When I visited Yosemite National Park for the first time in 2014, I was on day 14 of what had then been my longest driving tour, from Iowa to Fargo to Seattle to San Francisco back to Iowa. One of my favorite pictures was taken during that trip while I stood as close as I am ever likely to come to Half Dome.
I arrived in the park around 8 a.m. Even though the date was April 25th, I was surprised that the line to enter the park wasn’t longer than it was.
I had a reservation to take a scenic train tour on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad that afternoon. This gave me about three hours to drive into the park and drive back to the railroad station.
This time, I opted to start with the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Most visitors had to park their cars and hike or take the shuttle to ride through the section. With the temporary handicap permit I had gotten earlier, I was able to drive myself through the section. It was strange to see only a handful of hikers and no other vehicles around, but I took full advantage of the situation by taking as many pictures as I could.
I was still feeling a little overwhelmed from my day at Sequoia NP, so I suspect my mouth was wide open from seeing those big trees.
Photos can only do so much to give a real sense of perspective, but I will share a few more below. Do click on individual images to enlarge:
The remaining pictures from the day are at https://singin1.click/piwigo/index.php?/category/14.
Coming out of Mariposa, the traffic circle next goes to the route for Yosemite Valley, the most popular section of the park. My time was still plentiful, so I decided to get as close to the tunnel as I could before turning back.
The Shaka Guide audio tour provided a bit of history of that section of Yosemite, but it didn’t prepare me for the view I got as I reached the curve before the Wawoma Tunnel entrance. There, I could see El Capitan and Half Dome in the distance. Of course, I had to get a picture before entering the tunnel.
The Wawona Tunnel opens after a nearly mile-long drive to the famous Tunnel View that contains El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall. Of course, this was a must-stop, with parking or even a drive-through very difficult, but I was lucky to get a position to take some pretty good pictures. One of the pictures is the featured image at the top of this post, and there is another below:
It was time to turn back and make my way to the train tour. I drove back through the tunnel and briefly took a pullout on the other side. It was amazing how many vehicles also exited the tunnel, only to use the pullout to turn around and re-enter! I added a picture of a bus entering the tunnel above to give a sense of the tunnel’s size.
During my drive into the park, I had barely seen the park sign on the side of the road and reminded myself that I wanted to get a picture of it on my way out. There’s really not a pullout where a car can get out of traffic to get a picture. I had to maneuver to get the one posted here and was lucky that the road wasn’t too busy, even at that time.
While the folks in that picture were wearing short-sleeved tops, most folks were wearing jackets. That’s because there was a chill in the air and heavy fog occasionally rolled through.
I turned into the entry of Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad just before the train returned with passengers from a tour. Other than a single closed car for first-class travelers, the rest of the train was open seating. This would have been great for me and my wish to take pictures if it were not for the cool weather.
Unfortunately, the longer I sat waiting to board the train, the more the cold got to me despite wearing my jean jacket. By the time it was time to board, I had decided to decline the ride. I still had several days of travel to go and didn’t want to chance getting sick.
I truly wish I had been able to take the train tour. That I chose not to do so isn’t the company’s fault; in fact, they were more than accommodating by allowing me twice to reschedule when my trip plans changed. They even had food service that I would have been able to take with me on the tour. Next time I’m in the area, I fully intend to ride along with them and tour the park by train.
I refilled the rental car’s tank and got some lunch before returning to Yosemite Valley. Although it was only afternoon, I saw more road traffic leaving the park than entering due to the fog getting thicker.
The same tunnel view that I had seen a few hours earlier was now covered in fog and had far fewer visitors by the afternoon. The picture I posted here not only shows the thickness of the fog, but there are even a few drops of rain. I guess that the hardy folks who were out despite the weather were, like me, only there for the day. We would not have another day to hope things cleared up. Fortunately for me, I had recollections of my first visit twelve years ago and knew that Yosemite was, indeed, a stunningly beautiful park when weather permitted.
Later in the afternoon, the weather did get better. I got a few more pictures before the day ended.
Early the next morning, I drove towards a different park exit that added even more stunning sites, including rock formations, flowing waters, and greenery at the exit.
As always, I thank the Lord for granting me the stamina to make the trip, the damn good reflexes to steer the Silver Bullet (SB) as she needed to be guided, and the ability to enjoy His handiwork as it whizzes by my windshield.
The exit from Yosemite NP would lead me towards my next destination: Pinnacles National Park. Considering my early departure, I hoped to complete the four-hour drive by early Sunday afternoon.
