Julia McHugh

Santamariatimes.com

June 27, 2010

From atop Sentinel Dome, Yosemite Valley is a deep trough in an ocean filled with granite waves in all directions.

At 8,122 feet above sea level, the view is of crags and domes of granite, patches of pines and scrub clinging to the rock, and a few shining slivers that are distant waterfalls. The sky is true azure blue and fluffy white clouds race overhead.

Far below, the Valley’s Ahwahnee Hotel looks like it’s made of Legos. Clusters of tiny cars clog pencil-thin roads. It’s crowded down there. But not up here on Sentinel Dome. There are a few day hikers, like us, a couple of serious photographers, and a pair of out-of-breath parents racing their kids up the last few feet to the summit.

In fact, the Glacier Point and Wawona areas in Yosemite’s high country are surprisingly crowd-free on this busy weekend. Most visitors are driving to or from the Valley. Though some parking lots here are full and there are busloads of tourists at Glacier Point itself, this region feels vast and open compared to the bustling Valley – but just as rewarding in terms of scenery and family fun.

We arrived through Yosemite’s south entrance the previous afternoon, as the day became cool and the shadows lengthened. Just past the entry is the turnoff to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, a short drive away.

Abraham Lincoln found time during the Civil War to set aside the Grove, along with Yosemite Valley, as a protected preserve in 1864. The Grove was incorporated into Yosemite National Park in 1906.

No wonder President Lincoln took pause. They may not be the tallest, the largest in circumference, or the oldest living things — Sequoias are simply the most enormous. There’s nothing bigger living on the planet.

Just as the sheer granite cliffs rise above Yosemite Valley, these giant cinnamon-colored trees tower above the high country landscape.

My two daughters scamper up the trail, laughing in the dappled light. There are few other people around to disturb, and the sound doesn’t go far. The sound is deadened due to a thick bed of needles and leaf litter and the trees themselves. The girls skip through the Tunnel Tree, cut in 1895 for stagecoaches, and gaze upwards, jaws dropped, at the Grizzly Giant, one of the largest and oldest Sequoias anywhere.  We stay until near-dark, watching deer tentatively emerge from underbrush.

“Wah-wo-nah” is the Native American word for “big tree” and was the name given to a pioneer rest stop about midway between the Sierra foothills and Yosemite Valley. The Wawona Hotel was built at the stop in 1879 and its Victorian charm is intact, even after several renovations. Unfortunately, so are its 19th century trappings.

Of 104 guestrooms, spread among a hotel and five outbuildings, only 50 have private baths.

Though nicely decorated, our annex room was small for two parents, a teenager and a 10-year old. It felt like camping, especially scampering through chilly night air to the washroom.

But the breakfast buffet, included in the stay, made up for it: Eggs Benedict, waffle sticks in heated syrup, and fresh fruit served in a sun-filled dining room looking out on the frost-covered meadow.

Fortified, we drove to Glacier Point, arriving at 9 a.m. with the first tour busses. One of the Park’s premiere overlooks, the Valley is spread beneath granite cliffs in a dazzling panorama. Seen from here, Half Dome truly lives up to its name — in profile from this perspective — looking like a huge gray orange sliced in half.

Mountain House and Glacier Point hotels once stood here, and from the late 1870s until 1968 their proprietors performed a nightly ritual called the Firefalls. A large campfire would be built on the point jutting over the Valley and allowed to burn down. At 9 p.m., the glowing embers were slowly pushed over the cliff with a long-handled rake to the delight of hundreds, sometimes, thousands of viewers below.

Though hugely popular, Firefalls were discontinued by a new breed of Park officials who likened it to Disneyland. The hotels burned shortly thereafter and weren’t rebuilt.

A sweaty hiker is coming up the strenuous Four Mile Trail, rising 3,200 feet from the Valley floor. “Pioneer schoolchildren had to hike both ways each day to attend school,” I tell my kids, who grimace. A family, including school-aged children and a baby in a  backpack, get off the shuttle bus from the Valley and set off, one-way, downhill only. Something for us to remember for next time.

Instead, we drive back to Glacier Point Road and park in a turnout not far from the Bridalveil Creek campgrounds, to take the trail to McGurk Meadows. There’s a wide shoulder for parking, with only two or three other cars.

This is a sun-dappled stroll through pine woods to a glorious high Sierra meadow and brook. It’s an easy hike, only about two miles round trip, but any excursion at 6,000 feet can still challenge those not used to the elevation. We didn’t see anyone else on the trail.

A rustic cabin marks where John McGurk lived in the 1890s while grazing sheep. Its low lintel enchants the youngest daughter. “This could be our summer house!,” she exclaims. “Yeah, right,” sneers the teen. “If we were Hobbits.”

The trail continues another three miles to Dewey Point, but we decided instead to tackle Sentinel Dome. Trailhead parking is just a few miles down the road, and has a primitive bathroom. The trail starts off through forest and meadow before joining an old dirt road to the dome itself. It wasn’t difficult to traverse the north side, but everyone was breathing hard at the top, given the altitude and exertion.

The crown is quite large and gently curving. Just a few people are here, in this popular National Park.

Nothing appears to be higher, save Half Dome, and the cawing ravens that float on the wind.

……………………

Mary Forgione

Travel.latimes.com

June 18, 2010

The waterfalls are pounding and the cables that lead hikers up the face of Half Dome are open at Yosemite National Park. Los Angeles Times writer Julie Sheer spent some time exploring peak season for Bridalveil, Vernal, Nevada and Illilouette falls, and let’s just say hikers should be prepared to get soaked. Of course there’s still snow around too — like in the backcountry, along the main road to Glacier Point and blocking the trail to Sentinel Dome.

The cables to the top of Half Dome, which usually are in place Memorial Day weekend, finally went up Wednesday so that hikers can summit the 8,800-foot granite rock face. Cable permits are required this year on Fridays through Sundays and holidays (details).

Those exhausted by their adventures — and other park visitors, too — can relax and take a look at the souvenir-hunters who came before them as part of a new exhibit called “View & Visitors: The Yosemite Experience in the 19th Century” at the Yosemite Valley Museum. The show includes a register from the Cosmopolitan Bathhouse and Saloon in Yosemite Valley that recorded the signature of each guest who passed through from 1873 to 1884 — including

Presidents Grant, Roosevelt, Hayes and Garfield.

The hefty book, with more than 800 pages and 18,000 signatures is on display along with photographs, paintings and early souvenirs. The free exhibit continues 10 am. to 4 p.m. daily through Oct. 31.

Travelihub.com

April 20, 2010

Yosemite National Park is one of the most renowned and popular national parks of United States. The park stretches along the eastern part of the California state covering more than 1000 sq miles, with an assortment of multiple waterfalls, rivers, lakes, cliffs and valleys. It is also pretty much famous for the amazingly tall sequoia trees, some of which are alive for more than 3000 years. The park is a home to abundant wildlife including a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Adventure lover tourists can engage themselves in various activities like climbing, hiking, camping, cross-country skiing and many more. The must-visit spots of this national park are described here.

Yosemite Valley is most attractive for its breathtaking landscape with several waterfalls, abnormal rock formations, cliffs and meadows. At the Tunnel View point, you can see the Half Dome, El Captain and Bridalveil Fall. The El Captain Meadow presents another view of El Captain along with the Cathedral Rocks. There is another popular view point known as Valley View located beside the Merced River. You can also enjoy impressive view of the Yosemite Falls from the Sentinel Meadow and the Yosemite Chapel. The Sentinel Bridge provides a picturesque view of the Half Dome and its reflection on the Merced River.

The Mariposa Grove is another must-visit location of the park, where you will get to see the giant sequoias or more commonly known as Sierra redwoods. This part of the park is located at the southern side of the Yosemite Valley and during winter the roads might remain closed to vehicles for heavy snow-fall.

At Glacier Point, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and the Sierra Grove. The nearby Badger Pass is the place for cross country skiing during the cooler days.

The Highway 120 or Tioga Road will take you through the park and it is one of the best scenic drives of the country. While driving on this road you will pass through dense forests, pleasant meadows, beautiful lakes and dramatic granite rock formations. Crane Flat, Tuolumne Meadows, Tuolumne River and Merced Groves are most amazing attractions in this way.