Yosemite travelog

We arrived at Reno Nevada at 4pm and picked up a rented a Dodge Neon car. After eating dinner and picking up stove fuel at Walmart we headed south toward Yosemite. By 10pm we were still an hour from the park so we stooped for the night at Forest Service campground along the road. The campground was almost empty.

The next morning we drove along Hwy. 120 into the park and arrived at the Tuolumne Wilderness Station at 9:30am. There we picked up a backcountry permit and loaded our packs for the trip. The first days walk was about 4 miles through Lyell Canyon. This was a nice level walk along a clear mountain stream. We met a park ranger along the way that reminded us that you have to walk at least 4 miles from road before setting up camp. The best camp appeared across the creek so we braved to 30 degree water crossing to the other side.

On the second day we climbed about 1000 feet over 4 miles to the Tuolumne Pass. Late in the afternoon we reached the top of the pass and the mosquitoes were bad. We met some hikers from the other direction that told us the bugs would be bad for the rest of the trip. So we pitched our tent in the windiest spot we could find and rethought our plans for tomorrow.

The next day we explored the mountain pass and found a small lake atop a nearby mountain with no mosquitoes. So we abandoned our original plans of hiking along the John Muir trail and moved our campsite up the mountain.

On Tuesday we took a 10 mile hike without backpacks to Vogelsang lake.

Because the bugs had returned we decided to hike out to the car on Wednesday.

As we descended into the valley we crossed the creek again but it because it was several miles downstream it was warm enough for swimming.

Wednesday night we drove on Hwy. 120 into Yosemite Valley proper and stayed in the cabins of Curry Village. On Thursday after we started a hike towards Half Dome. The trail has 4800' elevation change in about 8 miles. It passes Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.

Jennifer stopped at the 8000' level and I continued to the top of Half Dome at 8800'.

The picture below left looks up the Valley. The picture below right look down the valley into Yosemite Valley campgrounds.

Here is the famous cable ladders used for the last 500' of climb up Half Dome.

It was 6pm by the time I got off the top of Half Dome so we did not return to Yosemite village until midnight.