4–6 july 2025

2 days in
yosemite

THE DAY BEFORE

the coast

FRI 4 JUL/MONTEREY · BIG SUR

bixby bridge, driving across — 17:36 bixby bridge, driving across

hills curves next 60 miles — 17:32 hills curves next 60 miles

sunnyvale, half a moon — 20:18 sunnyvale, half a moon

SAT 5 JUL · MORNING

the drive in

SAT 5 JUL/SUNNYVALE → BUCK MEADOWS

we spotted a lot of people with dogs in their back seat heading towards yosemite. the long weekend was in the air.

hydro-homies — 07:14 hydro-homies

costco kirkland. $58.00, 14.404 gal — 07:37 costco kirkland. $58.00, 14.404 gal

tasman dr, great america parkway — 07:47 tasman dr, great america parkway

altamont pass windmills — 08:50 altamont pass windmills

the aqueduct crossing i-580 near tracy — 08:53 the aqueduct crossing i-580 near tracy

08:55 the outbound freeway

ca-120 yosemite only. the turnoff — 09:15 ca-120 yosemite only. the turnoff

the dog next door, headed the same way — 09:55 the dog next door, headed the same way

10:36 ca-120, winding higher

vietnam veterans memorial highway — 10:47 vietnam veterans memorial highway

sandwiches, chicken salad, avocado toast · lucky buck — 11:58 sandwiches, chicken salad, avocado toast · lucky buck

lucky buck cafe, buck meadows — 12:29 lucky buck cafe, buck meadows

SAT 5 JUL · AFTERNOON

first sight

SAT 5 JUL/BIG OAK FLAT · TUNNEL VIEW

half dome in the distance, from the overlook — 14:10 half dome in the distance, from the overlook

we bypassed the line thanks to the reservation — 13:14 we bypassed the line thanks to the reservation

big oak flat entrance — 13:41 big oak flat entrance

started seeing park ranger suvs — 13:41 started seeing park ranger suvs

arrowhead on a wooden post — 13:45 arrowhead on a wooden post

a lone pine over the canyon — 14:07 a lone pine over the canyon

14:14 first drop into the valley, from the car window

bridalveil, through the window on the descent — 14:24 bridalveil, through the window on the descent

tall trees, and us, small beside them.

the tall trees — 14:25

the trees on southside drive — 14:28 the trees on southside drive

SAT 5 JUL · AFTERNOON

lower fall, meadows

SAT 5 JUL/LOWER YOSEMITE FALL · COOK'S MEADOW

the glorious white peaks and amazing meadows — 17:43 the glorious white peaks and amazing meadows

a little trek to where the fall came from. I took my tripod like my hiking stick.

lower yosemite fall, thin in july — 15:54 lower yosemite fall, thin in july

the crew at the base — 16:00 the crew at the base

16:29 the fall, the boulders, half dome behind

the valley, from the foot of the fall — 16:35 the valley, from the foot of the fall

at the base of the fall — 16:45 at the base of the fall

a trunk, and the wall behind it — 17:13 a trunk, and the wall behind it

the path back, under the pines — 17:28 the path back, under the pines

old trunks — 17:30 old trunks

top yosemite fall 3.4 · yosemite point 4.2 · eagle peak 6.0 — 18:03 top yosemite fall 3.4 · yosemite point 4.2 · eagle peak 6.0

18:06 entering yosemite wilderness · warning · danger

the pines going dark — 18:17 the pines going dark

SAT 5 JUL · EVENING

alpenglow, then pizza

SAT 5 JUL/EL CAP MEADOW · EL PORTAL

cathedral spires, a rising moon — 20:00 cathedral spires, a rising moon

insane amount of beautiful views of the sun setting over huge mountain peaks. it was a lot to take in.

sentinel rock, catching the last sun — 19:27 sentinel rock, catching the last sun

reading up on tomorrow's hike · we decided we wanted a hard one — 19:34 reading up on tomorrow's hike · we decided we wanted a hard one

alpenglow along the south wall — 19:57 alpenglow along the south wall

20:06 el cap wall, last light

leaving the valley — 20:19 leaving the valley

sunset over the merced canyon on the way to el portal — 20:21 sunset over the merced canyon on the way to el portal

a big statue of like a real bear — 20:27 a big statue of like a real bear

yosemite view lodge, el portal — 20:40 yosemite view lodge, el portal

pizza, el portal — 20:49

SUN 6 JUL · DAWN

the mist trail

SUN 6 JUL/EL PORTAL → HAPPY ISLES → VERNAL FALL

the rainbow at its base — 09:10 the rainbow at its base

we saw a rainbow in there. holy shit.

07:00 driving in

driving back into the valley — 07:19 driving back into the valley

el capitan, from southside drive — 07:21 el capitan, from southside drive

big trees on the walk in — 07:31 big trees on the walk in

north dome over the pines — 07:34 north dome over the pines

welcome to happy isles — 07:56 welcome to happy isles

mist trail detour · marked in the maps — 07:57 mist trail detour · marked in the maps

higher up · the crowd thinning — 08:24 higher up · the crowd thinning

the canyon opening up — 08:25 the canyon opening up

STAY HYDRATED · that's my cue — 08:30 STAY HYDRATED · that's my cue

into the mist — 09:04 into the mist

vernal fall — 09:10 vernal fall

the canyon we climbed, from the top of vernal — 09:41 the canyon we climbed, from the top of vernal

the merced, above the fall — 10:11 the merced, above the fall

SUN 6 JUL · DESCENT

and back

SUN 6 JUL/CLARK POINT → GILROY

upper yosemite fall, from the drive out — 13:53 upper yosemite fall, from the drive out

liberty cap and mount broderick — 10:20 liberty cap and mount broderick

vernal, seen from above — 10:29 vernal, seen from above

the domes, from the john muir trail — 10:46 the domes, from the john muir trail

granite walls on the way down — 10:53 granite walls on the way down

STAY HYDRATED — 11:39 STAY HYDRATED

insanely cool the way the nps is managing all of this — 12:29 insanely cool the way the nps is managing all of this

big pizza; we slept on the benches after — 13:20 big pizza; we slept on the benches after

a truck on campus parkway, merced — 16:41

17:37