Glacier Point | Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park: We had a great day in Yosemite National Park. Yes, it is still crowded. Yes, it is still flooded. No Matter - they opened the road to Glacier Point yesterday afternoon!  On the way to the park, we stopped to fill-up the Honda.

We bought 5.7 gallons

Ouch.

The road up to Glacier Point is very pretty, through a dense forest, with few view points. The last few miles is so twisty-turny that I was a bit car sick, and I don't even get car sick. But an awful drive is rewarded with what may be the best Vista In America. From Glacier Point, we could see Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, the Merced River, Tenaya Canyon, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls and several Sierra Peaks! What a view!

Half Dome from Glacier Point


Yosemite Falls with Yosemite Valley below

On the way back to the valley floor, we stopped again to snap more photos of the fabulous valley. Here is the same shot from Monday - with a few clouds.

El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridal Veil Falls

Our longest hike of the day was from the parking lot to the Visitor Center! Not too much is open yet in the park and I needed to buy postcards. We also quite enjoy the Ansel Adams Gallery near the Visitor Center and always love the NPS book stores! The place was crawling with people, even though we both felt there were fewer visitors to the park today. It has not rained, but due to the very hot weather, the snow is melting like crazy and we guessed the Merced River had risen about two feet in two days! Water is every where! The river has spilled her banks into parking lots, campgrounds, meadows and on most of the roads. Don't mess with Mother Nature!

Which would be a good mantra for the crazy guys we watched climbing El Capitan! We stopped at the meadow across from Yosemite Falls on the way home to look up into the granite to spot climbers. With the help of the finished-climbers and tourists also searching, we spotted seven different groups. The climbers are only little dots and are very, very, very difficult to spot. Most of the conversations went something like this: "See the top of that tall tree? Okay, follow the line of that tree up to the dark spot on the cliff, then look left until you come to a light spot that looks like a boot... could I please use your bug spray?"  It takes three or four days to scale "El Cap". So, think about it. That means you have to hang from a rope off El Capitan for three nights... in a hammock and a sleeping bag. (I am assuming these people do not tell their Mothers where they are spending their Memorial Day vacation.)

A quiet night around the campground. DT grilled chicken and we had baked potatoes and steamed green beans. Delicious dinner.

RV Park: Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Campground in Groveland - about 20 miles from Oak Flat Entrance to Yosemite National Park.