Yosemite National Park, part 2 of 2

Jill's Journal: To continue our lovely time in Yosemite National Park from yesterday’s post, we had several more Yosemite icons to visit. Perhaps the most celebrated of these is Half Dome, a unique granite formation which rises over 4,700 feet from the valley floor.

Notice what appears to be an Indian woman’s profile on the face of Half Dome. Long before Euro-Americans “discovered” Yosemite Valley, this area was home to Native Americans.

The distinctive Half Dome can be spotted from many places all over Yosemite and it’s easy to get your bearings according to where you are in relation to Half Dome.

Half Dome is on the California state quarter (along with John Muir). It’s also incorporated in several company, corporate, and organization logos, such as The North Face and the Sierra Club. The 16-mile hike to the top is supposed to be one of the ultimate day hikes in America and experienced hikers the world over aspire to it. A series of cables enables them to ascend the summit without rock climbing equipment. However, it’s extremely treacherous and deaths do happen (including two separate fatalities on the trail this summer).

Can you spot the waterfall through the trees? That’s the famed Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet. It’s usually dry this time of year, so we were fortunate to see it flowing (albeit lightly).

We spent a little time at Yosemite Village, site of most of the park’s civilization. There’s a grocery store, a school, a fire station, park offices, stores, museums, hotels, campgrounds. etc.

And of course, a post office. We’ve seen some really unique post offices on this trip, but this location has to rank up there.

The Ansel Adams Gallery has been owned by the celebrated photographer’s family since 1902. Many of his most famous images are, of course, of Yosemite.

Yosemite is known for its bears. We didn’t spot any, but these deer were a nice substitute.

While driving by El Capitan on the valley floor…

Rob’s eagle eyes spotted rock climbers.

We got a little closer and then the girls and I could see them too. They’re so small against the behemoth they looked like ants.

The beautiful Merced River runs along the valley floor.

It is said a two-hour drive through Yosemite from the El Portal area (at 2,000 feet) to Tioga Pass (at almost 10,000 feet) will reveal an impressive plant variety similar to what one might see on a trip from Mexico to the Arctic. We found one of the more fascinating areas to be the site of a giant fire that had ripped through the area a few years ago.

With about four million visitors a year, Yosemite is America’s third most-visited national park. (In front of it are Grand Canyon and Great Smokey Mountains National Parks; behind it in fourth is Yellowstone National Park). We saw rangers taking down signs all over the park and leaving just their stands, presumably in preparation for the winter snow’s arrival the next day. I guess that means the majority of those four million visitors come in the summer!

Tuolumne Meadows is a series of gorgeous sub-alpine meadows with domes all around. These meadows are supposed to be spectacular in summer, allegedly a green carpet populated with wildflowers. This area has already seen snowfall this year, which melted but helped turn the grass brown. The day after our visit, the snow returned and will stay until next May or June.

Tuolumne Meadows is also known for meandering creeks all through the grass and wildflowers.

The sun sets on our lovely time in Yosemite National Park. It’s truly a natural wonder and it’s easy to see why so many people declare it their favorite place on earth. Thank goodness people like John Muir fought tirelessly to make it and other places like it public lands, so we and our children and their children can marvel in and respect its beauty.