Yosemite a.k.a. Little Manhattan National Park

Trip Start Jun 15, 2008
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Trip End Aug 16, 2008


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Flag of United States  , California,
Sunday, July 27, 2008

So, I went to Yosemite at the wrong time of year, i.e., a weekend in July.  In case you don't know, the main attraction in Yosemite is Yosemite Valley, which I believe is about a mile wide and seven miles long.  Not much space considering the vastness of the Great American West.  Yosemite Valley is one of those few places that could be considered "most beautiful spot on Earth."  John Muir called Yosemite "the grandest of all special temples of Nature."

There's only one problem.  Yosemite Valley is infested with people.  I'm not usually one to complain about people around me while hiking.  In fact, sometimes it's nice to see a few people on a remote hike.  Yosemite Valley in July, however, is unbearable.  There are thousands of people crammed into a very small area in the Valley. 

Nevertheless, I achieved my Yosemite goal of hiking Half Dome.  Half Dome is exactly that, half of a rock dome that rises about 4,000 feet above the Valley.  This may be my favorite day hike of all time.  Waterfalls, sheer rock walls, and valleys all the way to the top.  And of course, the infamous "cables" get you up the last 500 feet or so.  Just look at the pictures on this one.  They explain it all.  Words can't do it justice. 

I also left Yosemite one day before the bad summer fires hit.  I'm apparently bad luck on national parks.

Oh yeah, I also visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California.  Very neat. 
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