This blog post is about the number one spot I really wanted to visit on the west coast of the United States: Yosemite National Park. And I apologize in advance, but this is going to be a long post.
TLDR version: Highlight of my time in the US, hands down.
I thought long and hard on how to best approach this destination and had already determined that a daytrip (from San Francisco or anywhere else) wouldn’t cut it. I didn’t want some photo stops on what would otherwise be a day spent in a van or bus. I also didn’t want to rent a car – I’m trying to see how far I can get doing what I want without resorting to renting a car (so far so good).
It wasn’t until near the end of my time in Portland that I found what I was looking for, a four day organized tour to Yosemite National Park (and Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada range). I didn’t have to think about it, I booked it, and would have even without the discount on Viator (thanks Viator!). I’m not one to plug commercial stuff on my blog, but for this one I’ll make an exception because it’s a new tour and it should definitely be kept going. So if you’re thinking of going to Yosemite National Park think about doing the four day Yosemite and Lake Tahoe tour with Incredible Adventures (http://incadventures.com/).
Now on to the trip itself.
It started with a pick-up close to the hostel. I was the first one there and, as it turned out, we were going to be a very small group: two more people and the tour guide Vern. Even better, we were all on the same page concerning what was important and what wasn’t. So when we stopped at supermarkets to get supplies we were in and out of there as fast as we could. When walking/hiking we also kept up a pretty good pace, which meant we had more time to spend in the places that mattered.
Day One – Onward to Adventure
On the first day we left San Francisco and large bastions of civilization behind us. On route we stopped at a small organic farm and store to use the restrooms and get some snacks. Then on we went to a supermarket to get something for lunch as well as next day’s breakfast and a supply of water. Like I said, we were all on the same page and didn’t spend much time here. Vern told us later that on some tours he’d done people spent over an hour in the supermarkets. To me, that’s just insane. Any time spent in a supermarket is time better spent actually going somewhere nice. I’m so glad the others thought the same way.
Our first proper stop was at Tuolomne Grove to have lunch and then see the Sequoia trees. Those trees are so massive, you have to see them for yourself to truly appreciate their scope. I took a lot of pictures, but photos don’t do them justice. It’s a shame too that there are so few of them left. There are two dead trees of note here along the trail. One is like the ruins of a medieval tower of which only the base remains. The trail goes through the tree itself.
Another tree lies on its side and you can crawl through there. You will get dirty though, there’s no escaping that. Took my backpack in there as well, which in hindsight wasn’t the best thing to do – not really enough room to maneuver. Still, I wasn’t comfortable leaving it somewhere and come back for it. You never know who else is on the trail who might want a nice backpack for themselves.
After the grove we headed into Yosemite Valley, where we had several hours to spend. I opted to walk the valley floor on a route Vern pointed out. Alternatively biking was also an option, but I felt more like walking myself. The valley is a wonderful place, and it’s easy to see why the majority of people who come to the park go to the valley. The time of year wasn’t perfect for seeing lots of water, so the waterfalls were mostly gone and the streams were pretty low. I didn’t see Mirror Lake myself, but apparently it was a puddle. Despite that it was beautiful.
At the end of the day we left the park the way we came and checked in at Bug Hostel, which is a place I looked into when I was considering going to the park on my own. We all had a massive place to ourselves, so luxurious. Food was good too.
Day Two – Domes and Lakes
We started the day really, really, early, to go back to the park. This time, instead of the valley, we went up the mountains to hike to Sentinel Dome. From up there you have a great view of the surrounding area. After that we went to Glacier Point, from which we could look down into the valley floor, to see where we walked the day before. At that time more and more people started to show up and it became clear why we had to get up so early: to dodge the crowds! When we came we were the first car there, when we left people were parking on the side of the road.
I felt sorry for the people who’d opted to sleep in. When we came we walked through nature, when we left the place felt like an amusement park with lines.
While we were up there we kept an eye out for bears, but there weren’t any to be seen. Part of me is sad about that, but another is also pretty relieved we didn’t see any, even though black bears aren’t really that dangerous.
Next we travelled through the highlands towards Tenaya Lake for our lunch break and a quick swim in what had to be the highest and coldest lake I ever swam in.
The best part of the day came when we hiked up Lembert Dome. The first part was a trail through the hilly forest, but the last part we climbed up pure rock. We saw some people ahead of us attempt it, going straight up from the end of the forest trail. Apparently that was the dangerous route, because you walk hunched over and that’s when people slip. Instead Vern took us on a circuitous way to the top. On that route it’s possible to say upright the whole way, so your center of gravity keeps you firmly planted on the rock. It was a great climb and an even greater view from way up there.
This was my favorite day of the four days. We did so much and it was all amazing.
Day Three – Devils and Deserts
We stayed the night in a ski-hotel in Mammoth Lakes, in rooms that had lofts! We also rose early to take the bus over to the nearby National Park to see Devil’s Postpile and Rainbow Falls. Again it was worth it coming early because there were few people on the trails. It was also very, very, very cold in the morning. We saw people on the bus geared up for winter, but it wasn’t until we were into the park that we understood why. Brrrr. Luckily I had my rain jacket with me to keep me warm.
Not that I wore it for very long, because once the sun was over the mountain range it got warm quickly.
On this walk we tried very hard to catch the little chipmunks on camera. Those little things are so fast though. I did manage to get a few good shots, even if I do say so myself. The Devil’s Postpile formation looked impressive from down below, but not as impressive as a similar basalt formation I’ve seen on the coast of Iceland. What did impress me was what the Postpile looked like up top: hexagonal tiles, arrayed with a curve like a turtle’s shell. From below we had to double back a bit to get to the path that led up, which is why not many people end up going there.
From there we walked to Rainbow Falls, which took longer than we thought it would. It probably didn’t help that we took pictures of everything that looked interesting, even if we had to leave the path for a bit.
After the morning hike we had Mexican food for lunch at a small lake next to the road, our little discovery. As Vern said, when he takes pictures of something, you know it’s special. And it was special, very picturesque. And very different from the next lake, Mono Lake, a salt lake with unique rocky formations. Mono Lake has been drying up for decades, at some point it may very well be gone, so I am glad we went there. Alternatively we could have gone to a ghost town, but we all decided that the lake would be more worthwhile. To me ghost towns are a dime a dozen (would end up seeing a few in Death Valley, but that’s a story for another post), but Mono Lake is unique.
From there it was a long drive to Lake Tahoe, where we stayed in yet another huge place. We were also close to the beach, which was great, because there are great sunsets to be had at Lake Tahoe, I must say.
Day Four – Yellow Jackets and Labor Day traffic
Too soon the last day of the trip arrived and we headed back to San Francisco, though not directly. Vern took us to a beautiful lake, which wasn’t officially on the tour description, but which was better than spending another few hours at Lake Tahoe (which was the standard of this particular tour). One of the nice things about this tour is that the company gives the guides a lot of freedom in how they realize the itinerary.
The lake was a bit off the beaten path and if you don’t know it’s there you can easily miss the road that goes there. There’s a parking lot at the end, and if it’s full you have to leave. That’s how they keep the lake from being swarmed by people. In our case Vern would have dropped us off and picked us up later, but we were in luck, there were plenty of spaces, so we could all go. After a small hike we got to the lake, where I opted not to have lunch (too many swarming yellow jackets) but did go for a delicious lemonade (and yellow jacket attractor). Had a rest in a hammock too – comfy.
After the lake we drove along the mountain ranges with some last views of Lake Tahoe, before we headed back towards San Francisco. It was the start of the Labor Day weekend and we saw many cars coming into the Sierra Nevada area to escape the cities. I am glad the tour wasn’t during the weekend. That would have been horrible. The crowds we managed to avoid during the trip by going early would have been as nothing compared to the Labor Day hordes.
Going the other way meant we didn’t have a lot of traffic issues. The only time the road got congested was close to Sacramento, but it wasn’t that bad.
And just like that I was back in San Francisco. I am glad I took this tour, to me this was the highlight of my stay in the US.
