YOSEMITE NAT'L PARK

Mount Whitney (14,491ft)
Driving from Death Valley to Yosemite entering the Sierra Nevadas, we drove right by our highest peak in the lower 48 states. (only 60 feet higher than our Mt. Elbert in Colorado; near the middle, rather undistinguished; in fact, we had to ask which one it was . . .snicker, snicker!)




Visiting Yosemite Nat'l Park was both inspiring and depressing for me as a "Parks professional" for my entire life. This area is obviously one of the most beautiful spots on our planet. I can certainly see what Olmstead and Muir felt when they set about to protect and preserve this area as a National Park. Thank you for your efforts.
The bad news is that, in my opinion, we've totally overdeveloped the Valley, and it's a perfect example of "loving our environment to death". Sorry, guys, we blew it. Yosemite makes me happy, and very sad.


Yosemite Falls. What I'm not showing in the pic are the other hundreds of visitors around us. But it's still worth coming to see.





Catching up on emails to the kids from Curry Village.


Jeep under El Capitan. There is a controversial issue in Yosemite right now. Due to the fact that natural forest fires have not been allowed to burn in the Valley for a hundred years now, the tree canopy makes it difficult to see the canyon walls surrounding the visitors, and it's actually an unhealthy environment for the trees themselves. The Park Service is now considering tree removals in some areas. It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature.









Climbers, close view

Climbers, far view

Climbers, farther view

Climbers, farthest view


Arriving at the overlook of "Glacier Point" is definitely one of those "holy cow" moments.


Nan facing her fear of heights. This view from Glacier Point is just amazing.


Left side of Half Dome

Right side of Half Dome




The rock point on the left side of this pic is famous for an old early 1900s photo that has two ladies standing on it in a one-legged dance position. Nan refused to do a reinactment.


Jim, contemplating joining a condor on its flight over the Valley.


View looking straight down onto our Upper Pines Campground.


Nan was very tickled about these mandatory "Bear Boxes" in the campground. Before I went to sleep in the tent everynight, I could just lock her up in there and she'd sleep like a log.


This is the Yosemite Valley Nat'l Park brochure shot of Half Dome from up on Glacier Point. This has got to be one of the most spectacularly beautiful vistas on our continent . . . despite my personal disappointment with what we've done to the Valley below. If you visit Yosemite, you've GOT to take the time to drive up this road. It's closed in winter, Nov-May.