enjoyed El Capitan, tunnels, Half Dome,
Inspiration Trail
and more at Yosemite National Park
- April 30, 2009 |
| El Capitan is a favorite
for EXPERIENCED rock climbers. Rising more than 3,593 feet above the Valley
floor, it is the largest monolith of granite in the world. El Capitan is
opposite Bridalveil Fall and is best seen from the roads in western Yosemite
Valley, including Tunnel View, the Bridalveil Fall area, and El Capitan Meadow.
These various views are shown below -- plus more good stuff! |
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| Yosemite Valley at El Capitan Meadow, located
along one-way Northside Drive, provides a view straight up El Capitan and
a great view of Cathedral Rocks, as well. |
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| Below: You can tell the size of El Capitan
because the two RV Gypsies were dwarfed in the photos. |
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Below: The backside of
El Capitan - it looked so different from this angle. |
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Below: In Yosemite Valley,
the Sentinel Bridge is famous for its views of the waterfall and Half
Dome reflected in the Merced River. |
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| Below: The Tunnel View provided
one of the most famous views of Yosemite Valley. From here the two RV Gypsies
saw El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall rising from Yosemite Valley, with Half
Dome in the background. This viewpoint is at the east end of the Wawona
Tunnel along the Wawona Road (Highway 41). |
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Below: View from the back
side of the tunnel - Lee Duquette liked the balancing
rock at the top. |
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View from the popular side
of the tunnel, known as Tunnel View - the first
sign shown below identifies the different rock formations in the photos
below. |
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The photos below contain the rock formations
shown in the signs above. Below are some brief descriptions. |
Half Dome is perhaps the most recognized symbol
of Yosemite and Yosemite's most distinctive monument as it dominates most
views in Yosemite Valley. Rising nearly 5,000 feet above the Valley floor,
it is one of the most sought-after landmarks in Yosemite. Some people even
hike or rock-climb to the top! Forces of uplift, erosion from rivers and
glaciers, plus rock fall all shaped this famous feature. |
| Sentinel Rock, like a sentry, overlooks Yosemite
Valley,
along the opposite side of the Valley From Yosemite Falls. |
Cathedral Rocks and Spires form the eastern
side of the canyon through which Bridalveil Creek flows. Some people think
these rocks, just opposite of El Capitan, are even more impressive than
El Capitan! |
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Below: Clouds Resting on the mountains |
Below: Looking down |
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| Views from hiking up Inspiration Trail - The two RV Gypsies
hiked up higher than the elevation of Bridalveil Fall. Strangely
enough, they got cell phone service up there (so they called their grand-daughter). Yet they did not get cell phone service down in other areas of Yosemite National
Park, and not in the campground either. Interesting! |
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Below is the top of the mountain where the two RV Gypsies hiked to. |
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And now - here are actual
photos from the hike up Inspiration Trail |
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| Below: Although the trail is just over one
mile each way, it is a very steep, rocky trail and a bit strenuous. But
the breath-taking view is well worth the hike. |
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Below: Another view from
the trail |
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Below: There was a light
rain, thus water spots on the camera lens in these photos |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies
were getting rained on as they hiked and the fog was settling in again. |
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Below: Despite the weather,
the two RV Gypsies enjoyed the beautiful wild flowers along the trail. |
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