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Hike Mountain Travel

Olmsted Point to the Valley

Half Dome from Olmsted Point
I guess I was a little fixated on Half Dome because I seem to have shot it from many angles and in lots of different lighting. This is a late afternoon perspective from Olmsted Point with the sun reflecting off the wall.

Within Yosemite I’d always either hiked around the valley or along the Tioga Road highlands. What I hadn’t done before was hike between the two regions of the park. Today’s hike was designed to make this connection.

The challenge I faced in planning this hike was logistics. I’d have to drive to my trailhead at Olmsted Point, then hike down into the valley, and finally get a bus ride back to my car. Simple enough but for the fact that the bus ran only once per day at 5:00 PM. If I missed it then I’d be seriously stranded as my bus was the very last ride till Spring. To make sure this didn’t happen I’d have to start at a crazy-early hour! Today was shaping up to be a long and worrisome day.

Well, I made it with plenty of time to spare but not until the bus actually let me disembark at my unsanctioned stop did I really heave a sign of relief. The driver was good about being flexible and letting me get off where he shouldn’t have stopped but I got the idea he wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Fifteen hours after leaving my hostel I finally returned to a shower, a delicious dinner and a black and tan beer. Another major Yosemite goal achieved. 

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From Olmsted Point you can see the peaks of my two prior major hikes. In the upper left is Clouds Rest. The distant peak in the middle is Half Dome. My hike today would leave me at the foot of Half Dome in the valley.

You don’t have to try very hard to imagine where glaciers skidded past.

Being just below Alpine level was great for seeing tall pines & clear waters.

Behind Olmsted Point I could see the miracle of trees growing among rock.

Approaching the steep switchbacks to the valley, Half Dome loomed larger.

Down, down, down to the base of Half Dome…while hale beat down on me.

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By TravisGood

Speaker. Maker. Writer. Traveler. Father. Husband.

MakerCon Co-Chair (MakerCon.com)
Maker City San Diego Roundtable Member
San Diego Maker Faire Producer (SDMakerFaire.org)

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