Yosemite National Park: Days Seven and Eight

Yosemite Valley Floor, click for larger view. Yosemite Falls in upper left, Merced River along valley floor, looking north toward the route we took the day before along the tops of those mountains.

"It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter." -- John Muir

We have John Muir, Galen Clark, the Sierra Club, and Theodore Roosevelt to thank for the saving of this amazing mountainous landscape that is nearly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Read John Muir.

Driving north on Route 49

One morning seven of our California adventure, Traveler Five and I headed toward the Rt. 140 entrance to Yosemite National Park. When we got there, we were told that a truck had gone off an embankment and the road was closed. What to do we asked ourselves? Being slightly insane we turned around, drove west down 140, then north up Rt. 49 (not a route for the faint of heart) and then hung a right to head east on Rt. 120 to the 120 entrance to the park. I congratulate Traveler Five for not having a heart attack, a panic attack, and driving us off the steep cliffs as we skirted the heights of the Devil's Dance Floor and headed toward Crane Flat lookout on 49.

Half Dome in the far background

Off Route 120, looking toward Tenaya Lake

Once in the park we stayed on Route 120 and headed out to Toulumne Meadows, an alpine meadow approximately 8000 feet above sea level. We wandered the trails through the meadows, observed all the way by Pocket Pins, also known as Belding's ground squirrels. These little guys pop up all over, scurry around underfoot, hoping hikers drop some of their lunch. Mule deer, or black-tailed deer were also all over the meadow. They seemed unperturbed by the many humans wandering nearby. Mountain chickadees flitted through the trees lining the trails.

Toulumne Meadows

The ever-present Pocket Pin

Yes, we eat potato chips too. (I did not give the squirrel food)

I like artificial coloring apparently.

Hey, someone get me more chips!!!

Toulumne Meadows. Use a circular polarizing filter on your camera to get water that clear.

Toulumne Meadows

Toulumne Meadows

Toulumne Meadows

Toulumne Meadows

Toulumne Meadows

Toulumne Meadows

Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

'Scuze me while I itch my nose. Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

Mule deer, Toulumne Meadows

Great Basin Fritillary butterflies in love

Purplish Copper?

We then headed back west down -- and I do mean down -- toward Tenaya Lake. Brewer's blackbirds greeted us as we got out of the car. This is a lovely spot to sit on the rocky shore and just enjoy the ever shifting shades of green and blue of the lake under the bluest of skies.

The shifting colors of Tenaya Lake

The shifting colors of Tenaya Lake

A look under the waters of Tenaya Lake

A look under the waters of Tenaya Lake

And then down I drove us, down, down, down to the valley floor.

The Merced River and the Valley Floor. That is Bridalveil Falls on the right.

The Last Day

Day Eight was our final day. We drove up to Glacier Point for a view of the whole of Yosemite Valley. On the way we drove through an area where a controlled burn was going on. This is a frequent occurrence in the park. The smoke can block what are otherwise amazing views. But as we wound our way into the heights we left smoke and fire behind for clear air and crystal skies.

Raven

Half Dome

The Valley Floor from Glacier Point. Click for larger view to see the man on the outcropping for scale. He was literally jumping up and down out there....

Western Gray Squirrel

Western Gray Squirrel

Leaving California

Driving west down Route 140 back to San Francisco and the airport.

I love these colors

Driving down toward the Central Valley

Goodbye, California