April 11, 2015 - Yosemite Valley East Loop

Title: April 11, 2015 - Yosemite Valley East Loop

Trail head: Camp Curry parking lot

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: Valley Loop Trail

Destination:Loop

Distance: 11.33 miles ¹

Start Time:  9:46

End Time:   3:28

Travel Time: 5:41 (1.99 mph)

Moving Time: 4:21 (2.60 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,250'

Maximum Elevation: 4,334'

 ¹Some of the GPS' on the trip recorded above 13 miles. I went a little farther in going back up Tenaya Canyon to meet one of our hikers which did not start with us. Some of the figures include:

• Distance: 12.40 miles
• Moving Time: 4:47 (2.59 mph)
• Elevation Rise: 1,369'

Description:
This meetup hike's list started with 25 people going and a wait list of another 20. But by the time Saturday morning rolled around, we had 16 people with us. Oh well. It was another Kohl's starting place at 7am on a Saturday morning. We met up with Lianne and Micheal in Oakhurst at Starbucks. Then onward to Camp Curry.

We get to Camp Curry's parking lot, the big one to the east of Camp Curry a little before 9:30. Jon and LaTanya were meeting us there, but I do not see any sign of them. So I do a brief walk over to Curry Village and find Jon coming towards me. But no LaTanya, so we start out on our walk around the east end of Yosemite Valley, following the Valley Loop Trail. Jon turns out to be very knowledgeable about the Valley and I enjoyed listening to him.

Merced River at Happy Isles

We walk up the road to Happy Isles, all in our group. Happy Isles is the first of four scheduled stops. Why Happy Isles? Mostly because there are bathrooms with flush toilets available there.  But there is also a good sense of beauty surrounding this place which from Muir comes  a Tennyson quote in Ulysses:

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

With some water in the Merced, the river is singing a melody, but for how long is what I wonder? We round the bend and take the trail which which parallels the road, but most of the time is far enough away you do not hear Yosemite's quiet shuttle buses. So we are content with talk amongst ourselves, enjoying each others company. Even though Yosemite is pretty dry for this time of year, we still see dogwoods in bloom, along with an occasional redbud. This is the place which Yosemite gives us, the gentle green of plants growing amongst the giants of granite. May we always have the wisdom to appreciate them.

Mirror Lake, Pond?

Ahwiyah Point Rockfall

We approach the junction where we can go to Mirror Lake from the west or the east. Our path lays the longer way, around the east. It has been many a year since I went this way. In 2009, there was a rock fall from Ahwiyah Point which closed the trail. But now we are able to hike it. We perceive the slide and how much rock has come down. I understand why the park service felt it prudent to wait years to make sure no more boulders would come crashing down. As massive as this rock fall was, it was not terribly large by historic standards. Such as it was not as large as the 1996 Glacier Point fall.

Teneya Creek-South

Teneya Creek-North

But onward we go. We soon come to a couple footbridges, one crossing Tenaya Creek, the other, the dry Snow Creek. Now we are on the return stretch back to Mirror Lake. Passing the Snow Creek trail junction, it brings back memories and the knowledge that another part of our meetup group is above us today. The memories is when Karol and I came down Snow Creek last June. The section between this junction and Mirror Lake just seemed to go on for ever. While not as long today, this trail is deceptive in its length.

Mirror Lake Ducks

At Mirror Lake, we stop for lunch. There we enjoy reflections of Half Dome and the ducks paddling across the water in front of us. In the middle of lunch, I get a text from LaTanya asking where we are? She was in the Camp Curry parking lot. Mystery, isn't it? Her current position was crossing the footbridges we had crossed earlier. I made arrangements with Rose to go on to the Ahwahnee and I would go back and walk with LaTanya. Glad she made it up with us-I have enjoyed her company on past hikes. We catch up to the group at the Ahwahnee.

Yosemite Valley

When we leave the Ahwahnee, we separate ourselves from the Valley crowds by following the Valley Loop Trail. This takes us in back of the Visitor's center, up about 75' above it. Most visitors do not go this route, but we do. And we are rewarded with a view of the western part of the Valley.

Yosemite Falls

We have been on the trail for awhile, but the Falls, that would be Yosemite Falls, revives us. Not because we jump in, but the mere sight brings rejuvenation  to our souls, at least mine. It is a wonder to meditate on things like this and realize that God places it there for our pleasure. Evidently, though, some wanted to get a bit closer and we see a couple of people silhouetted  above the lower falls-you can barely see them in the picture.

 After quick pit stops at the Yosemite Falls flush toilets, we are off on our return trip. We cross Cook's Meadow and take the pedestrian bridge across the Merced and end up at Valley Chapel. Then it is time to rejoin the Valley Loop and head east. We pass by Housekeeping and LeConte Memorial, which is closed for the season. From there it is less than a mile to Camp Curry. We lose both Jon and LaTanya here. Jon departs to his housing in the Valley-he works for DNC. The mystery of how we missed LaTanya is resolved-there is a different parking lot which she parked in.  Now I know.

We get ourselves all bundled back into our cars. Some of us stop at El Cid's in Oakhurst for dinner. Then on to Fresno and a shower. Such a day. Very few are better.