I wanted to get an early start on Yosemite so I could get some shots of the sunset, so after entering the park around midnight, I drove most of the way to the valley and just parked alongside one of the vistas and set my alarm to get me up a little after dawn. I woke up and drove over to Inspiration Point what is a spot where one has a sweeping view of the valley along with El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. To see the sun peaking over the mountains as the light slowly intensified, the colors and clarity were simply amazing. Almost all the visitors and guide books say the same thing in that pictures simply cannot do this area any justice.
To be in a valley of absolute green with sheer towering walls of stone and to feel the cool breeze as the sun begins the climb is truly breathtaking. I know there will be a lot of pictures in this entry, but I'd suggest clicking on them and seeing a fraction of what even an amateur can capture. After taking in meadow-wide views of Yosemite Falls and El Capitan, I headed over to the visitor's center so I could get a wilderness permit for the next several days of hiking. As in Sequoia, I had to rent and use a bear canister, but after getting the required permits I grab a sandwich at the deli for the trail and went back to the car to organize my gear. It took a while to get everything ready, so I was able to take one of the early shuttles to the trail head.
I decided to try to make a loop
out of it and to hike to Upper Yosemite Falls and plan a return trip via Snow Creek/Mirror Lake, resupply, and then head up the Happy Isles Trail towards Half Dome and back. I had intended to hike to El Capitan, but as I climbed and got near the top (it was a very tough climb that took a few hours [left picture]), a thunderstorm came through the valley. After my last lightning experience, I wasn't about to go a lot higher, so I found a rock outcropping in which to hide and set up my sleeping pad and rain gear and curled up for a well needed nap. A couple of hours later the dangerous part and mostly passed so I continued the climb. On the way up, I almost literally ran into a deer that was heading down the trail. It turned around and went back up the trail for a while until it could find a place to scamper out of the way. Reaching the summit of the falls area was quite an achievement and I was able to drop my pack and head to the falls. It was raining still, but I knew I wouldn't want to miss the views from the falls.
The access to the closest point was extremely precarious. I can now see why a several tourists die each year around the Yosemite Falls. Messing around or a bad slip can be a one way ticket straight down (check out the pictures to the left and right and notice the relationship of the handrails to the edge and valley below). It was like heading up the Stairs of Cirith Ungol towards Shelob's Lair in the last 'Lord of the Rings' movie. Whatever the risk, I think the view and experience is worth it. Because of the rain though, I simply didn't have enough time to make the trek to the top of El Capitain so I just decided to head towards North Dome. Even the areas up here well away from the valley were a beauty to behold, but the rain did put a slight damper on things.
There were a couple of tents pitched along the way, but since I awoke from my nap, I did not see a single soul for the rest of the day. Finally when it was getting dark I threw up my Hennessy hammock right along the trail, cooked dinner, and set in for the night; finally glad to be able to stretch out inside a warm dry sleeping bag.
I wanted to get an early start on Yosemite so I could get some shots of the sunset, so after entering the park around midnight, I drove most of the way to the valley and just parked alongside one of the vistas and set my alarm to get me up a little after dawn. I woke up and drove over to Inspiration Point what is a spot where one has a sweeping view of the valley along with El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. To see the sun peaking over the mountains as the light slowly intensified, the colors and clarity were simply amazing. Almost all the visitors and guide books say the same thing in that pictures simply cannot do this area any justice. 
To be in a valley of absolute green with sheer towering walls of stone and to feel the cool breeze as the sun begins the climb is truly breathtaking. I know there will be a lot of pictures in this entry, but I'd suggest clicking on them and seeing a fraction of what even an amateur can capture. After taking in meadow-wide views of Yosemite Falls and El Capitan, I headed over to the visitor's center so I could get a wilderness permit for the next several days of hiking. As in Sequoia, I had to rent and use a bear canister, but after getting the required permits I grab a sandwich at the deli for the trail and went back to the car to organize my gear. It took a while to get everything ready, so I was able to take one of the early shuttles to the trail head.
I decided to try to make a loop 
out of it and to hike to Upper Yosemite Falls and plan a return trip via Snow Creek/Mirror Lake, resupply, and then head up the Happy Isles Trail towards Half Dome and back. I had intended to hike to El Capitan, but as I climbed and got near the top (it was a very tough climb that took a few hours [left picture]), a thunderstorm came through the valley. After my last lightning experience, I wasn't about to go a lot higher, so I found a rock outcropping in which to hide and set up my sleeping pad and rain gear and curled up for a well needed nap. A couple of hours later the dangerous part and mostly passed so I continued the climb. On the way up, I almost literally ran into a deer that was heading down the trail. It turned around and went back up the trail for a while until it could find a place to scamper out of the way. Reaching the summit of the falls area was quite an achievement and I was able to drop my pack and head to the falls. It was raining still, but I knew I wouldn't want to miss the views from the falls. 
The access to the closest point was extremely precarious. I can now see why a several tourists die each year around the Yosemite Falls. Messing around or a bad slip can be a one way ticket straight down (check out the pictures to the left and right and notice the relationship of the handrails to the edge and valley below). It was like heading up the Stairs of Cirith Ungol towards Shelob's Lair in the last 'Lord of the Rings' movie. Whatever the risk, I think the view and experience is worth it. Because of the rain though, I simply didn't have enough time to make the trek to the top of El Capitain so I just decided to head towards North Dome. Even the areas up here well away from the valley were a beauty to behold, but the rain did put a slight damper on things. 
There were a couple of tents pitched along the way, but since I awoke from my nap, I did not see a single soul for the rest of the day. Finally when it was getting dark I threw up my Hennessy hammock right along the trail, cooked dinner, and set in for the night; finally glad to be able to stretch out inside a warm dry sleeping bag.
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