- Clouds Rest
We started our hike from the Sunrise trailhead parking lot, on the southwest
side of Tenaya Lake on state highway 120.
This is a 16 mile round trip hike, with a vertical change from 8100 feet to
almost 10,000 feet.
There is a modest amount of up and down hiking between the trailhead and the
summit, so the walk is more strenuous than the 1,900 foot vertical range would
indicate.
Except for a scramble near the top, the hike has good footing, with most of the trail easily passible.
There is one strenuous mile, a mile or two into the trip.
Starting at dawn, we were at the summit in 4 hours.
The trip is rewarding, with a mix of temperate forest and open rocky
meadows.
The trail crosses one stream and passes close beside one small lake.
During our hike we encountered deer, marmots, ground squirrels, and chipmunks.
The biggest reward is the view at the top.
In every direction, a spectacular view of mountains and valleys is seen.
Bare twisted granite shows the geology of the area.
Trees alternating with the bare granite provide color contrasts.
Half Dome, Glacier Point, a big portion of Yosemite Valley, a bit of El
Capitan, and many other familiar landmarks are visible.
There is a more strenuous alternative hike to Clouds Rest, which climbs
about 6,000 feet starting from the Yosemite Valley floor.
That hike passes Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and Little Yosemite Valley.
Throughout much of the hike, massive Half Dome looms overhead (although at its
closest, in Little Yosemite Valley, it is over two miles away by trail).
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266 |
19,502 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x532
|
90,381 bytes
|
Mike on Clouds Rest, a view looking toward Half Dome in the distance.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x262
|
15,671 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x524
|
71,114 bytes
|
Mike closer up on Clouds Rest, a view looking toward Half Dome in the
distance.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266
|
19,539 bytes
|
|
view
|
799x532
|
89,503 bytes
|
Mike standing on Clouds Rest; this is a view looking toward Tenaya Lake
in the distance. That tiny blue patch barely visible in the background
(at the level of Mike's knee) is a good sized lake near the trailhead
for this hike. You may need to download the best quality picture to
see the lake.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
265x400
|
17,413 bytes
|
|
view
|
398x601
|
53,667 bytes
|
Mike on Clouds Rest standing on top of a rock heap near the summit.
The view is toward a wide granite valley in the background.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266
|
18,285 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x532
|
84,432 bytes
|
Mike on Clouds Rest sitting on a ledge at the edge of the summit. A
good view of Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley floor are in the
background.
- Half Dome
The climb to the top of Half Dome is the "hiker's hike" from the Yosemite
Valley floor.
Taking our time along the way, it took about six hours to reach the summit.
It is a very strenuous 17 mile round trip hike from the valley floor trailhead
at Happy Isles.
The hike covers an elevation range from about 4,000 feet to 8,800 feet.
Some people decide not to continue to the summit after they see the climbing
cables, which go up a bare rock slope at a forty to sixty degree incline.
Note: You can't park at the trailhead, and the shuttle buses
to the trailhead don't run 'round the clock. If you choose to start or finish
when the shuttle buses are not available, add a mile each way (from the parking
lot to the trailhead) to the length of your hike.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
275x400
|
15,205 bytes
|
|
view
|
412x600
|
54,343 bytes
|
Vernal Falls, seen here from the Mist Trail on the way up to
Half Dome, falls 317 feet. Most of the height of the falls
can be seen behind the young lady posing for another camera.
The top of this falls is about 1.6 miles from the Half Dome
trailhead at Happy Isles. This is a view before reaching the top
of the falls. The mist below the falls promotes the lush greenery
seen here. When the water from the heaviest snowmelt reaches the
falls in late spring and early summer, hikers along the trail may
be soaked by the mist. In years of heavy snow pack, and earlier
in the season, the falls can flow much more heavily than seen here.
In drier years, this falls may be reduced to a trickle during
late summer and fall.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
273x400
|
15,502 bytes
|
|
view
|
409x600
|
44,644 bytes
|
Here is Vernal Falls again, seen from closer up and emphasizing
the stark rock face around the top of the falls. This picture is
especially striking because of the lacy look of the falling water.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x254
|
16,598 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x508
|
95,257 bytes
|
Nevada Falls, seen also from the Mist Trail on the way up to
Half Dome, falls 594 feet. This view of the falls around a
stand of trees hides part of the bottom of the falls behind
a hill. When you reach the top of Nevada Falls, you are 3.4
miles from the trailhead at Happy Isles.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x267
|
17,184 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x534
|
82,458 bytes
|
This picture is a profile of Half Dome, taken from the trail.
A person using the climbing cables to reach the summit is barely
visible against the sky.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400
|
13,390 bytes
|
|
view
|
390x600
|
42,649 bytes
|
This picture shows the Half Dome cables as seen from the bottom, at a
far enough distance that the cables are hard to see against the rock.
Use the highest quality image for a clearer view.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
265x399
|
14,075 bytes
|
|
view
|
398x600
|
42,475 bytes
|
Mike took this picture of the Half Dome climbing cables while laying on
his back at the bottom!
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266 |
13,481 bytes
|
|
view
|
799x531
|
64,225 bytes
|
Mike standing on the summit of Half Dome. Sentinel Dome, Glacier
Point, Yosemite Valley, and the profile of El Capitan are visible in
the background.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266 |
15,356 bytes
|
|
view
|
801x533
|
73,836 bytes
|
The profile of El Capitan shows directly behind
Mike standing on the Half Dome diving board.
Yosemite Valley floor is 4800 feet beneath his feet.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400 |
15,560 bytes
|
|
view
|
391x601
|
47,602 bytes
|
A vertical perspective of Mike standing on the Half Dome diving board
shows more of the valley floor.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400 |
15,853 bytes
|
|
view
|
391x601
|
47,772 bytes
|
Another vertical perspective shows Mike standing on the Half Dome
diving board, but from an angle to show the contortions of the granite
wall across the valley from Half Dome.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x267
|
12,700 bytes
|
|
view
|
799x534
|
90,381 bytes
|
Mark on the summit of Half Dome as seen from the "diving board", which
is a projection of rock out from the summit. The rock colors on the
face of Half Dome are really remarkable.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
270x400 |
13,983 bytes
|
|
view
|
405x600
|
44,622 bytes
|
A stranger clambers on top of some rubble to get to the edge of the Half
Dome diving board.
Below is a great view of Yosemite Valley floor.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400 |
14,098 bytes
|
|
view
|
390x600
|
43,265 bytes
|
Two girls on Half Dome, one seated at the tip of the diving board with
almost a mile of air beneath her feet, the other standing further back.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
261x400
|
15,741 bytes
|
|
view
|
391x600
|
49,040 bytes
|
Mark (in the brown hat) going down the Half Dome cables, with a group
of strangers coming up the same two-way path.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
261x400
|
15,308 bytes
|
|
view
|
392x601
|
47,484 bytes
|
Mark going back down the Half Dome cables after the climb to the summit.
- El Capitan
Our hike to the summit of El Capitan started from Tamarack Flat campground.
The hike took us about five hours each way.
The round-trip is a strenuous 17 mile all day hike, and covers a range of
elevations from about 5,500 feet to 7,600 feet, with most of that change in one
steep stretch.
Once at the top, there is an additional strenuous stretch for about a fifth of
a mile down to the rim of El Capitan, at a pretty steep angle over a rocky
surface.
Once at the rim, you can see Half Dome, Glacier Point, and many features
of Yosemite Valley floor.
There are several alternative hikes to the top of El Capitan, including one
from the valley floor.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x270 |
15,618 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x540
|
74,679 bytes
|
The profile of El Capitan is seen from a road on the Yosemite Valley
floor.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400 |
11,065 bytes
|
|
view
|
390x600
|
36,830 bytes
|
This picture shows El Capitan's sheer rock face, rising 3,600 feet
from Yosemite Valley floor.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x265 |
15,158 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x529
|
72,980 bytes
|
The summit of El Capitan seen from a nearby bluff at about the same
elevation.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x269 |
18,851 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x537
|
90,087 bytes
|
This view looks outward, toward the opposite rim and valley floor,
from the trail to El Capitan and nearly to the summit, at a
spot on the trail where it follows along the rim.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x264 |
11,025 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x527
|
52,285 bytes
|
Mike standing by a rock cairn on the summit of El Capitan.
Climbers and hikers like to build these and leave them behind.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
401x275 |
15,612 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x549
|
75,025 bytes
|
This view looks outward from El Capitan summit. Many peaks including
Half Dome are visible.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x269 |
12,659 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x537
|
63,772 bytes
|
This view looks toward the Yosemite Valley floor from near the rim of
El Capitan.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x271
|
18,153 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x541
|
92,904 bytes
|
Many Yosemite Valley floor features are visible in this picture looking
nearly straight down from the rim of El Capitan.
- Upper Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls consists of three separate falls, Upper, Middle, and Lower.
-
Upper Yosemite Falls drops clear a distance 1,430 feet.
-
Middle Yosemite Falls drops in cascades a total of 675 feet.
-
Lower Yosemite Falls drops clear a distance of 320 feet.
This gives a total falls height of 2,425 feet, making it the fifth highest
waterfall in the world.
The hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls from Yosemite Valley floor is
short in distance (three and a half miles) but very strenuous (about a 2500 foot
gain in elevation).
Most of the trail is an endless series of switchbacks, built of rock steps,
which take you straight up a rock wall.
Columbia Rock is a vista point along the trail that overlooks the valley.
From the top of Upper Yosemite Falls, an additional eight blocks of fairly
easy uphill trail takes you to Yosemite Point, where you will have a good
overlook of the valley.
The hike took about three hours one way from the valley floor to Yosemite
Point.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
259x400
|
16,243 bytes
|
|
view
|
389x600
|
52,209 bytes
|
Upper Yosemite Falls is seen in the distance from a meadow in Yosemite
Valley.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x264 |
15,194 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x527
|
74,350 bytes
|
Yosemite Valley as seen from Columbia Rock, which is a vista point about a
mile up the trail to Upper Yosemite Falls.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400 |
16,810 bytes
|
|
view
|
390x600
|
52,813 bytes
|
Trees and bushes surround this image of Upper Yosemite Falls, as seen from
near its base.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
260x400
|
13,956 bytes
|
|
view
|
390x600
|
42,626 bytes
|
Water crashes down more than 1,400 feet from the top of Upper Yosemite
Falls into a pool at its base.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
261x400 |
14,376 bytes
|
|
view
|
392x600
|
43,917 bytes
|
This is a close-up of Upper Yosemite Falls, where the trail comes close to
the falls.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x261 |
11,060 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x522
|
52,351 bytes
|
This view looks out across Yosemite Valley from the trail to Upper Yosemite
Falls.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x268 |
11,823 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x535
|
53,276 bytes
|
The hiker sees a glimpse of Upper Yosemite Falls from the trail heading up
to the top. Half Dome is visible in the background. Yosemite Point is the
bluff up and to the right of the falls.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x266 |
13,602 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x531
|
64,751 bytes
|
Looking down Upper Yosemite Falls from the top of the falls. The tops of
those trees below are about half a mile straight down!
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x264
|
15,502 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x527
|
71,020 bytes
|
Mike stands in front of the safety rail at Yosemite Point.
Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome are in the background.
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
400x267
|
18,279 bytes
|
|
view
|
800x533
|
89,221 bytes
|
A barefoot slack line walker practices his skills at Yosemite Point. His
line is two, one inch wide nylon webbing sleeves, one threaded inside the
other. He also does this with his line strung between Yosemite Point and
the nearby Lost Arrow Spire. Sometimes he works without a safety harness,
perhaps a thousand feet in the air!
-
| Quality |
Pixels |
File Size |
|
preview
|
261x400
|
12,415 bytes
|
|
view
|
392x600
|
37,468 bytes
|
Lower Yosemite Falls, dropping 320 feet, as seen from Yosemite Valley. A
good example of extreme rock weathering shows to the left of the falls.
