We had an early start to our day because we wanted to make the drive to Glacier Point for its incredible views! We left our campsite around 6:45AM and headed to Bridalvail Falls, which was formerly known as Pohono Falls. The Native Americans who once lived in Yosemite Valley called it that for the way the falls moved with the winds…and it was really cool to see it in action! This is a short hike, and very popular, so we wanted to get at it early (we had the falls to ourselves, and later in the afternoon we saw it packed!).
It was a long drive up the mountain to get to Glacier Point, but it was definitely worth it! From that point on the mountain, we had an AMAZING panoramic view of Mt. Hoffman, North Dome, Basket Dome, Mt. Watkins, Tenaya Peak, Echo Peaks, Clouds Rest, Half Dome, Mt. Florence, Liberty Cap, Vernal Falls, Nevada Fall, Mt Clark, and Mt. Starr King (see if you can spot them all!)
We had an 11AM reservation for a Yosemite Valley Tour that would take us on a guided tram around the valley for two hours! We definitely recommend taking this tour if you only have a couple of days in Yosemite. The Park Ranger was very knowledgeable about the history of the area, geology, climbing, and the culture of the valley! It was an open tram, so we had unobstructed views of Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Three Brothers, Valley View, Tunnel View, Sentinel Dome, Cathedral Spires, Half Dome, North Dome, Basket Dome…and many more!!
The tour ended right at 1PM and we had the rest of the day to see more of Yosemite. After some lunch, we wanted to hike one of the giant Sequoia trails. Meraposa Grove, the largest of the three groves, was undergoing restoration so it was closed. The Ranger suggested two different trails close to our campsite, so we checked them both out. After looking at each of the trailhead maps, we decided to do the Tuolumne Grove Trail, because of its size and distance. It was a 2-mile roundtrip hike with a 400 ft descent/ascent. The trail was actually the same road that was used by many of its first visitors in the mid-1800s!!
These giant Sequoias were so grand in size…I felt so little next to them! The Redwoods we saw earlier in the trip might’ve been taller, but the diameters of the Sequoias’ trunks were massive!
The 400-ft ascent really took a toll on me, but Joey pushed me through it (not literally)! We went back to camp, made a little campfire, and made some dinner. Tomorrow we’re off to LA to see friends, family, and another beautiful city…so stay posted!