A Day In Yosemite Valley And More

Yosemite Valley Floor Tour

I breakfast in the room and get ready for the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour at 10 am. Checkout is ‘contactless’ here, which means leaving your key in the room and shutting the door. The room had to be paid for on booking so there’s no invoice to collect and none of the food & drink concessions allowed charges to be billed to a room.

Yosemite Valley Floor Tour

I put my bags in the car and walk across to where the ‘bus’ is waiting for everyone to arrive. I’m actually the last person at 9.55 am. Given the weather today, we don’t have a proper coach as on my last rainy visit. We have a tractor towing a large open trailer fitted with rows of seats.

Our guide is a young lady park ranger called Riley, a seasonal hire who lives in New Orleans. She is well spoken and easy to understand as we travel around the Valley Floor. Her commentary is good and informative for the two hours the tour lasts.

Astonishing Scenery

I could go through everything we saw in great detail but it’s simpler to just say everything was stunning. Amazingly beautiful views of, at times, astonishing scenery. We stopped at El Capitan, Valley View and Tunnel View, then drove by Bridalveil Fall, the Three Brothers and Half Dome. We couldn’t see the Fall however because we were looking directly into the Sun. Mental note made to rectify this later. Viewing Half Dome was also pretty useless on the tour as we didn’t get near, something I figured out why later when I went back on my own.

Apart from these well-known ‘rock stars’ of the Valley, just driving through on the open-topped trailer you see all sorts of other mountains and rock formations such as Sentinel Dome. There are of course lots of other non-names but equally amazing mountains that make up the Valley, including the pine forests on the slopes.

It really was an amazing experience, almost a wonder of the modern world. Although of course it is not modern. It was initially formed between 5 and 10 million years ago. Glaciers arrived about 2.5 million years ago and sculpted the valley into its classic U-shape.

Glacier Point

The tour finished at noon, too early for lunch. I’d initially thought about eating in the Eatery but decide to see if I can buy a sandwich and head off to my afternoon destination, Glacier Point. There is also a Starbucks on site and I find a sandwich and carton of milk, which are extremely expensive at over $11! There was no price marked on them so I only discover this at the checkout. My plan was to drive up to the Point and eat lunch there.

What a drive up to Glacier Point. It’s about 30 miles from the hotel and I don’t think there were more than a handful of straight road sections which were longer than 400 yards. The road just bends and twists constantly, no tight switchbacks but always moving, changing, testing.

Mono Meadows Trailhead, Glacier Point Road panorama

As yesterday some bits were great because there were no other cars around and I can test the limit. But then some old granddad gets in the way. There are turnouts and many aware drivers do pull over to let me pass. But not all. Sigh. Glacier Point Road is a challenging drive and lots of fun.

I got to the top eventually. And what a view. OMG. Looking down into Yosemite Valley is incredible. As is the view of Half Dome from up here.

I’m at an elevation of 7214 feet. There’s not much more to say. Everywhere I look, every view, every angle is just stupendous. Truly beautiful sights to behold.

Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon from Glacier Point Lower Terrace panorama

It’s a long way from the Valley Floor to Glacier Point but it is well worth the drive. You then have to re-trace your steps back down but it’s still worth it. I ate my lunch soon after arriving, sitting on a bench soaking up the scenery. Possibly one the best spots for lunch ever.

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point Upper Terrace panorama

Back into Yosemite Valley

Once back down in the Valley, I decide to drive to Half Dome to get a better look ‘from the floor’. As mentioned the Floor Tour’s angles to view were poor. On the way however I remember about Bridalveil Fall and also that the bus passed the entrance to the Fall’s parking lot. So I turn off when I get there, park up, and walk about 5 minutes to a viewing spot right by the Fall. Much better view than this morning!

Then it’s on to Half Dome. I try to drive as close as I can, getting to Curry Village, a campground. I soon realise there isn’t a clean view of Half Dome from where the tour bus went. After a bit of manoeuvring around I do find a spot to pull over, in a No Parking zone (!), but I’m quick to grab a couple of shots and soon on way again.

Yosemite View Lodge

Yosemite View Lodge leaflet

All sights for the day complete, I drive west out along the Valley Floor on Hwy 140 towards the Yosemite View Lodge. This is where I stayed eight years ago. It was significantly cheaper than the Valley Lodge. Still way expensive though at $350 for the night. It’s 14  miles from the Valley Lodge but I thought I’d save a bit of money for the second night.

My room this time around is much better than last time. Looks like the rooms have all had a refurb since then. It is very spacious, with a mini-kitchenette (as before), Jacuzzi bath – and the most stupid design feature I think I’ve ever come across in a hotel room.

There’s a window inside between the bedroom and bathroom. There is no curtain or blind or shutter on this window, nor any on the bathroom one that lets light in from outside. How fucking stupid is that? And why bother putting curtains on the back window overlooking the Merced River when you’ve built an open window in the front? Unbelievable.