Sunday, Oct 9
Today was all about Yosemite National Park. I have visited Yosemite several times in the past so this was an opportunity to just enjoy the spectacular scenery on a relatively quick drive through the park (rooms at the park lodge were $452 per night). I crossed the Sierra Nevada from east to west using Tioga Pass which rises to over 9,000 feet and is spectacular in places – see the map and video here if you are not familiar with the area.
Once on the western side of the Sierras I headed towards Yosemite Valley, the heart of the developed section of the park, and stopped to take a few photos of two of the best known features in the park, El Capitan and Half Dome. Before entering the upper part of the valley I decided to take the long detour to Glacier Point. This is a spectacular viewpoint 3,200 feet (970 m) above the valley and can be reached by a 24 mile drive or a strenuous 4 mile hike. Although I did the hike when I was a lot younger I know I wouldn’t make it now so the road was the only option.
The views from Glacier Point are somewhat like the Grand Canyon in that photos and video never seem to do them justice – you have to experience them to appreciate the wonder they engender. As I was visiting on a beautiful 3-day holiday weekend the park was very crowded and parking involved waiting in a 20 minute queue. It was, however, completely worthwhile and took only a few minutes of walking down a trail to lose most people and enjoy the views in relative tranquility.
Due to the crowds, however, I decided to get a sandwich and drink from the cafe at Glacier Point and enjoy a picnic there rather than driving back to the upper part of Yosemite Valley that I knew would be teeming with people. This did not particularly disappoint me as, although the views looking up from the valley are impressive, they are nothing compared to the views looking down.
After leaving Glacier Point and making a couple more photo stops I headed out of the western side of the park to Oakhurst, California for the night.
A view of the eastern approach to Tioga Pass (better in the video)
Tenaya Lake near the eastern entrance to the park
A hazy view of El Capitan (on the left) and Half Dome (in the distance) from lower Yosemite Valley
A panorama, made from stitching four photos together, of the view from Glacier Point. Yosemite Valley is below and to the left of Half Dome. (click on the image to see a bigger version)
A view of lower Yosemite Valley from the Glacier Point road
Loved Glacier Point (except the “Best view in the USA” signs – clearly untrue); liked my Tiogo Pass exit from the NP; was oppressed by the August traffic for everything else in Yosemite. Was watching your video with the thought “I should go again more out of season” until you hit the traffic jam.
To be fair it was the Sunday of a three-day weekend. Very bad timing on my part.