Kayaking, Traveling with Charley, and Other Outdoor Fun: How high can you climb

Yosemite has always been one of my favorite places but I resist going during the summer when it is filled with crowds. I try to go twice a year, spring and fall/winter. I prefer to go for the fall colors but now have the goal to get there in winter to try to catch a snowfall. Last year my good friend Ree read about a free photography class put on by Canon at Glacier Point so off we went (even though I am a Nikon). We lucked out for last minute in June and got a great room.

Famous Half Dome - side view from Glacier Point

Ree is a good friend and we love to take picture and hiking trips. She even paddles with me sometimes. I like to think of Ree as my younger more adventurous self, but truth is she is much more adventurous than I have ever been. She is the one to scramble up the cliff higher when I am freaking out and clinging to the side of a tree. She pushes me to go further, higher, stay out later…and it is both frightening and …exhilarating. I love the fact that I have to keep up with her instead of nudging someone to keep up with me.

The joy of going to Yosemite in June is that Glacier Point is open. When I go in spring or fall it is usually still closed due to snow. The views and trails at the top of Glacier Point are amazing. We headed up to meet the Canon team there, try out some new equipment, take pictures and enjoy the view.

From the overlook at Glacier Point you look down 3200 feet to the valley floor.

Yosemite Falls to the left

Vernal Falls

Nevada Falls at the top...cascading down to Vernal Falls

After class we decided to take the trail to Sentinel Dome for sunset views. The trail from Glacier Point is fairly short and easy…maybe 45 minutes. The last part of the trail is a short but steep scramble to the top of the dome. There is also a much closer trailhead and parking lot right off Glacier Point Road.

From the top you get a 360-degree view of Yosemite Valley. It is truly breathtaking…and I do not use that term loosely.

This Jeffrey Pine at the summit is thought to be the world’s most famous and photographed dead tree. Ansel Adams made it famous in a 1940 photograph (before death). The tree was killed by drought in 1977, despite efforts to save it by hand-carrying buckets of water.

The views were amazing but at some point it hit me that we had a hike back, and the sun was going down. We had not brought any headlamps or flashlights…Yikes! Chicken me was kicking in.

Come one Ree…gotta go!

Almost back to the parking lot at Glacier Point we saw a spot on the side of the road where a photographer was setting up. We went over to check it out and found another incredible view with the last of the sun hitting the top of Half Dome.

I was nervous about hanging out too long as we still had a trek through some getting dark forest…but glad we did…because we saw this.

We made it back in the dark! We raced down the mountain hoping to catch something open to get some food. It was eerie driving around the valley floor that late and in the dark…no cars…no people. We made it to the grocery store just before closing and grabbed a feast of snack food. We ate our feast on the porch of the Stoneman House Lodge at Camp Curry, first time staying there…it was perfect.

Yosemite Falls