Yosemite National Park 2014
I know it’s a little crazy for us to be
posting another blog so soon after our Oregon post but we recently traveled to
California to watch our grandchildren and decided to extend our stay and visit
Yosemite National Park. We were so
impressed with it so we decided that we should write about it. So if you have been there before please enjoy the memories, if you haven’t then
please enjoy the experience. It’s a
special place and one that you should definitely put on your bucket
list. My pictures don’t do it justice
but hopefully will enjoy them.
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| Half Dome |
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| Sentinel Dome |
We entered Yosemite National Park at the
South Entrance from Fresno and drove to Glacier Point Road to the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point trail head;
per suggestion of our friend and Yosemite Wilderness Ranger, Naomi Charkin. We decided to hike the trail counterclockwise
starting on Sentinel Dome trail. This trail leads mostly across open granite with little shade,
but it was perfect weather about 75
degrees and a beautiful day for a hike.
With the Sentinel Dome in our view right from the start we were excited
to see what the views were going to be from this vantage point. We started our ascent from the Northeast side
of the dome where the incline is less imposing.
From here, we scrambled up the granite slope to the top of the dome
where we had a breathtaking 360-degree view of the park and a birds-eye
view of Half-Dome to the North. Our elevation at this point was 8122ft.
Simply amazing!
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| Half Dome |
We enjoyed a light lunch before
continuing down the slope to the Pohono Trail junction where we picked up the
Taft Point trail. Just before reaching the expansive view of the south rim of
the Yosemite Valley at Taft Point you pass a view Yosemite Falls or at least the
rock scaring where the falls used to flow (perhaps in the spring). You continue
on the trail meandering through open woods and meadows
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| View of the Valley from Taft Point |
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| Yosemite Falls |
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| The Fissures |
before coming to an area
called the
Fissures. These are narrow fractures in the
granite joints. A little scary... The drops in these fractures are up to 2000 ft.
.From here you reach Taft point where you have sweeping views of the
Yosemite Valley, including El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and
Cathederal Rock.
Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Loop 4.9 miles
round trip approx. 1,000ft elevation change.
Locals say that viewing the sunset from Sentinel Dome is the absolute
best.
What a way to start out our Yosemite
Adventure. Already in love with this
place and looking forward to so much more exploring. Our accommodations for our stay was at the
Tenya Lodge in Fish Camp, CA. a beautiful lodge located at the south end of the
park. It's a great location for hiking
the areas near the Glacier Point Road, and the Mariposa Grove. It's about an hour from the Valley and about
2 1/2 hours from high country hiking. It has a wonderful spa and a number of
restaurants to choose from as well as a number of outdoor fireplaces to snuggle up to.
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