When people mention Yosemite National Park, the Half Dome comes to mind. The famed 16-mile Half Dome cable hike is a bucket list item for many hikers, but securing a permit is not easy. Luckily, there are other challenging trails within the park such as the Upper Yosemite Falls hike and the Four Mile Trail. Joe and I were lucky to have done the Half Dome hike back in 2015, and we knocked out the Upper Yosemite Falls trail two years ago, so we were left with one more to tackle.
The trail ascends 3,200 ft over 4.8 miles from the valley floor to Glacier Point, which offers unparalleled views of the North Dome.Fortunately for non hikers, Glacier Point can be accessed by car. We drove up for this sunset view the night before our actual hike.If one decides to hike up to Glacier Point, one will need to commit to the 9.6-mile round trip since there are no shuttle buses between the valley floor and Glacier Point.The unrelenting push uphill is achieved over a series of endless switchbacks.And the best time to start the hike is early in the morning (we started at 7:30am) as the trail is shaded throughout. Once the sun is over the rock walls hikers will unfortunately find themselves hiking in full sun, which was brutal during this week’s extreme heat wave.For most of the hike, the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls are in full view. The eagle eyed (and in the know) will also be able to trace the Upper Yosemite Falls trail.At about half way up the trail – first glimpse of Half Dome.Shaded area shortly before reaching the top.Three hours later we found ourselves amongst fellow non hikers at Glacier Point. Our heavy breathing immediately eclipsed by a cacophony of various languages.The iconic Half Dome and the Nevada and Vernal Falls
After a brief rest and lunch break, we made our retreat downhill. Back in the arms of peaceful solitude.
FIRE'd @ 47 