After spending an entire weekend at home, we were extremely sick of house projects and decided the following weekend should be spent outdoors! And why not in Yosemite? It can be surprisingly easy to get a permit for the Yosemite backcountry in the summertime… if you’re not trying to hike the JMT. And if you’re not picky. That said, it did take me about 50 attempts before I was actually able to get through to the permit office on the phone. Continue reading “Backpacking Yosemite’s Eagle Peak”
John Muir described two single day Yosemite hikes in Chapter 12 of his book The Yosemite. The chapter is titled “How Best to Spend One’s Yosemite Time.” By today’s standards, these hikes are very difficult – about 20 miles with around 5000-ft of elevation gain. We followed his advice and completed the first recommended hike back in October 2013. It was probably the hardest day hike we’ve ever done. We were game for the second one. Muir’s second single day hike takes you up Yosemite Falls to Eagle Peak, over to the top of El Capitan, then back down to the Valley via the (now abandonned) Old Big Oak Flat Road Trail (OBOFRT). Continue reading “Yosemite’s North Rim”
I feel like I shouldn’t be writing about this hike. Hiking in California can be so crowded sometimes, especially in a place like Yosemite. It’s great that so many people can come see this natural wonder in our backyard, but sometimes it would be nice if the trails weren’t so busy. When you discover a trail with as much solitude as this one, it’s tempting to keep it to yourself. On the one hand, this trail isn’t a big secret – you can actually see it from the highway. And as far as my feelings on crowds go, I’m just lucky to have such easy access to an amazing place that many people travel halfway around the world to see.
Continue reading “Artist Point from Bridalveil Fall Trailhead”
The Four Mile Trail (actually 4.8 miles) is one of Yosemite Valley’s most strenuous trails. It climbs up to Glacier Point – an ascent of nearly 3300-ft in just under five miles. After the grueling uphill slog, hikers are rewarded with unparalleled views of Half Dome and the rest of Yosemite Valley. Glacier Point can also be reached by car or shuttle, but the view feels much more rewarding when you walk. We hiked this on a rainy Saturday in late September. Though summer is over, there were still plenty of people out and about. You can’t expect much solitude on this trail, but you can look forward to a great workout and some good people watching! Continue reading “Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point: Four Mile Trail”
It’s no surprise Yosemite is one of the most visited National Parks in the country – the place is beautiful. Backpacking is a great way to get away from the crowds of Yosemite Valley. The trails are still more heavily travelled than many others in the Sierras, but the scenery is unbeatable. There are several different ways to get from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley. Our route took us over Clouds Rest and up Half Dome. Continue reading “Backpacking Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley”
In John Muir’s book The Yosemite, there is a chapter near the end entitled “How Best to Spend One’s Yosemite Time”. This post focuses on the first listed single day excursion – the quintessential day hike in Yosemite. It’s about 20 miles total, with about 6,500 feet of elevation gain – longer and more difficult than a round trip up Half Dome.
In John Muir’s book The Yosemite, there is a chapter near the end entitled “How Best to Spend One’s Yosemite Time”. The chapter describes several hikes, just as a modern blog would. He describes two single day excursions, two 2-day excursions, a 3-day excursion, and a grand several week excursion (not the JMT). This post focuses on the first listed single day excursion – the quintessential day hike in Yosemite. It’s about 20 miles total, with about 6,500 feet of elevation gain – longer and more difficult than a round trip up Half Dome. Continue reading “Four Mile Trail, Sentinel Dome, Panorama Trail, Liberty Cap and Mist Trail… In One Day”
We had big plans for hiking in Yosemite (on the order of twenty miles or so), but the summer heat defeated those plans. With little more than wet rocks in place of raging waterfalls, I wanted to go on a hike away from the crowds, and with a little bit of history. This hike fit that bill perfectly, even if it was a bit ad-lib. Continue reading “Inspiration Point, Artist Point, and the Old Wawona Road”
Basics: This 6 mile trail near Yosemite’s southern entrance connects the Wawona Hotel to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. From mid-spring until the first snowfall, a free shuttle bus runs between these two locations, so this hike can easily be done one-way only. Alternatively, one could hike out and back for a total of 12 miles. The loops around Mariposa Grove are several miles long- so this could potentially make for a very high mileage day. It’s all uphill from the Wawona Hotel to the grove, so naturally we decided to be lazy take the shuttle to the grove, then walk downhill back to the hotel. Continue reading “Mariposa Grove to Wawona”
