Yosemite is a Long Drive, but worth every mile
The drive to the south entrance through the forest along Wawona Road feels long and winding. For anyone who has never visited Yosemite, anticipation builds around every corner: Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
We creep along in a long line of cars, waiting to reach the park entrance. The wait is over an hour. Once we enter the park, the road climbs higher and higher—4,000 feet, 5,000 feet, 6,000 feet—while the scenery changes with every turn. We pass through fire-ravaged pockets of Lodgepole pines, their blackened trunks standing as grim reminders of past forest fires.
Then the road takes a turn toward terror. We hug the edge of the mountain while the road twists and winds along the steep slope. We stare down into what looks like a very long way down and wonder why the road builders apparently considered guardrails an unnecessary expense. One wrong move and we could find ourselves making a very unscheduled descent.
Then, suddenly, we see it. The tunnel. We enter the darkness, and anticipation builds with every second. The tunnel seems longer than expected, but the moment we emerge makes every mile, every traffic jam, and every white-knuckle turn worth it.
Yosemite Valley explodes into view. The valley doesn’t politely introduce itself. It jumps out and grabs us by the senses. Half Dome peeks out and El Capitan rises like a massive granite fortress. Bridalveil Falls plunges down the cliffside. All three command the same breathtaking panorama.
The view stops us in our tracks. For a moment, nobody says a word. What could we possibly say? Tears rolling down our cheeks…we simply stare.
The Valley Drive
We make our way down into Yosemite valley toward our campsite, passing one spectacular waterfall after another and towering granite cliffs that seem to reach straight into the sky. Tall pines line the valley floor and fill the air with their fresh, vibrant scent.
Traffic moves at a crawl, but for once, we don’t mind. After 13½ hours on the road, we’re finally here—and I can think of far worse places to get stuck in traffic!
Every turn brings another little surprise. Our first glimpse of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls stops us in our tracks. Deer graze peacefully in the meadow beside the river, completely unconcerned with the parade of cars creeping past. Then we spot a tiny chapel where a wedding has just ended. The bride and groom stand together in the doorway, taking in their first moments as newlyweds while Yosemite provides one spectacular backdrop.
And that’s just a taste of what waits around the next corner. Something wondrous seems to appear everywhere we look.
Yosemite Glacier Point
We get the good news: Glacier Point Road is open!
We planned to hike the 4-Mile Trail to the top, but ice closed the trail, so we switched gears and decided to drive up early one morning to catch the sunrise over Half Dome. Of course, getting there meant navigating yet another winding mountain road with steep drop-offs and—because apparently Yosemite has a thing about guardrails—not a guardrail in sight.
We arrive a little later than planned, but Yosemite doesn’t disappoint. At 7,200 feet, Glacier Point gives us another breathtaking panoramic view, and we manage to capture a few great shots as the morning light begins to illuminate Half Dome.
From up here, we see things we can’t see from the valley floor. Lower Vernal Fall and upper Nevada Fall come into view, cascading through the granite landscape far below. The valley looks completely different from this vantage point—vast, rugged, and almost impossibly beautiful.
Once again, Yosemite leaves us standing there with cameras in hand, wondering how any photograph could possibly do it justice.
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
The second piece of good news comes when we learn that Yosemite Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias will reopen on Wednesday. The grove had closed after an extensive storm toppled 15 of these magnificent giants.
So we make the long drive all the way back toward the park entrance—about 30 miles—and arrive only to discover a little piece of bad news hiding behind the good news. The shuttles aren’t running, which means we have to park in the lower lot and hike the remaining two miles uphill into the grove. It’s a strenuous hike, but absolutely worth every step.
Unfortunately, the storm left behind a heartbreaking scene. We find massive sequoias lying across the forest floor, completely uprooted and crushing wooden walkways beneath them. Seeing these ancient giants toppled by the storm feels heartbreaking. These trees look as though nothing could ever bring them down, yet nature reminds us just how powerful she can be.
Fortunately, plenty of magnificent sequoias still stand. Their enormous trunks disappear into the canopy, and their sheer size makes us feel incredibly small.
Photography, however, presents a problem. We quickly discover that a photograph simply cannot convey how enormous these trees really are. No matter how we frame the shot, we struggle to give the viewer any sense of scale. You can photograph a giant sequoia, but you can’t photograph the feeling of standing beside one.
That’s why we decided to take the following video. And keep in mind…This isn’t even the largest sequoia tree!
Yosemite Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls
One day, we set out on foot to find the trail to Yosemite Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. Before we knew it, we had committed to the 3-mile round-trip Mist Trail, climbing 1,000 feet to the top of Vernal Falls. In our defense, the signs never warned us that the trail would prove strenuous or that the hike would take us that far!
Add the 1½ miles we walked just to reach the trailhead, and we logged a solid 9 miles that day. Lesson learned: Do your homework before setting out!
Fortunately, I had the CamelBak filled with cold water, and the weather couldn’t have been better. The cool, beautiful day made the climb much more enjoyable. Along the way, we even spotted a bear foraging across the river. Unfortunately, he disappeared before we could get a decent photo.
As we approached the top of Vernal Falls, we finally understood the name Mist Trail. The trail climbs a series of stone steps carved into the granite beside the roaring waterfall. As we climbed higher, the falls sprayed us with a refreshing mist. On a hot summer day, that would feel fantastic. On a 70-degree day, however, it felt a little more like an unexpected shower!
By the time we reached the top, our water supply had dwindled, so we decided not to push our luck. Nevada Falls would have to wait. We still had a 3-mile hike back down to the campground, and running out of water halfway up the mountain didn’t sound like a smart plan. Maybe next time, Nevada Falls!
El Capitan
El Capitan in Yosemite is a monster of a mountain. Its sheer granite face rises nearly 3,000 feet from base to summit, reaching an overall elevation of about 7,500 feet. You can’t truly grasp its immense scale until you spot a climber inching across the rock face—then realize that tiny speck you see through your binoculars is actually a person!
We hiked up to the base of this granite monolith and met a couple of climbers preparing to make their ascent. One was free-climbing—yikes!—while the other climbed alongside him for support. Watching them tackle that enormous wall made me appreciate just how much courage, skill, and determination it takes to climb El Capitan.
After they headed up, I decided to give it a shot myself. Why not? I managed to climb about five feet before my courage disappeared and I chickened out. But technically, I can say I climbed El Capitan! Okay, it was only five feet of a 3,000-foot climb, but those five feet meant something to me. I’ll take it!
I can’t help but admire the climbers who make their way all the way to the top. Standing beneath El Capitan gives you a whole new appreciation for what they accomplish. Five feet or 3,000 feet, I’m proud of my little climb!
Don’t forget about Romin!
Lastly, I can’t forget to mention Romin, our constant companion throughout the entire trip. His steady reliability gave us the freedom to travel worry-free, keeping us warm when we needed warmth and cool when we needed relief from the heat. He never complained, never asked for directions, and never let us down!
Romin wasn’t always easy to photograph, though. Somehow, getting a good shot of him proved almost as challenging as getting the perfect Yosemite sunset. But we managed to capture a few photos, and I couldn’t end our story without sharing them.
So, here are a few shots of our trusty travel companion, Romin.
Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time – Much love,
Romin, Pete, & Lori
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