Trail head: Bridalveil Creek
Hike Info:
Type: Backpacking
Trail: Pohono Trail
Destination: Glacier Point
Distance: 5.52 miles
Start Time: 8:15
End Time: 12:41
Travel Time: 4:25 (1.25 mph)
Moving Time: 3:05 (1.79 mph)
Elevation Rise:1,534'
Maximum Elevation: 7,759'
Description:
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| Bridalveil Creek with Fireweed |
With Sonya along, I am no longer the first one up. This is sort of nice, but a change in the rhythm of my mornings. Usually since I am the first one up, I sort of wander off, do a short hike or find a quiet place and meditate or sing some hymns or play my recorder. This is not a bad thing. Occasionally it is good to break your routine and enjoy another way of doing things.
Sherri gets up shortly after I do and we have our oatmeal breakfast. We are a bit slow breaking camp. I think this is more of a "relaxed" mode than Sonya is used. But today is not a big push day either. We need to go about 6 miles to
Glacier Point. Most of it is of the rolling variety. About 8:15 we take off, crossing the bridge over
Bridalveil Creek.
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| Hikers on the Pohono Trail |
Have you ever noticed that there is more bridges out on trails these days. I am not altogether sure that is a good thing. I know that in places, it really makes crossing rivers and creeks a lot easier. On the other hand, there is a certain skill which has immediate consequences for failure if your skills are not up to par. Probably just my crotchetiness coming into play. Maybe I do need those moments of quiet to get me into a proper frame of mind.
For awhile I walk with Sonya, asking her borderline obnoxious questions. Nothing terribly bad or "inappropriate", or even having her come close to swatting me. But it was more of my wondering about things with limited amount of data for me to work on. Most of my questions are off base. But that earns me a title of "Thinker". After reflection, not sure that is an accurate label, but maybe "Ponderer" would be more appropriate. Somehow I cannot see myself as a Rodin statue.
But after a little while two things happen. First, I realize that Sherri is dropping further and further back. Second, and even more important, that I will not be keeping up this pace for 6 miles. So I make the feeble excuse that I will be waiting for Sherri and walking with her.
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| Taft Point from Unnamed Point |
But even that feeble excuse becomes weaker. There was this little unnamed point (37 deg 42' 25.29", -119 deg 36' 35.66") which offers superb views and a nifty campsite. i think it would be a great place to stay a night. According to the topo map, there is even a spring close by. But I think I would want to check it out first. Until then, I think I would relegate it to a Spring, early Summer campsite.
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| Fissures |
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| Gary approaching Taft Point |
But having made my side excursion, I am now behind, way behind, both of the girls. Of course his means that I can go as fast, or slow, as I want. But the terrain is conducive to my longer stride, so I feel comfortable walking at a good clip. This brings me quickly to
Taft Point and the Fissures.
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| El Capitan from Taft Point |
The sun is starting to get a bit warm and Taft Point is a bit exposed, so it is time to get moving on. But not before Sherri makes a lizard a star-if my kids say I am a paparazzi, does that make Sherri a lizarozzi? (You can see the results of her work
below .)
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| Clouds and Sentinel Dome |
Sherri seems to be in an animal stalking mood today. I had stopped for some more pictures when Sherri find a doe which had uncovered some mushrooms. She spends some time getting a good picture of it. We all wonder if this is a stoner deer.
At the junction between going to Sentinel Dome and Point, we rejoin Sonya for a ways. We decide, or at least I express a preference, for the Point-this is one of those wonders which does not get much attention.
Clouds are starting to gather, which means two things to me. First is are we going to get some rain or lightening? Second, cool-look at those clouds gathering and framing these difference places, turning them from just your everyday, garden type of Yosemite wonder to special scenes. Sentinel Dome gets framed with a majestic looking clouds. To be fair, the clouds is well in back of the dome.
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| Panorama from Sentinel Point |
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| Storm Clouds |
And then there is the eye candy when we get to Sentinel Point. There is a large flat space here where you can view a wide section of the Valley. When Yosemite Falls is running, you can see all three of them from here. Being late in the season, with sharp eyes, you can make out a little mist, but nothing to travel 10 miles for.
But we still see our clouds rolling in and are reminded it is time to move on. Not that it truly looks like it will rain on us. But they give us a warning.
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| Half Dome |
The rest of the trail gives us view points of greatness. Previously I have explored several of these places and have appreciated the views. But today, there is a certain feeling of wanting to get on. And I think Sonya feels that way as she moves on ahead of us old ones. A word here. Sonya never pushes us or even gives a hint of wanting us to go faster. But she can turn on the rockets if she needs to. So in that sense, she is a good hiking partner for us, along with being an all-around pleasant person. And yet, it is good to get a little separation so that Sherri and I can do what married couples do-no not THAT! But just enjoy each others company. One of those things is to take pictures of ourselves, which we do where this trail has a rise over a shoulder of Sentinel Dome's ridge. There is such a great backdrop there with
Half Dome just waiting for us to get to Glacier Point.
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| Sherri and Half Dome |
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| Gary and Half Dome |
Speaking of Glacier Point, I am getting hungry. Why is the last mile to a trail always the longest? Sherri and I have a date with Sonya and a sandwich there. So we start moving. Even though it is all downhill from here, it just not seem fast enough. When we get to the store, Sonya is waiting there patiently, reading her Kindle, in the sun. Sherri and her go in for a sandwich while I get to enjoy the sun while guarding the packs.
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| Half Dome and Clouds |
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| Uninvited Lunch Guests |
We go to the start of the Four Mile Trail to have our lunch in the shade. Our friends, the meat bees, find us and wonder why have we not invited them for lunch? But a small piece of meat keeps them satisfied, at least away from my mouth. But Sherri is bothered by them and puts in an extra mile trying to keep away from them.
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| Our Trailhead? |
After lunch, we hop on the Glacier Point shuttle. Here Sonya gets in a conversation with a family from England-this is there last day in the Park. Then as McGuirk Meadow trail head comes into view, our friendly driver asks us where our vehicle is parked. She lets us out right by Sonya's jeep. What service! As we leave the Park, we pay a stop to a scene of my misdeed-Mariposa Country Transfer Station, where my navigational error is immortalized in picture. Sonya then drives us back to Oakhurst where we have a scoop of Reimer's ice cream. Good stuff! We then get to Sonya's place glad we have done this trip with Sonya, hoping that there will be more.
Trail Lesson:
Moving Time: 3:05 (1.79 mph)
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