Day two at Yosemite

October 4, 2012--Thursday

We have been away from home 4 weeks today!  WOW!!!

Today we are up early and just had coffee and a power bar on the road.... We have a lot to see today.

Our first stop today was what they call tunnel view in Yosemite.....

Pictures are a little hazy because of the fire, but still beautiful...



El Capitan in fore ground and half dome peaking out in the back.

 

 

 

After viewing this for a while, we went on up to Glacier Point!  Even more beautiful than this.  It over looks the valley with interesting views of half dome and of Vernal Falls, which was the only falls we saw running while in the park.

 

 

Half Dome from Glacier Point.

 

 

View of the valley..... at the bottom is where mirror lake would be.

 

 

Here we are!!

 

 

 

View of the waterfall viewed from glacier point.

 

 

This interesting view is of the back side of half dome.

 

After staying at Glacier Point for a while enjoying the views, we are on to the Meriposa Grove where the big Sequoia trees of Yosemite park are.

 

 

Big trees, bigger than the redwoods.

 

 

 

Standing tunnel tree.  People used to drive their old cars through this tree.  Now just people go through it.

 

 

This is the fallen tunnel tree.  It fell in 1962 after many years of wagons and cars passing through it.

 

Don and I beside the fallen Tunnel Tree.

 

After viewing these big giant trees, we drive back towards camp, stopping at the Tunnel View one more time.  The view was a little clearer this time.

 

 

We then went on down to the valley floor for a last look at El Capitan!

The interesting story here is that rock climbers make their way up the face of the mountain.  It takes them about 3 days to get to the top so they have to spend the night on the face of the mountain on cots that hang from the mountain!  It is said that at night you can look up the mountain and see the lanterns from the climber's cots along the face of the mountain.

 

We saw about 5 or 6 climbers this time around. 

 

 

Look closely and you can see one of the climbers going up the face of the mountain.  That below him is his gear that he will haul up with him.

 

We have had a great day here at Yosemite National Park.  Tomorrow we will slowly start for Arkansas.  It has been a great vacation and we have seen many wonderful places and things.

However, great as the trip has been, we will be very happy to sleep in our own bed.  There is truly no place like home.

 

Until the next Journey through Life!!!