Summer 09- Summiting Lembert Dome in Yosemite, (Tuolumine meadows in the background)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Yosemite Valley & Mariposa Grove

Our second day in Yosemite took us from the cool air of the high elevation Tuolumne Meadows to the valley floor almost 3,000ft below. The 40 mile drive took over an hour due to the windy mtn road and countles scenic view points.

Our first view of the valley and the north side of half dome.

Yosemite Valley - El Capitan,(left), Half Dome, (center) and Bridalveil Falls, (right)

Yosemite Falls

The halfway point of hiking to the top of Vernal Falls

Hundreds of steps but each one taking us closier to our goal.

Vernal Falls

Bryce climbing through the mist.

The view from the top.

The Ahwahnee Lodge where we recovered after the great hike and celebrated Erica's birthday, (11).


The birthday girl!
Rested and refreshed, we next went to the visitor center and then another hr drive to the south entrance of the park to the Mariposa Grove, which is home to several hundred giant sequoias. Again, pictures do not give you the true prespective of these monster trees that are 18ft across and up to 300' tall.


The root ball of a fallen sequoia.

A giant in the mist of full size cedars and firs.

The base of another sequoia that had been cut out to all carriages to drive through in the early 1900's. This tree was still very much alive, towering heaven-ward and seemed unphased by man's efforts to entertain himself.

1 comment:

AmyB said...

What an awesome summer you guys have had!! I can't wait until Damion (and siblings) are old enough to enjoy fun trips like that! Thanks for sharing the pictures.