Rambling in Yosemite – November 9 & 29

With winter fast-approaching, I’ve been looking for ways to continue hiking all year-round. When I lived in New England, winters were very cold and while trails were accessible, the weather was fickle and it could be deadly to get caught out in marginal conditions. Plus, the scenery there did not hold a candle to anything on the West Coast which just made it that much harder. Now that I live in California with Yosemite just a stone’s throw away, getting out there in the winter is so much easier. I visited Yosemite Valley in peak fall conditions a few weeks ago and again this week at the onset of winter conditions to get some conditioning hikes in.

Cathedral Rocks with a blanket of fall foliage.

My visit on November 9th was actually my first time ever in Yosemite Valley. Prior to that visit, I had only driven through the park on Hwy 120 and all I have to say is: wow! I can’t believe what I’d been missing out on all these years. I did a short hike up the Four-Mile Trail to Glacier Point — 4.6 miles and 3200 ft of elevation gain. The most shocking part for me was how quickly I was able to hike without the obstacles of a heavy, overnight pack and reduced oxygen at high elevation (the trailhead is at 4000 ft and the high point is at 7200 ft).

Glacier Point tends to be very crowded when the road to the overlook is open as it was on my first trip. On my second, though, it was closed and 1-2 feet of snow blanketed the entire area. I only saw five other hikers in the half hour I spent at the overlook before heading back down – definitely the best way to experience it!

Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon from near Glacier Point.

I casually wandered around the valley floor to map out the classic photo spots for future winter and spring visits since I definitely want to come back and experience Yosemite with a fresh coat of snow and lush vegetation. I spent a bit of time at Valley View (great) and Tunnel View (horribly crowded and I left after a few minutes) and tried (but failed) to find the classic vantage point of Three Brothers reflected on the Merced River. I wrapped up in the afternoon and was home by 5 PM – truly a blessing to live so close to such beautiful wilderness.

Half Dome and surrounding environs with an early winter coat.

Here’s to hoping the next visit to Yosemite is right after a fresh snowfall!

—Justin