Yosemite

For months I have been running around excited that my sister-in-heart and her hubby were flying out to sunny SoCal for a visit. And then suddenly, they were here! After a few days of walking to the beach, hitting up a baseball game in San Diego (Red Sox lost but I did get to see Big Papi on the field), and convincing my carnivore bro-in-heart to eat some vegan goodies at Gratitude Cafe, we were off to our big adventure...YOSEMITE!

Trying to write this post was an enormous task. Should I share my reflections? Give you the ins and outs of each trail? A detailed account of every pinnacle moment? After looking through the pictures I had taken I realized that, in the words of one of my former students, "I can't even". Meaning I can't even begin to describe the majesty and magic of the park, so I won't even try in this post. Instead my peeps, you are getting the bare bones of my thoughts, and I'm going to let the pictures be the focus. (I did spend some time at the end of the post for tips and suggestions based on our experience. So if you are planning a trip to Yosemite, don't forget to read to the end.) Perhaps later I can process and reflect, but for now, enjoy the views...

Day 1: Loop de loop on Granite Point Road

While my in-laws were off on their own adventure for the day, the SigO and I decided to try some easy hikes as a warmup. Feeling pretty bold we picked our first hike of the day: Sentinel Dome.

The day before the SigO and I set off on our first hiking adventure in Yosemite, we dropped off his sister and her husband at Half Dome Village base camp so they get could an early start on climbing HALF DOME! (Those crazy kids!) I am thrilled for their accomplishments. My sis-in-heart got to the base of the cables, and my bro-in-heart got to the tippy top of the dome. Awesome work you two! Much love!

First sighting of Half Dome from Half Dome Camp

Sentinel Dome
1.1 miles from parking lot to dome
​Elevation at trailhead:  7,700 feet (2,345 meters)
Final Elevation:  8,100 feet (2,470 meters)

Note to all novice hikers. There are miles, and then there are Yosemite miles! We were confused by the sites which stated that from parking lot to the dome could be anywhere from a half hour to an hour considering our most rambling stroll is a 20 minute mile (with me stopping to smell flowers along the way).  But getting to the base of the dome showed that all roads lead uphill (and if they don't they will eventually). However, if, like us, you have never hiked before in Yosemite, I can't imagine a more perfect introduction to the park. The views from the top were incredible.

Adventure Binkys at the top of Sentinel Dome

Another gorgeous view from Sentinel Dome

Pines, pines, everywhere there's pines! (Sentinel Dome)

Glacier Point
2+miles from Sentinel Dome
Final Elevation:  7,200 feet (2,200 meters)

After taking tons of pics, fighting off bees? wasps? we descended to the base of the dome and were faced with a major decision: Go back to the parking lot and drive to another hike? Take the long loop to Taft Point? (There is also a short trail to Taft Point from the same parking lot which we started at, but there is a longer back way too.) Or continue on to Glacier Point?

​We had planned on driving up to Glacier Point anyway, so we figured why not do the environmentally sound, healthy living option, and hike there? So off we went.

A short digression: When the SigO and I got married, a kind person gave us tickets to the Hyline Cruises Ferry so we could spend a day on Nantucket island with our bicycles. When we arrived, the SigO asked me to choose our path. "This way looks like it is heading straight for the beach!" I chirped brightly. In truth the path I took didn't have an obvious break to the beach until we had biked THREE-FOURTHs of the ENTIRE ISLAND. When we finally found a beach outlet, we parked our bikes and immediately feel asleep for an hour on the sand.

The point of this interlude is to let you know that I should NEVER be the person choosing the path. I picked Glacier Point because I thought the path led UP to an even higher point. My logic was that we would head up while still fresh, and then hike down back to where we started. Little did I know the exact opposite was true...Apparently after all these years, my darling SigO is still up for my misguided attempts to choose our path. Or maybe he just really likes the adventure!

Glacier Point was beautiful. An even closer look at Half Dome and other gorgeous points, a quick snack of homemade trail mix and coconut water, and we were heading out for our third path of the day...

Panoramic pic of some of Glacier Point's views

Taft Point
2ish miles back to Sentinel Dome split
2.4 miles from Sentinel Dome split to Taft Point
​Then 1.1 miles back to our parking lot (actually a little farther since we parked off the road, the lot being full)
Final Elevation:  7,503 feet (2,287 meters)

So our short quick and easy version of our day thrown right out the window, we headed from Glacier Point to Taft Point and the fissures. According to the REI app "Children should be fine as long as they are well supervised." Now we don't have any children, but if I was a parent, this would NOT be the place I would take children! Hell, we saw plenty of adults, noses buried in their phones, who should not have been there...Why you ask?

The fissues are these gigantic straight down drops where (my guess is) rocks cracked years ago. They are awe-inspiring, but aside from one teeny tiny railing at the far end, you need to watch where you are stepping if you want to not have a really fast descent to the valley floor! That said, the views, again, are incredible.

After this hike, we jaunted our way down to the parking lot in the company of a lovely couple from Ireland (who we realized later were staying at our hotel), and headed to the valley floor to pick up our Half Dome adventurers.

Practicing my Spiderman skills along the trail from Glacier Point to Taft Point (Photo credit to the SigO)

The universe sending us some love - Heart along the trail from Glacier Point to Taft Point

View of the fissures at Taft Point

View from the ONLY railing at Taft Point

Day 2 - Nice and Easy

Having discovered the beauty of uphill miles, we all collectively decided to enjoy a leisurely morning before heading into the park. Once there we voted to mosey our way through the day.

Tunnel View
Photo ops only

If you drive through this part of Yosemite, immediately after the tunnel, look out for people crossing the road to catch some of the finest views in the valley. Naturally, we needed to stop too.

View from Tunnel View - El Capitan on the left, Half Dome in the Distance (middle)...breathtaking.

BridalVeil Fall
A really really short walk

Although September in Yosemite is not known for many waterfalls, according to my research Bridalveil Fall was still flowing. So we stopped in the parking lot, strapped on our gear, and started the hike. It actually took longer to put on our stuff then to reach the viewing area. (It probably took you longer to read this.) A bit disappointing considering we were feeling adventurous, but after oohing and aaaahing over the misty remains of the fall, we headed off to find another spot.

Bridal veil Fall - more of a mist really at this point. However if you look closely at the rocks, it looks like an old man making a sourpuss pursed lips face...LOL

Swinging Bridge
The only bridge in history so named that does not move from side to side

Being the quintessential nerd that I am, I had checked out five different books from the library on Yosemite. A quick glance at a couple the night before had all mentioned this was a lovely spot. So naturally we had to stop. My peeps, this was a LOVELY REFRESHING point. We headed across the bridge and then got close to the river - wonderfully tame at this time of year. I could not resist taking off my shoes and wading in. Soon the entire group was up to their knees in cool, exhilarating, virtually pristine, water. 

View from the water under Swinging Bridge

Mirror Lake
A misnomer. A beautiful dried up pond area, with yes, you guessed it, incredible views.
​Distance from Half Dome Village to Trail Head: 1.5 -ish miles roundtrip
Distance from trailhead to the "lake": 2.4 miles roundtrip
If we had then proceeded actually around the whole lake (instead of cutting through the dry middle) it would have been an additional 2.4 miles roundtrip but I think we lost a mile with our cut through ..
Actual distance of hike: 5.3 -ish miles - no real vertical gain..

After a pizza lunch at Half Dome Camp (shoutout to the pizza joint for making me a fabulous no-cheese pizza so this vegan could grub down), we decided to actually do a bit of hiking. 

Note: When eating, watch out for the squirrels! Those little beggars will give you soulful eyes and try to get your food. Not only is it a finable offense to feed the little guys, but while one is trying to distract you, others are attempting to get into your backpacks! One look at their bulging bellies will convince you to shoo those little thieves away.

Mirror lake was like traipsing through the woods to Rivendell. Dappled lighted woods, glimpses of gorgeous views, and thanks to the eagle-eyes of my sis-in-heart, a doe sighting, made this the perfect hike for our rest day. Passing over another river on our way back to camp afforded yet more breathtaking picture ops which could not be resisted.

Panoramic from Mirror Lake...notice the sexy SigO sighting in the bottom right corner! Binky in the Wild!

The Drive back to our Hotel
Twisting roads, no railing

Just in case you were wondering what the roads were like in this part of the park, I filmed 40 minutes of our ride from the passenger seat. You're welcome. (Note: Viewers who experience motion sickness should not watch.)

Day 3: a 20k vertical extravaganza

The SigO came up with our final hike of the trip - Ostrander Lake. Off of Glacier Point Road, this lake was listed as an off the beaten path (meaning most of the tourists didn't go here) gem. Group vote declared it sounded perfect! (Plus I got to try out my sis-in-heart's hiking poles making me the fastest hiker in the planet! Okay, maybe not. But those things really rocked on the vertical portions of the hike!)

Ostrander Lake
Hike Distance:  12.4 miles (20 km) round trip Trailhead Elevation:  7,000 feet (2,130 meters)
Ostrander Lake Elevation:  8,500 feet (2,600 meters)
Total Elevation Gain:  1,600 feet (490 meters)
Started: 12:33pm Peaked (arrived at Lake): 3:45pm
Started down: 5:00 Ended (arrived at parking lot): 7:38pm
Total travel time: 5.83 hours (1.9 miles/hr up; 2.4 miles/hr down)

Peeps, I have never done a race longer than a 5k, and I still have yet to run the whole thing. Yet between all the walking, yoga, and running, I have been feeling in pretty good shape. Then I discovered thinner air and vertical hiking. Our path became a game to get from shady spot to shady spot. Was it worth it? You bet! I would do it again in a New York minute because the reward - gorgeous lake for dipping tired legs, incredible views, and awesome company - was totally worth it.

A nice place to stop and catch your breath on the way up to Ostrander Lake

Ostrander Lake!

Yosemite Vacation Tips

Keeping in mind that this was our first trip to Yosemite, we tried to do some homework. My in-laws had been before and also had some great ideas/suggestions for the trip. All in all, a truly wonderful experience, so before you go, here's our best advice:

To avoid a crazy full tourist experience, go in late summer/early Fall.

September was perfect. Most of the kiddies were back in school, so the park was not overly crowded. We were able to park at most trailheads, or just up the road from them, and didn't have long lines to get in or out of the park. Remember, once you are in the park on the road, there is essentially a single road to get to wherever you are going! ​

Scenic spot along the road at the end of our moseying day...(Yosemite National Park)

Consider your group's needs, abilities, and comfort level when making lodging reservations.

So I have had a total of two experiences staying in a tent. Both were on sites with full bathrooms, and someone else to set up the tent, cook food for me, and see to my every comfort. (And both experiences were over a decade ago.) So for me, going full on camping is not something I am quite up to doing at the moment. Glamping? Maybe. For my in-laws-in-heart, they needed to be close to the trailhead to Half Dome for one night. So they picked a heated tent and it totally worked for them. The SigO and I went straight to Tenaya Lodge - recommended by one of my clients - and found it to be extremely comfortable. We had a room with two queen beds (for when my in-laws joined us) in one of the cottages outside the main lodge. It had a fridge, plenty of space, private bathroom, and a lovely garden where I did yoga on the last day. The restaurants were even able to accommodate me with some vegan options when I discovered that I had left the carefully prepared dinners I had made, at home in my fridge!

The garden outside our room at Tenaya Lodge...a perfect spot for a morning yoga practice

Planning, planning, planning

We had been doing some weekend hiking to up our game for the trip, but having never seen Yosemite, the vertical miles challenge didn't quite register with me and the SigO. However, our extra miles in advance paid off, and no one was injured on a hike.

Our training hikes made us realize that our little cycling water backpack was not large enough to carry what we would need for full day hikes. So we both went to REI and got new backpacks - his an Osprey and mine a NorthFace crossover.

We prepped with small tissue packs, coconut waters for me (I don't do sports drinks anymore due to their sugar content and artificial ingredients), homemade trail mix, extra bananas/apples, my yoga towels for drying off or sitting as needed, lightweight clothing options for layering, our phones/iPad for pictures, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, hair ties for me, an extra pair of socks, hats, plastic ziploc bags for trash, a small head lamp, and trail maps. 

Next time we will also have a small charger for the phones (my sis-in-heart let us borrow hers...awesome since our phones are on their way out!), bandaids (no blisters this trip but you never know), and a water purifier for longer trips. I also tried out the hiking poles on the last trail and they rocked. I felt like a newly hatched magical creature from Harry Potter with four legs. Seriously considering getting a pair myself for vertical hiking.

We had bought hiking shoes after testing numerous models in the stores for hours. The SigO's pair worked out great. On our training hikes, we discovered that I was much more comfortable in my sneakers. Although many guidebooks say to use true hiking shoes, every pair I have every tried hurts my feet and gives me blisters. So I ended up in my sneakers the whole time...no blisters and comfy feet! (Fabulous considering the one thing we forgot to pack was bandaids!)

Proper preparation meant these two Binkys were all smiles...even after hiking for hours! (Ostrander Lake)

Pick your location and your activity carefully

Yosemite National Park is GINORMOUS! Although we had considered going to Toulumne Meadows, we didn't love the idea of staying in the car for a couple of hours once we entered the park. (Next trip.) Instead we picked hikes that were in the region closer to where we entered (which still involve nearly an hour of driving to get to, but totally worth it).

Remember to consider the group's needs when picking a hike as well. The SigO and I opted not to do Half Dome for our first trip, and had wonderful adventures that day more in line with our abilities and experience levels. Some trail heads have rudimentary bathrooms which are helpful for glampers like moi, although I did have my first experience peeing in the woods! (It was exciting, mortifying, terrifying, and exhilarating. And I managed not to pee on myself so I would say a success all around.) The Valley floor has some non vertical hikes/walks which are family friendly. Do watch the time you enter, and choose a turnaround time so that you don't have inexperienced hikers scrambling around in the dark. 

Yosemite has numerous other activities - swimming, skiing, bicycling, camping, horseback riding - depending on the time of year, so a little homework prep can ensure everyone has a fun and safe time together.

Picking the right activity for your group means everyone can reach the highest heights possible - together! (Top of Sentinel Dome)

Have you been to Yosemite? Are you planning a trip? I would love to hear all about your adventures in this beautiful national resource. Let's enjoy our lovely planet together...with smiles...

Messy hair...don't care! I'm hiking peeps! Namaste! (Tree Pose at Tunnel View)