Yosemite
This was a jam-packed long weekend back in June 2017.
We flew into SFO after work on the last flight out of Vancouver. From there we picked up a rental car and drove 4 hours to Big Trees Lodge (Wawona hotel, they had changed names for all the lodges for copyright suit making researching frustrating). We had called ahead and they were ok with our 3am arrival thankfully. This was planned to avoid traffic and lineups at the park gate. After a couple hours sleep we had breakfast, then headed onwards into the park. First glimpse of Yosemite valley was from the tunnel view, then we headed to our heated tent at half dome village/curry village. We managed to find a parking spot after some searching. Our tent wasn’t ready yet so we headed off straight onto the trails. Had to take the shuttle to the trail head. We had a nice day heading up to Yosemite falls. It was a pretty hot day but the mist from the waterfall was refreshing. Hiked out and then headed into our tent with a stop at El Capitain base along the way. Took a shuttle to hotel majestic/ahwahnee (where we unsuccessfully tried to stay despite booking months in advance) for dinner. It is a nice dining room, meal was solid but nothing special if you don’t feel like eating here you’re not missing out. Didn’t sleep all too well as there was a lot of people packed into the campground complex. We headed off early, back on the shuttle to another trail head. This time we were headed up a series of switchbacks on the 4 mile trail. We hiked with a friendly Australian who didn’t want to go it alone as she was afraid of snakes (reasonable enough considering how many they have there). We did see one on the trail. Great views back around the valley, and very quiet. Arrived at glacier point, not so quiet, but clearly great views across the whole valley. The convenience store had some ice cream bars which is a nice treat in the middle of a long hike. We then continued along panorama trail, eventually heading towards Nevada Falls then finally Vernal Falls down along the mist trail. It was early June and the waterfalls were in full force, so the mist trail was quite spectacular. From there it was a nice pleasant walk back towards the valley floor. As we were starting this one heard that Alex Honnold had just completed his free solo of El Capitan early that morning, nice way to bookmark this trip for us, put the movie on our must watch list. We had dinner in the village near our campground, casual but we were pretty hungry so can’t complain. Slept well that night, nothing was going to wake us up this time. The next day we drove out of the park, stopped by some giant sequoias, and spent a night at Chateau du Sureau. Ate at their Elderberry House restaurant. Classic small country hotel, well appointed antique rooms, had a great massage as well. Whole stay was a nice treat after the hiking. The next day we drove back to SFO, back to work the next day.
Planning Tips:
Book your accommodation well in advance (1 year to the day). https://www.travelyosemite.com/ you can cancel if your trip falls through
Visit in late spring/early summer to see the full glory of the waterfalls.
Expect crowds entering and getting around the valley. would not recommend accommodation outside the park for this reason. Our 3am arrival is a bit extreme but certainly makes the most of your time, lineups can be over an hour I’ve heard on a Saturday morning at main entrance — south entrance apparently better.
4-mile+panorama +mist is a tough day hike to top. The great valley views, seeing the roaring waterfalls, half dome, not a hike that you will forget. Even if you come to Yosemite 2 nights just for this day of hiking I think it is worth it. It is a long day at about 17 miles by the time you get back to campsite, but not as hard as described online (we hike but weren’t in elite shape). It also saves you having to deal with the logistical complexities of getting up to glacier point. If you’re not hiking, I’m not sure I can recommend Yosemite. Yes, the valley views are exceptional, but the crowds and traffic were horrendous. Shuttling around on crowded buses as if you are in rush hour traffic somewhat defeats the purpose of being in nature. Yet, as soon as you get on the more challenging hikes the crowds disappear. Weekend traffic on the hikes in prime waterfall seasons was much less than you’d get in less spectacular hikes around Vancouver.
