Day 36 - 8/20/2004 - A day in Yosemite

Today was the day for a trip into the Yosemite Valley.  Having been to several National Parks on this trip, we have been getting used to being "wowed".  We were not ready for the sheer size of the geology of this park.  We drove through hills, mountains, shrubs, and lots more of what we had seen for many miles.  All of a sudden you turn the corner and the valley opens before you.  As you drive down into the valley, you reach the river, make a turn, and El Capitan is towering over you.  I think what impresses the size upon you is that vertical nature of the formations.  Most mountains have "shoulders" that seem to reduce the size, no matter the height.  El Capitan, Half Dome, and the others are straight up.  You can walk to the base and look straight up.

As a park, Yosemite was unique in the way it operated.  It ran like a small city, or rather, it operated the way a big city should.  Parking was well managed and allocated, and shuttle buses run through the valley on regular intervals.  As I rode the bus with El Capitan towing over us, it was almost like being in a metropolis with skyscrapers reigning above.  One difference I noticed was that the people here were pleasant and not in a hurry - a very clear contradiction to the city.

As you see in the pictures below, we spent most of the day hiking and traveling in the valley.  As the day drew to a close, we stopped by a small pool at the base of El Capitan for a refreshing dip.  Afterward, we stopped by the tent, changed, and went into the nearest town (Groveland - 18 miles) for pizza.  We slept well that night!