Yosemite Valley, Beauty and Granite on a Grand Scale

Monday morning we started out early to make the trip in to the Yosemite Valley. First we had a 35 minute drive from June Lake to California Route 120 west and up…

this precarious road…

through the Tioga Pass, which at 9,945 feet is the highest mountain pass on a California highway.

It is also the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park.

But getting to the park doesn’t get you to the valley. It is another 63 miles and over an hour and a half to get there.

It is a stunningly beautiful drive, with forests…

and granite peaks all around.

We passed beautiful Tenaya Lake.

Near there amid…

bare granite hills…

is Olmsted Point.

Here you can get your first look at Half Dome, that sits at the head of the Yosemite Valley.

We didn’t stop here on Monday, wanting to give this place the time it deserved. We stopped Wednesday on our way out from another hike.

But this is the top of the Yosemite Valley, looking down Tenaya Canyon.

If there is one single place where you can see the grandeur of this place, it is here. On Monday we only caught a glimpse as we drove by.

We still had 46 miles and over an hour to drive to the valley.

Finally, after emerging from a long tunnel,

you see the Merced River in its valley below. After a long descent and two more short tunnels,

you reach the valley floor. That’s Bridal Veil Falls ahead on the right.

Further along is El Capitan.

We stopped for a view…

of El Capitan…

and the beautiful river.

We drove on past the Upper Yosemite Falls…

and parked near the top of the valley. We took a path there…

that crossed the beautiful Merced River. Downstream you could see the upper falls;

upstream more beautiful granite walls.

We came out in a meadow with a great view of the front side of Half Dome. This is the heart of Yosemite National Park, and photos cannot convey how dramatic this valley feels when you are in it.

It took us eight hours to get in and out and spend just about two hours on the valley floor,

but it was worth it.