One of the most magnificent sights in the U.S. is Yosemite National Park. Sadly, everyone knows this, which makes the main road in the Valley horribly overcrowded. But with a day’s hiking you can achieve solitude and superb views.
Reader Mehul sent some photos he took in the Yosemite area (his full set of photos is here). His notes are indented below:
I wanted to share some photos from a recent 60-mile backpacking trip through Yosemite and Ansel Adams Wilderness. I have been going to Yosemite for a long time, but the majesty of the place never ceases to amaze me.Half Dome & Yosemite Falls from Panorama Trail. This was a training hike for the backpacking trip, called The Yosemite Grand Traverse.
Infamous cables on Half Dome. The squirrels and marmuts were scaling this 45-60+ degree incline effortlessly.
One of our companions on The Visor on top of Half Dome.
Some kind of a squirrel. They are domesticated and daring!
Burned out area near our camp, close to Cloud’s Rest. Mt. Clarke is seen in the background.
Wildflowers near the burned out area.
Not sure if this is another squirrel or a marmot. We saw both.
Cathedral Peak at sunset:
Lower Cathedral Lake lookout panorama.
9 Comments
Some beautiful photos, as to marmots, one of those cute little furry buggers snuck up on me while I was taking a nap in a mountain meadow above Banff Alberta. It stole two hard boiled eggs I had hanging from my belt. After hiking for a couple of hours, I had decided to rest for a few moments before eating my lunch. A tugging at my waist woke me up, and low and behold a marmot had gnawed through the draw strings holding the pouch with my eggs in it and was scampering away squeaking gleefully. No lunch for me till I got back to camp, but the fur ball had a good meal, and maybe a good laugh at the dumb hiker who fell asleep with his lunch in plain view for the taking.
Yikes! Unsettling US/Sweden cultural clash:
Showing images of someone going for a Darwin Award is rare here.
My family did the hike to the top of Half Dome on my tenth birthday (my choice). I’m not saying how long ago. My mother always said that she never would have done the cables if my brother (12) and I had not already been halfway up by the time she got to the base.
Oh, and a little nit picking. That’s not Yosemite Falls in the first pic, it’s Nevada (top) and Vernal Falls on the Merced River. Yosemite Falls is way out of view to the left, across Yosemite Valley from Half Dome.
You’re right. Yosemite falls were on a previous picture,
https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#photo/102966194877062617407/6308386976370530545/6308387010814386322
Beautiful scenery today! I was in the area many, many years ago and these pictures bring back very fond memories.
A friend of mine is a seasonal campground ranger there. She likes everything about the job but the low pay and seasonal nature of the work (she’s applying for a better paying, full-time position). One of the things she loves most is that there’s never a question of where to go on vacation — she just slips away to the high country for a few days of recharge.
The “squirrel” looks like it might be a chipmunk, who ARE very daring and aren’t bothered by humans, who give them treats.
The Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) is the most likely candidate. Larger than a chipmunk and most bold.