Living Our Dream: Visit to Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome

Back into Yosemite yesterday, our first stop being Glacier Point. As you drive into the park, you first have to go through a little town called Fish Camp. Geared to the tourist - BedBreakfasts, hotels, rental homes. Small lake to fish in. Once you pass through the entrance station, you will come to the turnoff to Mariposa Groves - a Sequoia Grove. Burned last year, very sad.

Small town of Fish Camp

Lake where you can fish, in Fish Camp!

Devastated from last year's fire

Road closed to Mariposa Grove

As we turned off the main road and ventured along and up the mountain, snow pack can still be seen. At 8000 feet the snow in some places is still quite deep.

Snow is still very evident in the upper parts of Yosemite

Glacier Point area became famous when back in 1903 John Muir took President Teddy Roosevelt camping trip to expound the virtues and importance of Yosemite and making it a national park, keeping it natural and undeveloped. When they woke in the morning, snow had fallen. The President was elated! Said it was the best time of his life. Used to have a hotel and lots of recreation buildings (restaurant, shops, etc) but that compromised the land so the park system tore everything down and only kept a small concessionaire stand. Even took out the self-contained restrooms and now there are smelly pit toilets. Yuck.

Vista views at the edge were amazing. Looking across at Half Dome, Nevada Waterfall, Vernal Waterfall, looking down into Yosemite Valley where the Village is, looking north towards El Capitan, seeing the Upper and Lower Yosemite Waterfalls, and the expanse of the Sierra Nevada's as far as you can see to the left and right. Snow capped, expansive, beautiful.

Our first glimpse of Half Dome once we parked the car at Glacier Point

We came to a different lookout area where there was a park ranger talking to many young people and discovered that they were rangers in training. The park typically has 300 employees in the off-season but starting Memorial Day weekend till Labor Day, the number goes up to 1100. That's a lot!

Vernal Falls on bottom, Nevada Falls on top

Looking towards Yosemite Village

Rangers in training, see Half Dome above to right

Looking down on Yosemite Village and Upper/Lower Yosemite Falls

From Glacier Point we drove back to the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trailhead and had a tough time finding a parking space. Ended up parking down the narrow road and off to the side. Off we went hiked towards Sentinel Dome. Trail was rated moderate for experienced hikers, probably thought it was easy. Not for me. Elevation change was only 300 feet difference, but you were walking on slick granite and along cliffs of broken stone and at times I found it very difficult to maneuver the trail.

Start of the trail

Pretty little streams of snow melt

Obstacle course

The smell of evergreens, hearing the birds. Wonderful

Got to the base of the Dome (if you continued on for another one-tenth of a mile you could stand on top) where we were at 8100 feet. I think the elevation got to me more than the hike. Stopped on a granite step outcropping and had a nice lunch looking across at the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Beautiful!!

To the left - Sentinel Dome, to right - back down to Yosemite Valley

Our lunch break view - Upper Yosemite Falls

Just a tidge more to top of Dome

Looking down into Yosemite Valley, elevation 8122 feet

Dave continued up to the top of the Dome - I was too unsure of my footing so I stayed on the step and just stared across at the falls, mesmerized. Dave said you could see 360 degrees around the park but lost most of the views of the falls due to looking across at top of trees. A marker was on top which showed direction and topography of what you were seeing. He said it was very slippery on the dome, was glad I did not go up.