Glacier Point, Yosemite
Tom has been to Yosemite Valley a bunch of times and I have been maybe half a dozen times but neither of us has ever been to Glacier Point. Here are some nice photos from Park Vision. So when Tom’s Dad, Don, suggested we take a trip up there, we were all for it.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Yosemite is about an hour’s drive north of Fresno and we set out at 7.30. It is going to be yet another very hot day in Fresno but it may be cooler up in the mountains.
We head north on Route 41 and drive through Coarsegold, with its huge casino on the hill, and Oakhurst and enter Yosemite through the south entrance.
Immediately I am on the lookout for bears. One day I just know I’ll be lucky. All the while we are in the park, I have my camera ready and waiting.
At the beginning there is not much traffic but fifteen minutes in we join the end of a caravan and our speed drops to below 30. There are turn outs and the caravan gets shorter but I prefer going slower - more chances of seeing a bear.
At Chinquapin we turn right towards Glacier Point. It is an interesting 16 mile drive to our destination.
There is one really scary bend near the end where I had to close my eyes.
We got stuck behind a smelly bus. Later I found out it was the hikers’ bus. There is a four mile hike from Yosemite Village in the valley to Glacier Point. Hikers are encouraged to park in the village, walk up to Glacier Point and catch the bus back down to the village.
We pull into Washburn Point lookout for a spectacular view of the Clark Range and the Vernal and Nevada Falls. Half Dome is right in front of us but up here we see it from a different angle.
There were a lot of cars at Glacier Point but we had no trouble finding a parking place. From the car park it is a quarter of a mile (here’s a map) and a very easy hike, to the end but there are interesting spots along the way. We left Don sitting near the concession shop and Tom and I carried on to the end, taking the short detour via the geology hut.
The view at the end was amazing. Looking down at the village; to the right to see the rest of the valley and to the left to see both the upper and lower Yosemite Falls, is breathtaking. Why has nobody ever told us about this awesome place? Yosemite never ceases to amaze me.
If you are planning a trip to Yosemite, the this is one place you must visit.
By the way, saw no bears this time. Maybe I will be lucky next time.
July 09 2008 | Special Places | No Comments »
