Kyle, Jensen, Mike and I just got back from spending the past 8 days backpacking and hiking in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. We flew into Las Vegas and made the 5.5hr drive to the Mammoth Lakes area. Our first day was spent doing the Cloud's Rest Trail in Yosemite National Park. This famous trail gives spectacular views of one of the most iconic rock features in North America: Half Dome.
The hike was quite strenuous, with a couple of thousand feet of elevation gain in the first half of this 25km long trail. But the views did not disappoint! Below are a few pictures from the top.
This raven was hanging out on top of Cloud's Rest, I like the shot below with Half Dome in the background. We could see people climbing Half Dome, like tiny ants, with my binoculars.
The trail narrows on either side as you approach the summit, and the sheer rock in the canyons below is something to behold.
Yosemite is such a fabulous place, isn't it. Thanks for sharing the wonderful landscape. I've been there three times, all prior to the mid '90s, and was mesmerized by its beauty. With a young family at the time, we didn't do any extensive hiking like you did, just experienced it from the main thoroughfares. The park was crowded enough back then, but I've read where it is much more crowded these days. I guess if one gets far enough away and into the wilderness areas like you did, the crowds are minimal to non-existent, probably the way Ansel Adams experienced it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Allen, yes it is a wonderful spot with amazing scenery! It was definitely busy compared to other wilderness areas I am used to, but once you get a few miles in, things really start to clear out, especially once the going gets tough! I have always been a fan of Ansel Adams photos, so it was neat to see some of it first hand.
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