Yosemite – 6/14/24

As I post these pix from 10 days ago (yes, I am way behind), we are in Las Vegas.  The heat is unbelievable.   Yesterday, while driving to The Strip at 4 pm, the car’s outdoor thermometer read 113 degrees; going back to the camper at 9:30 pm, the temperature had dropped to 107.  The only reason we are staying here is to get the truck serviced (routine, though Doug IS getting the brakes checked) at the Toyota dealership (we tried to get this done in two other cities, but neither place could accommodate our travel schedule).  We will be heading out of here tomorrow morning by 7 a.m. 

And now, back to Yosemite.  🙂

As you drive into Yosemite from the Big Oak Flat entrance, this magnificent view of Half Dome appears.
Now in the Valley, you can’t miss El Capitan
or Bridalveil Falls
or Glacier Point (the Four-Mile Trail to Glacier Point was our very first hike in Yosemite. We were novices, and as the saying goes, Ignorance is Bliss).

Our main reason for going back to the Valley today (and enduring the crowds) was to see what’s happened with the Ahwahnee since the name change (then thankfully the change back to the hotel’s rightful name). 

The last time we were here, this vestibule was packed with people.
The interior looks the same,
except for this.
This hasn’t changed.
This is the only wildlife we saw today.  🙂 

Now we’ll drive up to Glacier Point (7,214 ft.  The Valley Welcome Center is at 4,000 ft.)

On our way, we passed this.  We learned about bear traps while camping in Kings Canyon (no harm is done to the bear – he/she is just relocated to a less populated part of the park).
We stopped to see if there were any climbers on El Cap.
A guide told us that this crevasse is a staging area for getting supplies to climbers further up the rock, as it generally takes 4 days to reach the top.
Leaving the Valley and driving up Glacier Point Rd., we passed fire-damaged trees along the way.
This looks nothing like it did
in the late 1990s.
Walkable trails and a new concession/gift shop have been added.
The spectacular views remain the same.
There is a famous photograph taken in the early 1900’s of two ladies posing on this overhanging rock.

Tomorrow (Saturday, 6/15), we’ll drive the Tioga Road into the higher elevations and take another one of our most favorite hikes from years past.

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