The Adventures of a Negative Ion Addict: Memorial Weekend Travels

So it is no mystery that one of my favorite places on this planet is Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It was the first place I went with my parents after being born and I imagine that I will continue to go there right up until I die. My favorite part of Yosemite is the high country - places like Glacier Point and the country you drive through when you are on Tioga Pass and Sonora Pass roads. There is just something about granite that I love.

Since Memorial weekend was my birthday weekend, I decided that in addition to seeing the before mentioned concert and Sequoia National Park, I wanted to visit Yosemite as well to take some shots of the waterfalls while they had a pretty decent waterflow going. The thing about the waterfalls in Yosemite is that most of them do not run year round and some of them have very small drainage areas so they don't run that long even in the wet season. Turns out that because of an exceptionally deep snowpack this year an impressive waterfall season is occurring and it is lasting a long time.

The day started out in Fresno. I rarely enter the park from the Highway 41 entrance because to do so from the Bay Area takes you really far out of your way. It was nice to go this way this time however because it was a great change of scenery. I had forgotten about the Sugar Pine Railroad (one of the stops you can make on the way in or out of the park) - you can take an open air train ride while they explain to you the history of the railroad. This is the south entrance to the park and it brings you in near the Mariposa Grove of sequoia trees and you have to drive through the Wawona area to get to the valley.

The first stop of the day though was Glacier Point. Louis had never been up there before so I had a dual purpose in going up there - first so that Louis could enjoy the view and second to scout out the trailhead for the big Half Dome hike. I have included a picture of the trailhead to the left. I never get tired of the view from up there, it is amazing. You are 7200 ft above sea level and about 3200 ft above the valley floor - not a place to be if you are afraid of heights though that is for sure! I always forget to bring binoculars so that I can check stuff out. There is so much to take pictures of up there that you can spend lots of time drinking in the scenery. Besides you get a birds eye view of several waterfalls: Nevada, Vernal. Pywiack, Royal Arch, Yosemite, and Staircase.

Next stop was the vista point area right after the tunnel on Hwy 41 (pictured above). This is the classic postcard shot of the U-shape of the valley. From here you see big landmarks - El Capitan, Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and the hanging valley of Bridalveil Falls. You can also see a couple more waterfalls from here: Silver Strand and Ribbon.

After the vista point, the next must stop is at the base of Bridalveil Falls. During this time of year you can not get close to the base of the falls without getting wet. This waterfall is very powerful when the flow of water is high. It also has a unique water flip a the top because of the wind. The parking lot at the base of this waterfall was the most full that I had ever seen. I was lucky though, I got a spot pretty much right away. I didn't feel like being wet so I took a short walk to a couple of the bridges over Bridalveil creek that gave me views of the waterfall without the mist.

The next stops were along the side of the road of the loop that goes around the valley. From here I get good views of waterfalls and landmarks. I got shots from different views of Ribbon Falls, El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Sentinel Falls, Yosemite Falls, Lehamite Falls, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Royal Arches and many more. We ended up in Curry Village so that we could have a small snack.

After we were done there we were off to hike to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. This is a short and crowded trail but there is a reason for that, the waterfall is beautiful. Also on my list to experience is hiking up the trail to the top of this waterfall. I was going to do it a few weeks ago but my knee kept me from making it. I just may have to take a day sometime to drive up and do the hike.

The last thing that I did that day before we headed back for dinner in Fresno was I got a shot of the Cascades from across the valley. I had to hop over a granite wall to get down far enough on the granite slab so that I could have an unobstructed view of the waterfall but it was all worth it and I made sure not to get too close to the edge because I know what that cliff looks like from the Cascades. Louis was not happy at all with my actions but I did get the shot I wanted and I am still in one piece (besides it wasn't that dangerous).

I know I usually rate the waterfalls I visit but I am still thinking about if I want to rate the waterfalls in Yosemite Valley or not. For now, I think I will just post the pictures and I can add the ratings later if I decide to rate them.

The Cascades