You, Me, Yosemite

If you want to know how to maximize your time in Yosemite in just three days, catch the most picturesque sunsets, find some less-publicized gems (and the popular ones too), drip with sweat (and the stream water that you splashed yourself with), end up with snow in your shoes in the dead of the summer, and be Ansel Adams overlooking the layers of Yosemite during horizontal lighting with your black and white film camera, this is the post for you.

Day 1: Sequoias and Sunsets

Upon arriving in SF, we picked up the rental car and rolled out to the desert, of course with the mandatory In N Out stop. If you’re feeling like maximizing your maximization, first travel north to John Muir Woods first (about an hour out) and then head to Yosemite. However, we chose to not do this. For this trip, we stayed in a retro glamping Airbnb located an hour outside of the park in Ahwahnee that came equipped with a campfire and roasting skewers.

After dropping off our stuff, we visited Mariposa Grove as we were closer to the south entrance of the park. To get there, make sure to take advantage of the shuttle service that picks you up right at the parking lot a mile away from the grove. Connor and I hiked the one-mile loop backward (less congestion this way!) and were blown away by the giant sequoias. Because sunsets are central to our relationship, we dipped out at 5PM (and to avoid the last-minute crowd to take the final shuttle back to the parking lot) to make the one hour drive to Glacier Point.

By the time we got to the winding hill descending into Glacier Point, there was already a line of cars waiting to park. My advice is to turn around (if you’re in the right position to) and simply park at the lot above Glacier Point where spots are abundant. If you really wanted that Glacier Point shot, you can carefully jog your way down. However, Washburn Point boasts an equally breathtaking view of Yosemite Valley with full visibility of all the major points, including Half Dome, El Capitan, and all the waterfalls. The only difference is that you’ll be seeing a different face of them, but who doesn’t love variety?? After the sunset and its lingering glow, we made the winding descent back to our Airbnb.

Day 2: Everything on Tioga Road

I don’t really know how we did this and I have to thank is Rx bars and Connor for this leg of the trip. Keep in mind that food is -not abundant- and your last option will be the gas station at Crane Flat. After that, you better hope you have an old granola bar stored in the glove compartment.

Even though we were entering the park around 9AM, there was still a line that took almost an hour to work through. Our goal was to make it to Tuolomne Meadows, which would take possibly six hour to drive thanks to winding roads that hug the side of the mountain and low speed limit. Along the the way, we stopped at a waterfall on Big Oak Road where Cascade Creek was falling directly in front of you. Once we got on Tioga Pass, we pulled over around Groveland to hike to Lukens Lake (maybe 2 miles?) The path was not always clear cut, but we followed a stream that led to the lake amongst the occasional fellow hiker and snow-packed mountainside. This was a very serene hike that ultimately led to a lake that some campers were swimming in. After many more roadside stops, Olmsted Point was next. There is a lookout point right at the parking lot, but I would recommend doing the quarter of a mile hike to really be able to get a 360 view of the park and Half Dome. Not much further along Tioga Pass is one of my favorite stops, Tenaya Lake. I wish I could have had the foresight to bring a picnic lunch, kayaks, and towels because this is the perfect place to sun on the rocks with the occasional dip in the crystal clear water. Finally, with just one Rx bar left to split, Connor and I reached Tuolomne Meadows. The landscape is incredibly different from the mountainous region of Yosemite with vast greenery, rivers, and lowlands. Starting at the Lembert Dome parking lot, we did the 1.5 mile loop to Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge. I was so excited to see carbonated water bubbling out of the ground, but I will admit it was a little anticlimactic. Nonetheless, it’s not something you will see every day. With the sun going down, we made began our trek back to Ahwahnee. It was the perfect time to view Inspiration Point with the variation in shadows (hello Ansel) and we got a good look at El Capitan by exiting through Yosemite Valley. Our reward for our long day was a dinner of roasted hot dogs and s’mores over the campfire.

Day 3: Yosemite Valley and Mirror Lake

The last segment of our trip took place in Yosemite Valley, a very popular place to park in (we got lucky with a spot way back in the Valley Lodge). This area was very touristy because of the large parking lots, two hotels in the area, and tour/shuttle buses that regularly passed through. Unlike all the previously hot days, we were sprayed by the mist of Yosemite Falls from the lower viewing point and I found myself in a Patagonia most of the time. Somehow, a post picnic walk on the Valley Loop Trail became the start to a 7 mile hike to Mirror Lake. A noteworthy (and close) stop is the horse stock camp that is not too far of a hike on the Valley Loop Trail where we got to chat with one of their caretakers who helped us distinguish between the horses and mules.

I would have to say that the hike on the Mirror Lake Loop was well worth the sweat, lack of preparation, and realization that there was a shuttle from the Majestic Hotel. Don’t get me wrong, I love hiking, but not on a shared single bottle of water and nothing more than graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. When we first arrived at the lake, it didn’t seem like it was anything more than an overgrown, stagnant body of water. As we didn’t plan ahead for the hike, we didn’t know what to expect but held on to the idea that it had to be something special. So, if you walk around the loop and walk further down Tenaya Creek, you’ll find crystal clear water, but in a different way than Ludkens Lake and Tenaya. This water was extremely still in certain spots, which made it the perfect spot to jump in, and there was just the boulder to do so. It took the walk back to the entrance of the lake to see the mirror effect of the mountain of the lake, undoubtedly a photographer’s dream. After another sad snack break of crackers, we scurried back to the parking lot to make the drive back to Sunnyvale. Along route 120 was a cash-only fruit stand overflowing with Californian produce and I couldn’t help but stock up. It was the perfect cap to a very, very wholesome national park adventure.

I think what surprised me the most about this trip was 1) how big Yosemite is and how much it has to offer, but also 2) the number of bodies of water that are just as worthy to stop for. Though they were all freezing cold (considering they were filled by melting glacier snow…) but I’d like to swim in it one day on a particularly hot day. There is still so much more to adventure in, unlike how small Joshua Tree is, and I can’t wait to return, hopefully during the super bloom or to view the stars under the dark skies.