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| Hiking | 13.24 Miles |
1,729 AEG |
| | Hiking | 13.24 Miles | | | |
| 1,729 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My last day in Yosemite. It's been a heck of a trip! I've already hiked close to 50 miles and I know I'm near my limit. I was seriously considering spending the day relaxing but I could not resist the call of North Dome. The Dome looms over Curry Village. It's one of the last areas of Yosemite Valley I have not been.
My plan: I would pay the $11.50 for a 8am bus ride on the Tuolumne Hikers Express shuttle. I was lucky to get a seat because it was originally sold out. I double checked later in the day and picked up the one remaining seat for a cancelled reservation. The shuttle would drop me off at Porcupine Creek and I would hike down to North Dome. My original plan was to retrace my steps from North Dome and then connect to the Snow Creek Trail which would lead me down to Mirror Lake and back to Curry Village. I changed my plan and headed west on the North Rim Trail and made my way down the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. This was a hard decision!
I arrived at the shuttle at 8am and I was ready to hike! The bus was very slow going with a stop at Yosemite Lodge and another stop at Crane Flat for a bathroom break. I got off the bus and started hiking at 10:15am. This is late for me! After stepping off the bus I gear up and prepare myself for the hike. To be honest I was dead tired and almost regretted riding the bus. I had to dig deep for this one!
The first few miles of the North Dome Trail lead down a gentle grade through the forest. There are no views for a while. Eventually the trail starts to head uphill and the views start to open up. One of the first things I see is Clouds Rest. I continued on and views into Yosemite Valley open up as well. Half Dome then comes into view and really grabs your attention. It is one hell of a large piece of granite! Finally my goal North Dome comes into focus. It looks a lot different from up here! The trail makes a slight turn to the left and then hooks back toward the summit. You follow the granite and find yourself at the end in few minutes.
By this time I've been seeing epic views for six days! I'm kind of getting numb to them. I have to pinch myself to remind me where I am and what I'm doing. There is no where else on earth I'd rather be then right here. From North Dome, Half Dome looms straight ahead. Clouds Rest rises to the east and Basket Dome looks inviting as well. It's similar to North Dome. To the west is the top of El Capitan and Yosemite Falls trail. I wish I could spend eternity right here.
Time is wasting so I started my return. At this point I changed my plan to head for the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. I'm really slogging at this point and I want the easiest and quickest way back to the valley floor. The Snow Creek Tail is longer and more isolated. I also can't resist hiking past falls...they are spectacular.
I left North Dome and headed west on the North Rim Trail. This trail is easy to follow as you head into the forest and away from the edge. I followed this for roughly three miles and only saw one other hiker. There were a couple of nice creeks that I used to splash some water in my face and soak my bandana. This helped rejuvenate me! I continued on and the trail lead out of the forest to Yosemite Point. This is another epic view! I continued and dropped down near the bridge above Upper Yosemite Falls. The water was flowing very low compared to my trip here two years ago.
On the way down I made a quick detour to the top of the falls. There were a bunch of people. I walked up and took my pics and then headed out. It was around 2pm and I wanted to get back. I hit the trail and cruised down stopping quickly for a pic here and there. Several groups asked me how much further to the top. I could not give them a good answer. After an hour or so I reached the valley floor and was back at Curry Village shortly afterward.
This has been the trip of a lifetime for me. Everything came together and I accomplished all of my hiking goals and then some! I finished with roughly 63 miles and 14,500 feet of gain over six full days. By the end, the sun and dehydration were a constant threat. This was not easy. The hiking began to feel like a job. I needed a break was happy to return to Phoenix. All good things come to an end.
Parting words, Yosemite and the Sierras are heaven on earth for me. I miss them already! I shall return! |
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