Yosemite National Park Things to Do Tips by shivan

The Tioga Pass Tioga Road Review

The Tioga Pass.
The incredible place I remembered since I last saw it five years ago.
The best end for our visit to the Yosemite National Park.
This place is enchanted, so silent, so quiet.
The thin air here (about 9000 feet above sea level) requests you not to run or move fast or you'll remain without breath.
We stayed for a while here enjoying what is becoming more and more rare to find in this world: the silence.

Towards the Tioga Pass Tioga Road Review

Miles away from the Yosemite Valley, maybe too many, but still inside the Yosemite National Park, towards the Tioga Pass, the landscape changes radically.
From a "normal" wooden landscape, you pass to a typical alpine landscape, that is absolutely, incredibly, wonderful.
We reached this place late in the afternoon, and colours were changing.

View from the Merced River Merced River Review

A lovely view from the Merced River shown here.
The Merced River area offers fantastic views of the tall mountains that surround the Yosemite Valley.
Actually the height of these mountains are remarkable if you think that the valley itself lies 6000 feet above the sea level.
Wherever you turn, lovely sights await you

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

A duck Merced River Review

Leoleo, while in the water, started shouting (again??) telling me, ordering me to take a picture of that duck.
She said "Give me the camera! Give me the camera! I'll take the picture!"
Giving my all-new-fabulous-fantascientific-very expensive camera? Never! I waited a lot, but finally succeeded in taking this picture

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

like a beach Merced River Review

Leoleo (VT member tishomingoblues) was not actually alone in enjoying the calm waters on the Merced River that afternoon.
Many people were actually there, some just walking as she was doing, other taking a real bath.
The most absurd was a guy, maybe not clearly visible in this picture, that entered the river with a chair and lovely sat iwth his chair in the middle of the waters to enjoy the sun...

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Leoleo enjoys the Merced River Merced River Review

Leoleo (VT member Tishomingoblues) enjoying the Merced River's waters.
We were driving away, reading to cross the park towards the distant Tioga Pass, and just after having seen that coyote, when she, while driving, saw people having a bath in the river and said "noooo! Maddaiiii!" and some other shouts. She violently parked the car and run for the river.
Oh women...

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Merced River Yosemite Valley Review

The Merced River (strange name for a river, actually) runs through the Yosemite Valley, and most of the rest of the Yosemite National Park, painting lovely corners like this.
In addition to the loveliness of the environment, the river itself is easily accessible from the road, many visitors love to stop to take a break or feel the cold water.

Address: Yosemite National Park

Directions: Southside Drive

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Free Climbing El Capitan Review

While returning from the river, or what that was, I saw some people discussing and watching the mountain with a binocular.
I used my zoom to find what they were looking at, and finally saw some free climbers attached (I hope for them) at El Capitan's wall.
I finally had an idea on how big that mountain was, the freeclimbers appeared as flies on a wall.

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

A coyote Wildlife Review

While leaving the Yosemite Village, we found many cars stopped in the middle of the road.
We saw no reason for it "Oh God! Traffic! Even here!"
The reason actually was this coyote, placidly walking at the side of the road, a few meters away from cars and people taking pictures, with absolutely no fear at all.
It only escaped when a stupid visitor horns in his car.
It is a great truth of life that the stupids' mother is always pregnant.

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Difficulties Wildlife Review

How taking a picture like this is actually difficult!
These lovely creatures run everywhere, even very close to humans. They probably know that nobody will ever hurt them here.
This squirrel was a couple of meters away from the entrance of the shop.
That place was crowded! Full of people entering the shop and exiting with tons of goods and nonsenses, but he was not afraid of us, only fleeing if closely approached

Address: Yosemite National Park

Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm