When in the backcountry of Yosemite, you shouldn’t pass up the hike to Ten Lakes. While the 6.3-mile walk may seem, at first, a bit overwhelming, the bright colors and dramatic natural landscape will keep you going. The trail's terrain goes from a granite valley to a forest to an open field to on top of the world. The surrounding mountaintops form a surreal backdrop. At Ten Lakes the chilled waters are a welcome high-altitude respite.
When in the backcountry of Yosemite, you shouldn’t pass up the hike to Ten Lakes. While the 6.3-mile walk may seem, at first, a bit overwhelming, the bright colors and dramatic natural landscape will keep you going. The trail's terrain goes from a granite valley to a forest to an open field to on top of the world. The surrounding mountaintops form a surreal backdrop. At Ten Lakes the chilled waters are a welcome high-altitude respite.
Yosemite National Park is full of splendor and beauty around every corner with breath-taking vistas and its myriad of waterfalls. Bridal Veil Falls is always a stop for cars and tour buses alike as they enter the Yosemite Valley. Many take in the view from the bottom of the falls, but for a slightly adventurous and more unique perspective, the top basin will provide you with an unequaled, and less crowded, view (tip – look for the hidden staircase behind the large rock). From this vantage point, its namesake of Bridal Veil becomes clear as the mist refreshingly cascades down upon you and looking into the basin, you are guaranteed a rainbow, which is not visible from down below.
For my mother's 50th birthday, all she wanted was to spend a nice weekend in Yosemite with my sister and me. Forsaking our backpacking gear, we shelled out $100 for a cabin tent and brought some wine, but other than that we were Wilderness Women. At least, until we met a nice Orange County couple who suggested we dine at the Awahnee Hotel, an idea we easily warmed up to once we witnessed the charm and grandeur of the place. Alas, once the polite, dignified maitre d' took note of our zip-up hoodies and travel-beaten homemade birthday cake in hand, he informed us of the dining room policies and directed us toward the bar, which luckily offered a full menu. After taking our fill of beer, cheeses, fish chowder and Duncan Hines, we decided our prohibition from the Awahnee dining room, with its suits, pumps and delicate chatter, was nothing to cry about. I won't lie though--I imagine that an Awahnee suite would have blown our tent cabin out of the water.
If you could take just one photo:
Yosemite National Park
The thin air at 8,000 feet will cause you to huff and puff, but Sentinel Dome at Yosemite National Park is worth it – once you reach the top of the dome, you’re greeted with the only 360-degree view of the park, including waterfalls, El Capitan, and the ultimate Yosemite icon: Half Dome. A far cry from Yosemite Valley – with its hordes of people -- Sentinel Dome often offers only a few people and plenty of solitude, where the only sounds are likely to be the rushing water of the falls. I recommend arriving in time for the setting sun to create pink, purple, and orange waves across the reflective granite. Be sure to descend soon after – and have a headlamp at the ready.
As our sun slowly rises over Yosemite National Park, warming its valleys, peeking through slits between cone-bearing pines and towering oaks, temporarily melting the chill off your skin, one possesses an unspoken appreciation of the awe-inspiring beauty of their surroundings. Only interrupted by a squirrel rummaging through fallen leaves, a sense of excitement overwhelms the visitor anticipating the hike ahead. At an elevation of 8,836 ft, Half-Dome’s Summit soars 4,737 ft above the valley floor, creating an entire day of strenuous, knee-trembling trudging past waterfalls and streams in California’s backyard. However, as one reaches the summit, the park welcomes one with breathtaking views of the glacier-formed valley floor.
Only 4 hours from San Francisco, Yosemite’s iconic scenery is simply breathtaking. You’ll swear that you’re looking at a painting or a post card. Whether you drive up for the day, camp, or pamper yourself at a luxury hotel, Yosemite has it all: Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Mariposa’s giant redwoods, hiking, biking, climbing, camping, river tubing, ice skating, swimming, skiing, snowshoeing, exploring, experiencing nature and wildlife, or just chill by a campfire. Mix and match your accommodations, local attraction, activity and season and live a different experience every time.
You've been to Yosemite National Park and found it well-visited, over-visited, and even tourist-choked. Which is why it's important to get off the beaten path – even when the paths are well-marked. Spend your next trip avoiding the central lodge area altogether and looking at things from a smaller scale. Giant trees and enormous waterfalls are nice, but some of the best scenery of Yosemite is low to the ground, behind larger rocks and trees, and along the smaller, less-traveled paths. With a little change in perspective, you'll soon find even the smallest things can feel hugely rewarding.
Traffic jams are the norm along the few roads that lead into and out of Yosemite Valley. In summer, that is. Spring and fall are crowded too so if you want to get a feel for Yosemite as it was before you had to Photoshop people out of all of your shots, try visiting in the cold of winter. Camp if you’re really hearty or stay at one of the warm lodges but either way, you’ll experience a completely different place even if you’ve been many times before. The snow capping Half Dome and the frozen waters of Yosemite Falls take on a quiet, black-and-white-like feel. This must be what Ansel Adams saw.
You've seen the pictures. You know that these are big trees. Old trees. Trees that were around probably before the birth of Christ. Still, nothing prepares you for the first time you see not just one, but a few, a grove. Some of them growing together like families, others like old couples, and then the loners far away from the rest. Trees so impressive they've got names, and seem to have personalities. You can't even see the entire tree up close. You have to stand back — way back if you can, if you want to see Sherman, the Grizzly, the Faithful Couple, or any of the others in Yosemite and neighboring parks. You'll wonder at their immensity. You'll wonder how much longer they will be there after you die.
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