The third and final day in Yosemite…
The previous two days had been very long and we were feeling weary. So we decided for the last day in Yosemite we would sleep in a few more hours (7:15AM) and take advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel. The day would involve quite a bit of driving to get to the locations we wished to visit.
After the drive back to the park, we drove to the east end of The Valley as we wanted to see what Curry Village was all about. We found it was mainly lodging and camping and did not even stop but made some mental notes that the campgrounds here looked very nice. Continuing back west through The Valley, we stopped a couple of times so that I could try my skill at some woodland photography. I find woodland photography to be extremely difficult. And most of these images never even see the light of day. Finding compositions and creating order in the very busy and chaotic forest can be quite a challenge. But one worth exploring to get more intimate scenes, get out of my comfort zone and expand photographically.
Then we took the long drive south out of The Valley on the Wawona Road to the Mariposa Grove to see the Giant Sequoias. This is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias, some of which are thousands of years old The Park Service has made big changes here since my last visit many years ago. Cars are no longer permitted to drive into the area but a free shuttle service has been implemented to bus people back to the multiple trails that can be hiked.
It is a faily large area and we decided on the moderate Grizzly Giant Loop Trail which is 2 miles long. This trial took us past some of the more popular trees such as the Bachelor and Three Graces, the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, and the California Tunnel Tree. We packed up some lunch and spent about 2 1/2 hours on the leisurely hike marvelling at the stately giants. Again I tried my hand at more woodland photography but the sheer size of these monstrous trees is hard to capture. I have taken my artistic liberties with some of the woodland images in post processing to create a more painterly mood…
From here we drove over to Glacier point to spend the late afternoon and golden hour through sunset. Glacier Point is an overlook with a hugely expansive views of the Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Vernal and Nevada Falls and the Yosemite high country. The view of Half Dome is amazing from here! We found the perfect little bench to sit on and eat our sandwich dinner and soak in the views before working the rim for compositions.
The skies were cloudless, so no colorful drama as the sun set, but still quite a sight to behold. I found several dramatic trees along the rim to add foreground interest to amazing view and shot through till the sun had set. This would conclude our wonderful trip to Yosemite National Park. It had exceeded my expectations in every way! Fewer crowds, beautiful fall color, mild temperatures and spectacular scenery makes this a highly recommended time of the year to visit Yosemite!
Sadly this trip ends, as all do, and we have to make our way back home. Now to plan our next adventure…
