Braving Yosemite's Biggest Challenge: The 4th of July Weekend Crowds...
If you find yourself constrained to hiking Yosemite during peak times, this story might interest you.
A Quick Word on Planning...
Do it earlier. We originally planned to spend the 4th of July Weekend (and our first anniversary on the 3rd) with friends at Lake Havasu, but plans fell through. Yosemite was at the top of our list of must do's so with only about a month in advance we belatedly began to search for accommodations. Of course, at this point, all campgrounds were full as well as every lodge within the park - unless you happened to have several hundred dollars per night weighing down your hiking gear. So we stayed at a small but clean lodge in northern Oakhurst. Even here, a solid half hour from the park entrance and an additional half hour (no traffic) to the valley, the rates were north of $200 for this particular weekend. But hey, it was clean and it came with a shower.
A Quick Second Word on Planning...
Once accommodations were set, we still needed to plan for the crowds. We didn't really have a great idea of what to expect other than there being a lot of people on the trails, but due to the limited road infrastructure, we ran into long waits, including about 45 minutes shaded in the valley's tunnel entrance.
It didn't help that we arrived at the park late Saturday around 4:30 after driving up from Orange County. By the time we made it to Tunnel View and to Bridalview Falls it was already approaching dusk. If you've never been to Yosemite, the Meca of the park is in the valley which is a one-way loop save for a few turnouts. In fact, it's eerily reminiscent of a busy airport terminal in terms of routing, traffic, and frustration.
The cure for this? Getting to the valley before 8:00 am. We did this on Monday, July 3 in order to get to the opposite side of the valley for Happy Isles trail. The forty-five-minute sit in the tunnel turned to forty-five seconds and we were able to get one of the last few spots available in the lot for Half Dome. At that point, the only thing between us and our hike was an easy five-minute walk to the trail head.
Happy Isles Trail
The scenery of this hike was breathtaking and it lived up to being one of the staples of Yosemite. To get the best of the scenery, stay straight towards the Mist Trail at the junction so you get the best views of the falls as you walk up.
A poncho or rain gear of some sort is a must if you have anything that can get water damaged. Even so, expect to get a refreshing soak to the face!
The bridges on this trail that you will cross will make you wonder how they were constructed as water rushing easily 40 - 50 mph underneath you reverberates up your body. If you love waterfalls, this might be the hike of your life. It took us about 7 hours to complete, including breaking for lunch and several five-minute rests along the way. Temps were also pretty high (mid 90's) but the trail offered plenty of intermittent shade along the way.
Glacier Point Road
One of the good reasons to visit Yosemite in the summer is that Glacier Point road is open. Due to it's elevation, winter conditions can cause it to shut down. At the end of this 16 mile or so long road are a couple incredible look outs. There is also a fantastic and short hike that allows you to overlook the entire valley and more. We completed Sentinal Dome in less than an hour, and just in time to snap some pics at sunset.
We waited to venture down Glacier Point road until after 6:00 pm because the only way to get there between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm is to take a shuttle. We gave this option a try midday and were greeted by a ranger letting us know the wait to get on the shuttle would be approximately 2.5 hours. It was at this point that we decided to venture off to see the Sequoias before returning after six to catch the above sunset.
Toulumne Grove Trail
The only bad part of making the audible from Glacier Point Road to see the Sequoias was that we had to traverse back through part of the congested valley to make our way north. An occupational hazard that unfortunately couldn't be avoided on such a weekend. Once there, we took the Toulumne Grove trail and came across some really neat sights. This fallen monster took some effort to climb onto and there were others along the trail that you can walk through.
One thing I learned about Yosemite that makes a lot of sense is that the animals here are very used to people - much like you'd see in a city filled with pigeons. I was a little disappointed to not see a black bear, but there were plenty of deer.
The only bummer on this trip was that Mariposa Grove, which has even more impressive sequoias, was closed for restoration. I have to assume that has something to do with the inevitable fall of the iconic drive-thru sequoia.
I'll end this short story here. Life and work require us to do the things we love when everyone else does too, so I've learned a few things at least that I'll keep in mind when I go back:
- Try to get a campsite or lodging within the park several months in advance
- Begin your hikes before 8 am
- Wait until after 6 pm to explore Glacier Point road or drive to your hike destination before 8 am
It's not exactly rocket science, but if you're new to Yosemite, it's good to know.
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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