Back to Yosemite

Following our backpacking trip through the High Sierra, we made our way to Yosemite National Park for a few days of relative relaxation and easy sightseeing.

Leaving Lone Pine, we drove north along Highway 395, passing Independence, Big Pine, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and Lee Vining. From there, we climbed Highway 120 to the 9,945-foot Tioga Pass and followed Tioga Road through Tuolumne Meadows, stopping for a few short hikes to stretch our legs before continuing to Yosemite Valley.

This was my 7th time in Yosemite, and the shock and awe I feel every time I drive into the valley and see the imposing cliffs again never gets old.

Tunnel View

One evening, we went to Tunnel View for sunset. Storm clouds caught shades of pink and purple above the classic view of Yosemite Valley, with El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the distance, and Cathedral Rocks, Sentinel Rock, and a barely flowing late-summer Bridalveil Fall on the right.

Mist Trail/Vernal Fall

We hiked the Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Fall, the first of two major waterfalls along the route. Because of trail work, the section between the John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall Footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall was closed Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We arrived early enough to complete the hike before the closure.

By mid-August, the waterfall was running much lower than at its spring peak and producing little of the famous spray that soaks hikers earlier in the summer.

Glacier Point

Although I had visited Yosemite many times, most of my previous trips had been in the spring, when Glacier Point Road is often still closed. I had been looking forward to reaching Glacier Point for its expansive views across the valley and Half Dome’s unmistakable profile.

Not far from Glacier Point, Washburn Point offers a similar but even more dramatic angle on Half Dome. From there, its sheer face appears especially imposing as it rises above the valley.

Gates of the Valley

Although some waterfalls dwindle later in the summer, the Merced River also runs more slowly, creating opportunities to photograph reflections. I’d like to return to Gates of the Valley, also known as Valley View, with better light, but I captured a classic midday view of El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks reflected in the calm river.

Swinging Bridge

I visited Swinging Bridge three times hoping to photograph Half Dome reflected in the Merced River. On my first visit, kids were swinging from a rope into the river, constantly sending ripples across the water. On the second, it was simply too windy.

The third time, I arrived before sunrise. I thought the ducks swimming across the river would foil my plans again, but they eventually moved on, allowing me to capture the much-photographed reflection. The sunrise color was muted, so I converted the image to black and white.