Yosemite National Park Things to Do Tips by zrim

It is a long drive from the southern entrance (Hwy 41 coming up from Fresno) until the tremendous sights of Yosemite Valley make an appearance. Miles of very twisty roadway past endless groves of pines. Resist the urge to pull over and peer through the trees over the edge of the cliffs that you will drive along. The views are mediocre and you want to be wowed by the first sight of Yosemite Valley.

We chose to take the road up to Glacier Point before driving on to the valley floor. It was a good choice. Glacier Point is a long drive in itself, 16 miles from the turnoff with top speeds of maybe 35 mph given the precarious curves along the way. But the payoff is worth the drive and worth the wait. The first view from either Washburn Point or Glacier Point looking at Half Dome, Cloudsrest and North Dome are just indescribably jaw-dropping. The vista is so unique that it is not surpassed by the likes of Denali, Big Sur or Crater Lake.

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

What can I tell you about Half Dome that will make it any more magnificent than it already appears. That it was formed by unimaginable geothermal forces deep under an ancient sea, that it was never really a full dome, that it was however chopped and chiseled by glacial forces, that its sheer face soars 4733 feet above the valley floor. None of that stuff makes any difference when you are face to face with Half Dome. It is enough to just be there, staring at the gorgeous yet stark granite creation that makes all other rock formations pale in comparison.

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All of the activity and bustle is centered in the Yosemite Valley. There are several hotels and countless camping spots in the valley. Each day car after car and bus after bus arrives with an endless supply of gawking visitors. The best way to get away from the crowds--take the road less traveled. If you are willing to spend the four hours or so that it takes to traverse the Tioga Road, you will not only gain new perspectives on this fascinating rugged countryside, but you will leave the throngs behind. True, you will never be in complete solitude where blacktop runs its course, but until you are ready to take the ten day backpack trip to the truly remote areas, the Tioga Road will give a semblance of wilderness.

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Taft point is reached via a 1.1 mile hike from the Glacier Point Road. The hike itself is a pleasant little walk through the woods with little to see other than trees, jays and ground squirrels. However, the payoff at the end of the trail is well worth the time spent reaching the destination. Taft Point may be the best overlook in the park.

Taft point itself is a triangular piece of granite that reaches up thousands of feet over the Yosemite Valley. It is a tapered column so that as you peer over the edge, there is nothing between you and the valley floor. Nothing but a few thousand feet of air. For those that are afraid of heights (like me!) it is a challenge to even approach the edge of the Yosemite wall to take a look over the side.

The following photos and tips should give you a good idea of what it feels like on Taft Point.

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Address: Yosemite National Park

What is this guy thinking? "I think I'll just walk out on that narrow outcropping, no fence to prevent me from hurtling over the sides and falling thousands and thousands of feet to my death as I am impaled upon a pointy cedar having reached terminal velocity."

I got the shudders just looking at the fool go out on the ledge and prance around like some kind of nutter.

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Address: Yosemite National Park

We see two hikers employing the zrim method of peering over the precipice. The proper use of the zrim method is to lie flat on your belly about fifteen to twenty feet from the edge and slowly crawl up the escarpment until reaching the edge (by the way there is no shame in not reaching the edge), take a cautious look over the edge and then crawl backwards the same fifteen or so feet before once again taking to your feet. No sudden movements, please.

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Taft Point probably provides the best vantage point to view El Capitan from above. I had seen several photos of this massive block of granite before visiting Yosemite and I mostly yawned. But I must say that El Capitan is most impressive when viewed in person. It is especially impressive when viwed from the valley floor, but we will get to that later.

Check out the photo and see how small and insignificant the Merced River looks next to mighty El Capitan.

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El Capitan (El Cap to close friends) ascends three thousand feet straight up from Yosemite Valley. It is the second highest unbroken cliff in the world (the highest is Mt. Thor on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic and it is highly unlikely that any of us will find ourselves face to face with Mt. Thor). If you were standing atop El Capitan and had the misfortune to fall off, you would have fifteen seconds to think about your misfortune before reaching impact.

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Looking at the Merced wind its way upstream, past El Capitan and past the Cathedral Rocks, it is not hard to understand why Yosemite is the beloved park of the people. You hear the phrase: loved to death. Yes the countless visitors the park receives each year take their toll, but a century ago it faced a far bigger threat.

It is hard to imagine that at one time this beautiful valley was threatened by a very serious proposal to dam the Merced and make a large reservoir for the use of the San Francisco Bay area.

It was only through the heroic actions of people like John Muir and the infant Sierra Club that Yosemite Valley was spared. Yet, we saw a bumper sticker while driving in the mountains which said: "Sierra Club go hike in hell."

Sad. Very sad. And very ignorant.

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I strongly encourage a daytrip to the High Sierra via Tioga Road. It is quite a drive and with the winding and twisting roads it takes about an hour and a half from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadow. Don't despair during the first two-thirds of the drive as you wind and wind and twist and turn with nary a vista to keep your interest. Rest assured there will be a payoff--and the first such payoff is at Olmsted Point. From this vantage point you can look back towards Yosemite Valley and see Half Dome from a different vantage point. You will also get good views of Cathedral Peak, Tenaya Peak and Tenaya Lake.

As you take in your surroundings at this elevation of 8000 feet you will note that you are pretty close to the tree line and that life hangs by a thread at this altitude as compared to the lush forests of the valleys.

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