CA - Day 7 - Yosemite Valley

Friday, September 4, 2015

Yosemite - Vernal Falls

Another day at Yosemite, the day started with a hike to Vernal Falls. The Mist Trail was relatively easy until the footbridge. There was a bathroom and water fountain available before heading closer to the falls (at the footbridge). Mike continued beyond Vernal Falls and checked out Nevada Falls. The trail got quite busy after 11. After making it back down, we checked out the Happy Isles Nature Center. It was a neat place and there was a passport stamp there.  Lunch was at Curry Village, not bad; we had burgers (pizza was also available). The store there was also much larger than the visitor center so we did some shopping there. 



We then hiked the Mirror Lake Trail, which was 2 miles. The lake was dry, but the trail provided great views of Half Dome. The trail is paved, but there is a horse trail on the other side of the dry river bed if you are looking for more of a challenge.

Yosemite - Mirror Lake Area

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Merced for the night. The hotel was probably the nicest Holiday Inn Express that I have ever stayed at, but it did not have the best views, and there was a bit of freeway noise. Dinner at Black Diner was fab (ranked #3 out of restaurants in Merced). I had the chicken potpie and we split a slice of coconut cream pie.

CA - Day 6 - Yosemite Valley

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Yosemite

The entire day was dedicated to exploring more of Yosemite. We entered at the Tuolumne Meadows area. During our previous visit, it was mentioned that a volunteer would be at the Olmsted Point overlook with a telescope for visitors to see the hikers climb up the famous Half Dome. It was pretty neat seeing the climbers.

Next we stopped to check out a Sequoia Grove. The main grove (Mariposa) was closed for restoration. We visited the grove named Tuolumne Grove.  The paved path hike was 2.5 miles. The grove only has about a dozen trees. There is one tree that you can easily walk through and another than you can crouch your way through (both are dead). The main parking lot was full, but there was plenty of additional parking just down the road.

Yosemite

Yosemite

Next, we headed to the village area. There were a few lunch options available – all which were affordable. Since we were near the visitor center, we checked that out. The displays were okay. Two videos are also available for viewing, both were very good (about 30 minutes each). Also in that area is an Indian Village. There are some signs and displays of the types of housing. There is also a museum of Indian artifacts.
Near the visitor center is a hike along the valley floor. The trail (Valley Loop) was really hard to find/follow, we were not sure which way to go. The boardwalks and bridges were nice, but then again we probably were not on the trail we thought we were.

We stayed at a place just outside of the park - Yosemite View Lodge. The place was okay (a bit outdated). We opted for the mountain view, which was about $50 less a night than the river view option. The room had amenities which would allow you to cook your own meals. There was a restaurant and a little store also on-site. If you wanted internet access it was an extra $10 for 24 hours.

Yosemite

CA - Day 3 - Yosemite - Tuolumne Meadows

A view from the top of Pothole Dome

Monday, August 31, 2015

The Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite was our destination for the day. It was a bit of a drive from Tahoe, but luckily we happened to stop by the Mono Lake Visitor Center to stretch our legs, use the bathroom, enjoy the great displays and get some great information that was useful for our next few days. The views outside of the visitor center were incredible! The entrance to Yosemite was only a short drive once leaving the visitor center. The park is $30/vehicle (or use your annual park pass). We arrived just in time for a guided hike at Pothole Dome (about 2.5 hours). The talk dragged on a little, but it was very informative.  We learned all about Belding Ground Squirrels – very interesting (they hibernate for 8-9 months a year)! The four types of predominate granite that exists in Yosemite was also discussed. Once we finally reached the top of the dome, we were rewarded with a view of many peaks of the park. Unfortunately, nearby wildfires caused the park to be a little hazy.

A view from the Valley

Getting the National Park Passport Book stamped was the next activity. The visitor center was small with minimal displays and gift shop selections. On the positive note, there were bathrooms; however, there were not water refill stations available. There is a small restaurant, post office and general store a couple of miles down from the visitor center. We grabbed lunch at the restaurant (very affordable) and then headed to the Soda Springs area. The soda springs were not very impressive. The Parsons Memorial Lodge near the springs was a nice building with some nice displays. The trail to the springs was 1.5 miles round trip and was an easy walk.

Mono Lake - South Tufa Area

We spent about five hours at the park before heading to the Mono Lake South Tufa Area. The cost is $3/person or you can use the National Park Pass.

Mono Lake is rather interesting. The South Tufa Area is the area where the most tufas are present. Tufa is a type of limestone that is formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals. Scientist figure that the lake was created at least 760,000 years ago. The lack of an outlet causes the salt level to be high – approximately 10%. There are a ton of little flies at the water edge, back in the day local Kutzadika’a people relied on the papae of the alkali flies for food. Brine shrimp live in the waters also. The lake also is a major stopping location for migratory birds. We spent about an hour walking down to the water edge and checking out the formations.