Experience Yosemite
“Yosemite Valley, to me is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space” - Ansel Adams
Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time as it was for me in scoring this invite to Yosemite. Thank you @Sanjog. Meeting David and Laura and enjoying their wonderful hospitality and learning the history of the park from a couple that visits the parks over 100 days every year is an experience that cannot be expressed in mere words. A beautiful visit to the park and the start of many new friendships.
During our conversations we touched on many topics including politics and religion that are taboo in most social situations but without a doubt I have to agree that the splendor and grandeur of the park suggests a master artist beyond this earth.
In the words expressed on the national park website for Yosemite: “Yosemite National Park plays a significant role in the imagination, culture, and history of California and the United States. It is a land of contrasts, with its thundering waterfalls, soaring granite cliffs, serene meadows, and the largest trees on earth. Yosemite is also a wellspring of human aspiration. It is the birthplace of the national park movement, a muse for writers, painters, and photographers, and a natural resource that has fueled the growth of California and the Western United States”.
Inspiration Point. That beautiful vista that opens up after you come out of the mile long tunnel entrance into the park.
May is the best time for waterfalls and if the wind is blowing just right then you can truly get the effect of the bridal veil blowing in the wind right here at the Bridal Veil Falls lookout. The lookout right below the falls was very wet with the wind blowing the water right at you it was almost impossible to open your eyes to look at the falls let alone try to get a picture.
Laughing as David gave us the facts and figures and tried to quiz us about the height of the waterfalls. We all definitely will remember this one; 2524 feet.
We did walk to the base of this one but actually I loved the view of the fall from Glacier Point where I could almost see a burst of color over the water suggesting a rainbow as well.
The Valley Loop with its arch of tall sequoia trees driving down a road dappled with shadows creating a tunnel like effect.
El Capitan dominates the landscape from various points but none other than when you pass right by it. We had brought binoculars to stop and see the climbers on the rock but in the end, we ran out of time. I’ll have to save that for the next time.
The Three Brothers. The uppermost brother is called Eagle Peak, while the other two are called middle and lower. The view from Eagle Peak is considered one of the best views of the valley. Since I am not a climber, I guess I will have to hear about it from someone who makes that climb.
There was some sort of an accident and the road leading to the Vernal Falls trail head and Mirror Lake was closed to cars for some time but fortunately it did open up later in the afternoon and we were able to make it to the lake to see a dog enjoying the cool water while his mistress lay sunning on one of the rocks in the water.
The Cascade Falls were right next to the parking lot. No hiking or walking required.
The Merced River flowed along next to the road. In parts it seemed to be pretty rough but at others it seemed to be deceptively calm. No one was rafting along it but it sure would make for a great adventure trip.
Valley View viewpoint with the Bridal Veil falls on one side and the Yosemite falls on the other. Perhaps if I could have climbed across the water a bit I might have been able to capture a more balanced view but nevertheless a beautiful view.
While we had only planned one day in the park originally, we decided to go back the next morning since Glacier Point did not open until the following day. There was still snow on the ground as we drove up towards the viewpoint.
The unbelievable view from Glacier Point. Thank God for all those new tools that wipe people out because it was pretty crowded by the time we made it up here.
Washburn Point Yosemite is perhaps as beautiful in my opinion as Glacier Point. What a fitting way to say Goodbye since we needed to make tracks back home and I particularly wanted to make it across the grapevine and the mountains back towards home before dark.