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Hiking in Yosemite 8/6/09 Earlier this month I had the pleasure of going to Yosemite National Park and spending some time hiking on the trails in the area. The weather was spectacular during our visit, with partial cloud cover and temperatures in the low 70's at the valley floor. My brother and I decided we would take the 4 mile trail (4.7 miles) from the valley floor to Glacier Point, and then take the panorama trail (8.5 miles) back to the valley floor for a total distance of 13.2 miles. I would highly recommend that one bring at least a liter of water and some snack bars or some sort of food for the hike. There is a gift center a the top of Glacier Point which has sandwiches and water for sale, and there is also a bus stop so you can take the bus down if you only want to hike up, or take the bus up and hike down to the valley floor. This quite a strenuous hike, so make sure that you are conditioned to do it, and keep in mind that the elevation of the valley floor is around 4,000 ft and the trail ascends to 7,200 ft at Glacier Point.
At the 4 mile trail head. (I am on the
left) We started our hike from the valley floor around noon at the head of the 4 mile trail. The first part of the trail is fairly easy going, as the trail winds through the forest at the base of the mountain. There are plenty of granite formations in the forest as well, which is interesting in that it is different from your usual hike in the woods. As we got a little higher, the vegetation started to thin out a little bit yielding to the stunning views of the Yosemite valley and mountain formations to either side. The view became more spectacular as we climbed, with each turn or lookout providing a different view and different lighting over the park.
Not your usual forest. The trail is very well maintained on this part of the path, and you can tell it was paved at one point by the sections of asphalt still left intact over some areas. As we continued our ascent, we noticed the temperature was dropping, certainly a welcome break from the high heat and humidity we experience during the summers here in Georgia. The trail was not too busy, being a Thursday with scattered thunderstorms predicted in the area later that afternoon. The partial could cover was also a nice addition to the hike, at every turn the light was changing over the valley and surrounding granite peaks, and no two views were alike!
Well maintained trail! After about a 1½ miles, the more difficult sections of the trail start. The trail starts to become switchback after switchback and steep enough to become tiring, though not actually difficult to climb. It is easy to loose track of the distance because of the views, they just become more spectacular as you ascend. It is amazing to look down on the valley and see the Merced river flowing through it, as well as the roads with cars that look like little more than dots. From the first stretch of switchbacks every bend has an amazing view of Cathedral Rock, El Capitan, and Yosemite falls. When we were there in August, the falls had mostly dried up, spring or early summer is the best time to see them in full force, but it is still amazing anytime.
View of the valley, Cathedral Rock (left) and El Capitan (right) Note the light from the clouds moving across the valley and over the mountains. As we got to Union Point, the trail turned and revealed a vast view of the eastern portion of Yosemite valley with Half Dome towering over it. From here the hardest part of the trail is ahead, although it really is not that bad if your ready for it. Hiking up it is more switchbacks, but the trail is firm. As we pressed on, we got to the top of the second switchback section and the trail flattens out here. Since the ground is flatter, trees can grow again and the walk through the forests of massive trees is staggering. The temperature at this altitude had become cool if you stopped moving or were in an unprotected area exposed to the wind, but it was perfect for hiking.
View of Half Dome from the 4 mile trail near Glacier Point As we reached the summit at Glacier point, we stopped to talk to some people who informed us that we had picked a perfect day and missed the crowds by coming during the week. There were a lot of people at the top, as there is a bus service and parking lot. Much to our relief, there was also a gift shop which sold sandwiches, drinks, hot chocolate and coffee. There is also a water fountain outside to fill water bottles and some vast areas to look out over the area, were you can see the valley to both the east and west. The view alone was worth the 4.7 mile hike to the top, and it was nice to have a place to sit down for a couple minutes and relax before we started on the next portion of the hike, the Panorama Trail.
View from Glacier Point, Half Dome on the left. After a quick break, we started on the Panorama Trail. This trail is obviously not as used as the 4 mile trail was. It is mostly dirt with a little gravel at the beginning. This trail takes you to the dome to the right of center in the picture above (Liberty Cap), and it is quite a hike. We only saw a handful of other hikers on this trail, including two who had been there for 6 days and had hiked 60 miles. Wow! Its amazing how hard it can be to hike down a trail, it really puts a lot more pressure on your knees, and this trail had no shortage of descent hiking, as it drops in elevation to cross Illilouette creek before ascending again before the final descent back into the valley. The views from this trail are completely different than the 4 mile trail, and again at every turn there is another surprise waiting.
Illilouette Creek. The water appears to end about 100 meters ahead because it does. There is a waterfall just past the rocks, this is not were you want to swim. Illilouette Creek is a beautiful creek with cool green pools of fresh mountain water. There is a nice bridge over the creek that gives a great view of the creek and warning signs on both sides telling you not to swim because of the waterfall. The water is also very cold. After crossing, the trail immediately starts upward again, taking you around another ridge and toward half dome. The view here was incredible, especially because the sun was starting to get lower in the sky (probably about 6 or so) by this time, so the contrast on the rock was spectacular. Equally beautiful was the light coming through the forest of massive trees as we progressed toward Nevada Falls. At this point, we were beginning our final descent into the valley and the sun was going behind the mountains, so it was time to start moving towards the Merced River. The evening is without a doubt the best time to be in this area, as you have the sun to your back as you look out west and the warmer light of the sun makes everything look that much more spectacular.
Evening light on Liberty Cap and Nevada Falls From this point on, the trail heads down to follow the Merced River back to the valley floor, and the trail becomes asphalt a short way before the trail meets back up with the road. From here you can take the bus back to the visitor center or anywhere else the bus goes, and you will probably be ready to sit down and relax (or drive to the west of Yosemite via Tioga Pass as we did). For more pictures see my Gallery. |
