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Half Dome is a rock formation that rises almost 2,700 meters above sea level. Its summit is 1,500 meters above Yosemite Valley. Half Dome’s distinctive semicircular shape was shaped by glacial processes more than 10,000 years ago. Originally, the mountaintop was a solid mass of rock, but glacial erosion caused a large portion of its face to detach, leaving the formation we know today. The vertical wall facing the valley has a drop of more than 1,400 meters (4,737 feet), making it one of the most impressive granite rock walls in the world.
The climb to the top is one of the most challenging in Yosemite, with a total distance of approximately 26 kilometers (16 miles) round trip. The last part of the route involves climbing a steel cable attached to the rock – a sort of via ferrata – which offers an adrenaline-filled experience and spectacular views of the park. However, the ascent is dangerous and requires excellent physical condition and adequate preparation, which makes it a unique feat for the adventurous. It used to be possible to do it on your own, but now you need a special permit from the park rangers to start the ascent to the top.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in North America, with a total drop of 739 meters (2,425 feet) grouped in three sections: the upper section, with a drop of more than 400 meters (1,000 feet). The middle section, with a succession of 200-meter waterfalls, and the lower section, with approximately 100 meters.
There is a trail to go around the mountain and reach the source of the upper waterfall. It takes about three hours to reach the top. Yosemite is immense, and every part of the park offers something to do.
The waterfall is an important cultural symbol for the Native Americans of the region, who consider it sacred.
In front of the waterfall, still in the pedestrianized area of the park, one can find some wild fawns browsing. Or the footprint of a woodpecker – whoever did this had to be a feathered popeye at least, what a depth for a woodpecker hole!
Merced river
The Merced River is a major tributary of the river system that runs through the park and is one of the most distinctive features of the park’s landscape.
It rises in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada and flows westward through the Valley. Along its course, the Merced collects meltwater from nearby peaks, which gives it an abundant flow, especially in the spring.
Escape from Yosemite
One of the park’s four exits to the west runs along the Merced River. It has a “special” point where the projected route of the road encountered an immovable block of granite.
Our visit was scheduled for 3 days, but at the end of the second day the weather suddenly changed, and it started to get extremely windy and rain heavily. In a dramatic turn of events a layer of cold air, aided by the orography of the Sierra Nevada, had collided with another layer of warm air and unleashed a major winter storm. So much so, that the Meteorological Service issued an alert recommending that the following day no road travel was allowed unless absolutely necessary, and above a certain altitude, the use of chains was mandatory… and that was ~800 kms from the Las Vegas airport where we had a plane ticket for the following day. Ah! By plane! In the middle of a snowstorm! 🫣🥶🌨️
With the alert in hand, I negotiated with the hotel a partial cancellation of the reservation and very early the next morning I left in a hurry heading south to escape the storm. Yosemite woke up with a dense haze that made it impossible to see in the distance.
I think it was the right decision because on the way back I kept an eye on the weather reports and the authorities closed some stretches of road around Yosemite that day. I would have liked to go to Half Dome if only to see that brutal vertical wall but I will pass by next time when I go to Lake Tahoe.
Yosemite is a marvel. And camping there during spring-summer must be a real treat.