Traveling America By Van: A Quick Visit To Yosemite National Park
By: John Kumiski
Anyone who loves the outdoors has been told, "You HAVE to visit Yosemite!" I'd certainly heard it, over and over. Enough people follow the advice that one needs reservations just to enter the park. It has gotten that crowded the past few years.
We made our reservations, for two consecutive days, and on the appointed day left Castro Valley and headed east. We did not have any camping reservations, but the park is surrounded by national forest. I thought it would be a simple matter to find a campsite. After all, we were going on a Monday.
A view from the summit of Sentinel Dome.
Previews of coming attractions- we got to the west (Big Oak Flat) entrance around noon. There were dozens of cars in three lines, all trying to get into the park. Our turn came. I showed the ranger our pass and reservation. She gave us a map and wished us a pleasant visit. We were finally in Yosemite!
The road, already spectacular along the approach, became breathtaking. We stopped at several pullouts to ogle mountains and waterfalls. We came to a fork in the road. The sign pointed one way to Tioga Pass, the other to Yosemite Valley. I wanted to go to Tioga Pass, it came highly recommended! A short distance up the road a gate across the road and a sign saying "Road Closed" let us know that wasn't going to happen. We turned around and pulled into the first parking lot, at that intersection.
Susan and I in front of the root end of a fallen sequoia in Tuolumne Grove.
The parking lot was an action place, but we found a parking spot. We'd found the trailhead to Tuolumne Grove! Lunch eaten, packs filled, cameras loaded, off we went.
The trail, about a two-mile round trip entirely paved, descended (promising a sweaty hike back) into a grove of giant sequoias. I wonder if one can ever get used to seeing enormous trees like that! I certainly hope not!
Susan in the Tunnel Tree.
In addition to the astonishingly large live trees, there were a couple fallen sequoias, as well as a standing dead one with a tunnel carved through it. Susan had to keep prodding me to move as I stood awestruck, contemplating these gigantic living things several millennia old. Appropriate photos taken, we ascended back to the parking lot and headed towards Yosemite Valley.
We didn't get there very quickly. We came to a traffic jam, the kind where cars are turned off and people are out of the vehicles, walking around. The Merced River flowed past. I stood on the bank, looking for trout without success. Finally, the line of cars started moving, slowly. Slow go better than no go!
Turns out the road was under construction. One lane of traffic was closed, the other partially closed. That partially closed lane had to carry traffic flow in both directions. There were lots of cars, so it was a giant mess.
We got to Yosemite Valley. There was El Capitan, staring at us, as large and impressive a rock as one will ever see. I found a place to park and we got out, ogling once again. People climb that thing?!?! No one was on the face, and as impressive as El Capitan is, it wasn't doing much, at least as humans measure time. After a few minutes we got back in the car and joined the traffic again.
Yosemite Valley, filled with smoke.
The traffic brought us right into the center of a controlled burn. Your reporter has a progressive lung disease- breathing dense smoke is the last thing he needs. We turned around as quickly as possible and got out of the valley.
We wandered into the middle of a smoky, controlled burn.
We came to an intersection. One road led back the way we came- into the standstill traffic jam. The other followed the Merced River. Our map showed two forest service campgrounds that way, so we took it. Into the unknown!
The Merced River, a spectacular whitewater stream, has carved a very impressive canyon. We found the campgrounds. Both were walk-in types, meant for tenters. We don't carry a tent. I wanted to stay anyway, but Susan said, "What if someone comes and tells us we have to leave?" You might be tempted to argue that logic, but no way will you win the argument with your wife.
We continued down the valley. Out of the national forest. Through several towns. Across a couple hours. Into the town of Mariposa, where the Visitor Center was locked up, it being well past six PM.
There was an inn there. I pulled in, went in, asked for rates. One hundred eighty dollars. Ouch. Went to discuss it with Susan. "My fault, I'll pay," I said. We watched TV in our room that evening.
Morning found us driving back up the Merced River canyon, toward Yosemite's Arch Rock entrance. No traffic jam now! We got right in, and commenced with our new plan, made at the inn. We would drive to the junction of Wawona Road, CA 41, and take it to Glacier Point Road.
Cars in line along the left bank of the Merced River. Smoke fills the air.
We hit the standstill traffic again, same place. We sat trapped there for over on hour, breathing smoky air. Wasn't much to be done. This time in addition to fruitlessly looking for trout, I shot a couple photos of the river, which truly is a lovely piece of water. While doing so I did see a fish, presumably a trout, rise. Finally!
And finally, the line of cars started moving again. We took the correct road, stopping at the Tunnel View overlook to see the still smoke-filled Yosemite Valley.
Susan, at Glacier Point, Half Dome in the distance.
Continuing on, in a while found ourselves at the unbelievable spectacular vistas at Glacier Point. This place deserves some time! We sat and ogled still more, along with hundreds of other oglers speaking at least a dozen different languages. We watched people, mostly young men, risk their lives to get pictures. A fall here and you're done! Three thousand feet down, the valley floor will cause a sudden, fatal stop!
We overheard some people who had camped in the valley the previous evening discussing the smoke they had to breathe all night. Unfortunately, they didn't get much rest.
Finally saturated by this particular series of views, we backtracked on Glacier Point Road to the Sentinel Dome trailhead parking lot. God wanted me to climb this peak. The only way to get a parking spot here was by Divine Intervention, and I got one immediately.
I don't know what the elevation gain on this two-and-a-half mile round trip walk was, but the starting elevation was close to 8,000 feet. I almost quit every thirty seconds once the ascent started, spending more time trying to catch my breath than walking. Susan kept going, knowing I'd follow. Eventually, I found myself on the summit, incredible views in every direction my reward. Sentinel Dome was the climax of our short Yosemite trip.
Sentinel Dome, from its trail.
I'm glad we went to Yosemite. The traffic, road closures, smoke, hassle with sleeping, all those factors make it unlikely I'd return. In spite of that, I'd still tell anyone who loves the outdoors, "You HAVE to visit Yosemite!" Nothing else on the planet comes close.
Have you done something interesting outdoors? Join Global Outdoors and write a review to tell everyone about it! We’re building the home for trusted reviews of outdoor experiences, outfitters, and guides.
