Yosemite NP, Ca

After breakfast in Oakhurst we arrived in Yosemite later than we should have. We stopped to inquire about first come – first served campgrounds as it is hard to plan ahead usually. We were told we better grab a spot at the first one on the mountain, Bridalveil Creek and we got very lucky. We found a wonderful spot among the cedars and pines with giant boulders standing like walls between sites. We couldn’t have chosen a better place. The temperatures at 7,000 feet ranged from the mid 40’s to the mid 80’s whereas the high in Yosemite Valley was 101 the first day we went down. It was only a 30 minute drive so we would go down early and return to the campground when it got hot.
One of our favorite views in Yosemite is Glacier Point, which was only about 15 minutes from our home in the wilderness. From there we could look out at the mountains (this one is Half Dome) and waterfalls or peer straight down 3,000 feet into the valley floor where the cars looked like toys. We went for sunset one evening and to watch the full moon rising but the clouds obscured the moon. It is amazing to watch the changing colors on half dome as the diffused light from the sun causes the colors to change. We even got to see an alpenglow on the further peaks.
We explored the southern portion of Yosemite where we hiked in the Mariposa Sequoia Grove to the largest tree in Yosemite, the Grizzly Giant. We toured an area of historic buildings and wagons and learned much about the vibrant history in the Wawona area. The Wawona Hotel, the oldest in the park, is near the entrance and provides a glimpse into the past also. Not far from our campground we hiked down to the McGurk cabin, an early settlement in the area. We stopped on the way back to the campground and gathered enough wood for a great fire over which we roasted marshmallows.
One morning drive into the valley led us past a coyote jogging down the bike trail. Then in a lush green meadow nearby 3 bucks grazed while keeping an eye on the nearby doe. Our favorite mode of travel in the valley was our bicycles and we rode the mostly shady winding bike paths everywhere among giant Incense Cedars, Jeffrey Pines, and all sort of tall firs new to me. If we missed anything we don’t know what it is.
One day we had a picnic lunch near El Capitan while we watched some climbers scaling the next rock. We made a steep 1 ½ mile hike to the footbridge at Vernal Falls and then went for an elegant lunch at the Awahnee Hotel, a marvelous lodge type structure built in 1927. Our most memorable hike would have been the one to Yosemite Falls, the largest falls in the US, but the falls dried up early this year due to less snow last winter. We also toured the nearby Mowak Indian village that showed how the early inhabitants of the area lived, not to mention the visitor’s center, museum, deli, village store, etc.
On August 1 we ventured 67 miles further in the park along a scenic drive to Toulomne Meadows. We got on the waiting list for a campsite and luckily, two hours later, we got the last of 13 sites available. We took a 2.2 mile walk to the Soda Springs where the carbonated water bubbles from the ground. The scenery from the hillside was awesome. There are large lush meadows in the area with streams running through them and mountains for backdrops. The campground was a bit crowded but the crowds dispersed well on the many hiking trails in the area.
The next morning we went about 1 ½ miles towards the John Muir trail across the Dana and Lyell Forks of the Toulumne River. We visited with a volunteer along the way that was one of many search and rescue members looking for a lost 80 year old woman. After our hike we drove across Tioga Pass and descended down a steep hill from the 8,000 foot elevation, as we exited the park and entered Inyo National Forest. We stopped in Lee Vining at the Mono Lake Visitor’s Center and when asking where to eat lunch and do laundry the lady suggested we drive 30 minutes south to a larger town, Mammoth Lakes. What a surprise! More photos.