 25th largest tree in the world.  The massive tree is between 1900-2400 years old – the oldest tree in the grove. 

Grizzly Giant, a sequoia in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove

A short distance away, we walked through the Tunnel Tree.  An auto-sized hole was carved at the base of the tree in 1895 and it functioned as a drive-thru attraction until 1932.  The hole is definitely too narrow for our truck!

Percy wouldn’t fit through Yosemite’s Tunnel Tree
We also visited Hetch Hetchy Valley, a remote area in Yosemite where a reservoir stores San Francisco’s drinking water; there is a waterfall at the far side of the lake

A Final WOW Moment

As we returned to Groveland, we had our final WOW moment when we emerged from the nearly mile-long Wawona Tunnel.  We stopped to experience one of the most famous views of Yosemite Valley that showcases El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and Bridalveil Fall. 

Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View Overlook

Our visit to Yosemite came to a close as we passed through the high country of Yosemite.  We stopped at Olmstead Point to get another view of Half Dome and then crossed the eastern Sierras via Tioga Pass.  At 9945 feet, Tioga is the highest mountain pass in California.  Although some years the road doesn’t open until June due to deep snow, we were glad it opened earlier in May and that most of the snow was gone.

The backside of Half Dome from Olmstead Point

Planning to Visit Yosemite?

Yosemite’s amazing splendor makes it a VERY popular destination. 

No campsites were available in the park when we tried to reserve in March and the park was somewhat crowded during our visit in mid-May.   Summer crowds often result in long waits to enter the park and to visit the various places mentioned in this episode. 

We recommend parking as quickly as possible after entering the valley and using free bus transportation provided by the park service to get to the various valley destinations.

Better yet, visiting earlier in the spring or later in the fall may also help, although some services may be closed for the season.

Next Two Weeks

Cold weather catches up with us in northern California as we follow several interesting RabbiTRAILS on the way to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho.  It will take two episodes to share our wanderings.