Title: September 10, 2014 - Taft Point and Sentinel Dome
Trail head: Glacier Point
Hike Info:
Type: Hiking
Trail: Pohono Trail
Destination:Taft and Sentinel Dome
Start Time: 10:05
End Time: 3:57
Travel Time: 5:52 (1.22 mph)
Moving Time: 4:17 (1.66 mph)
Elevation Rise: 1,867'
Maximum Elevation: 8,114'
1I forgot to turn on my GPS on the leg between Taft Point and the Sentinel Dome parking lot. I substituted the GPS data from our
June 2014 hike, modifying the time and date of the hike on the spreadsheet. The rest of the data is from the Sept 10, 2014 hike.
Description:
Fire! Smoke! Sweat! Aircraft! Companionship!
The story of our hike today.
Got up at 4:45am, not needing to get up that early. After having my quiet time, I noticed that the calendar said to meet at Kohl's at 7. But that cannot be! John's hikes always start at 6. But after going back and reading the particulars, yep, I have an hour to be lazy this morning. At Kohl's I acquire John P and Lewis as riders-later on in Fish Camp we will also add Sonya to our collection. Many interesting discussions on the way up: state law and appeals, hiking-of course, and pharmaceutical customer research. It is always amazing what you learn on these hikes.
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| The Pohono Trail |
We get up to
Glacier Point just before 10 and by the time our feet hit the dirt, it is 10. I do not know why, maybe it is doing a 600' slope in the first mile, but whenever I walk the Pohono Trail starting at Glacier Point, I feel like I could die as we climb up this part of the trail. It is not as bad as other trails I have been on. Maybe it is psychological or something. For the most part of our hike, it is a fairly easy walk, once we get beyond the first mile. Later on as I was talking with one of my fellow hikers, I pointed out that when I think something will be really hard, it usually is an easier climb than I prepared my self mentally for; the converse is true too.A bit of rolling over ridges with some great scenes opening up on the valley and the backcountry. What more could a boy want?
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| Smoky West End of Yosemite Valley |
Once we do get beyond that first mile, the hiking gets fun. We get to the trail junction from
Sentinel Dome. Do we climb that first? Or go on to
Taft Point. Wise hikers will do this counter-clockwise; masochists go to the left. By going to Taft Point first, you get to do your ascension gradually. I am all for that.
Right before Sentinel Creek, we get our first good view of the Valley. But I am waiting till we get to the creek as there is one of the better views in my book there. A well worn social trail of about 50 yards goes on the east side of the creek. After the creek starts falling, there is a flat stone-our family has had lunch there before. This view looks down and up the valley-not a view found in the guidebooks I have read. We stop for a few minutes and then continue on, because, in Yosemite, there is ever so much more to see.
And one of those things is coming up soon as we crossed over Sentinel Creek and climb a ridge or two. But along the way, we see squirrels and deer. The deer seemed a bit unusual, in fact there is two of them. When they spot us, they do not run, but they climb up about 20 yards up from us and then it stalks us as we go along.
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| Taft Point |
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| Fissures |
We top a small ridge and drop onto Taft Point. The smoke from the
Meadow Fire is clearing out with the Valley air heating. We pass by the Fissures-always a good thing to gawk at. At times I think of them as cracks into doom-but they do not glow red like Tolkein's Crack of Doom. A good sight we see, being able to see most of the north drainage into Yosemite Valley. From
El Cap to the
Three Brothers to
North Dome. Just a good sight.
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| Clouds Rest and Half Dome |
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| Sentinel Dome |
Now it is onward to Sentinel Dome, via its parking lot along the Glacier Point road. Once we re-climb the 200' up the ridge we descended, the walking turns easy as it is a gentle three-quarters mile walk to the parking lot. Most of us make use of the facilities and then it is onward to the base of Sentinel Dome. While I have climbed this several times, it is always exciting to see the 360 degree view. It is even more exciting to go up it with a person who has never been up here. To see a friend through new eyes is always a blessing. I do fold up my hiking poles, as well as Becky's. On the granite like the dome is, they tend to get more in the way, at least that is what I think.
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| Meadow Fire-Sept 10, 2014 |
The Meadow Fire is what draws my attention. Sherri and I saw it a week ago when it was just in back of the Mt Starr King-it was only 4 acres then and just puffing out a bunch of smoke. But now is a thousand times bigger, making national headlines. We have seen helicopters flying overhead all day long, about one ever 15 minutes or so. They are serious about this mission. I understand that about 570 people are on the ground fighting the fire.
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| Meadow and Clarence King Fire on Sept 2, 2014 |
But the hours is getting late, so down we come. Somehow going back to the car is so much easier. Of course it all downhill. But even downhill can be a strain. For some in our group, today was just a walk in the park; to others it was stretching them to their limits. But by the smiles on all of our faces when we got down to Glacier Point, all had a good time. Even better was the smiles we had in Oakhurst when we stopped at
Reimer's for some mouth watering ice cream. We did get back a bit later than John anticipated, but I did not hear anyone complaining.
Trail Lesson:
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