Gary-Summer: September 27, 2023 - Yosemite Valley and Hiking

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

September 27, 2023 - Yosemite Valley and Hiking

Title: September 27, 2023 - Yosemite Valley and Hiking
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking : Car

Trail head: Cathedral Beach Picnic Area

Trail: Valley Loop, Four Mile

Destination: Half an hour up Four Mile Trail

Distance: 5.98 miles

Start Time: 12:28

End Time: 4:12

Travel Time: 3:43 (1.61 mph)

Moving Time: 3:23 (1.77 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,197'

Descent: 880‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,451'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Table at Cathedral Beach

We get to go to Yosemite today. Our daughter is getting married in the Valley next month. There were a few questions concerning the area. First, where could we park the cars? We will be looking at the road coming and leaving the picnic area for turnouts and capacities. Also because we might want to communicate the status and track done lost attendees, so we will look at how to communicate in the Valley. Finally Sherri wants to make sure about the table. But these are just excuses to go to the Valley, as if we needed that.

I wake up at 6am, pull down lightning data-sort of getting repetitive isn’t it? No lightning. So I puttered around for a little while, had breakfast, and then got ready to go. Sherri gets up and gets prepared for our day. We leave at 8:20 with Sherri driving. She drives all the way to Wawona where we switch drivers.

Sherri and El Cap

While in Wawona, we decided to go past the cabins we will be staying in in a couple of weeks. To me the term cabin reminds me of logs. But these are two story mini-mansions. We do not go in, just drive by. We go on to the registration and ask if they have any information about what will happen in case of a government shutdown? They are in limbo like the rest of us. So we continue on.

We do note that there is cell phone connection there. But we see the cell service drops shortly before Mosquito Creek. We keep an eye on the cell service-we do pick up service when we emerge from the tunnel. When we get to the Bridalveil area, service decreases a bit and we start looking for parking places. Bridalveil area probably will not be the place to park. Even on a Wednesday, there is not much in the way of available parking as the slots are taken up.

But we do find parking in several turn outs along the way. There is also parking along the crossover to El Capitan

Start of Four Mile Trail

. We get caught in going down that road. We could have turned around, but if there was any traffic, it would be tough. We go on the loop past the Pohono Bridge and past Bridalveil again.

Right after the crossover is Cathedral Beach Picnic area where the wedding will take place. The first thing I do is look at the parking places. When we were here in April, I counted seven places. But the area was covered by snow then. Today I count 23 in the area. I think this is enough for us. Sherri tries out the table cloth. Things are looking good.

Yosemite Falls

It is noon, so we have lunch and then explore the possibilities for a hike. Leaving from Cathedral Beach is the Valley Loop Trail. We decided to take this as it is an easy trail, to hike up it for a couple of miles. Sherri wants to be back in Fresno by 7pm, so that is a limiting factor.

We crossed Southside Drive and met the junction with Valley Loop Trail. We head east up the Valley with the idea that it will be generally downhill on the way back. The key word here is generally. The Valley is not flat and there are a series of small ravines and ridges which we go along. Yosemite Fire has done a series of prescribed burns. We stroll along making OK time.

After about an hour of walking we reached the Four Mile Trail junction. This precipitates a discussion about what we wanted to do during the next hour. This came down to four options: 1) Go over Swinging Bridge; 2) Continue up the Valley Loop Trail; 3) Go up the Four Mile Trail; or 4) return back to the car. In the first three options, we would go half an hour. We chose #3, going up the Four Mile Trail.

Looking into the Valley

I have been up the Four Mile Trail before, when I was physically in much better shape. Today it will be one step in front of the last. The legs are not the issue, but the lungs are. And so we begin. I start slow, but steady. When we get to the gate which indicates that the trail is too dangerous to walk, Sherri stops and rests, but encourages me to go on. The gate is open. I continue up at my plodding pace. This is a surprise to me. I think if I had the time, I might be able to do all of the trail. But fortunately, I only have about another 15 minutes to go up before hitting the turnaround time.

I ran out of time about 40 yards from a switchback. So I tell myself I will go that far and turn around. I do spend a few minutes taking care of some personal business. Later looking at the map, I think I got to the end of the switchbacks and where the trail starts a long straight climb along the Valley walls. When I turned around, Sherri was coming up the trail-good for her. She did not give up. Where we meet is a small clearing where we can see a little bit beyond the trees we have been in. The view is OK, but it would be better further up.

End of Four Mile Trail

It is much easier going down, but the trail has many loose stones, so we pick our way down it. At least my lungs are not an issue going this way. It takes us almost as long going down as it did going up. We reach the Valley Loop Trail and retrace our steps. Why does this always seem like it is longer than when we came up it? But we do and we do enjoy the walk. We got back to the car at 4:10, a bit tired, but glad we did this walk.

And now for the ride home. We thought about stopping at El Cid’s in Oakhurst for dinner, but it was crowded and we are in a hurry. So Carl’s place, it is. Then onward. We do our family’s Zoom call while driving down-I drive, Sherri has the phone. We get back around 7. This gives Sherri time to run some errands while I attend the Zoom call. A full and tiring day. So glad to get a shower after the call.