Yosemite 4/29-5/1

[richlong8]

very nice- yosemite- nothing can compare

[LMBSGV]

The bigger pictures of the falls are stunning.

My wife and I also love the Valley loop trail. Since we only go in the winter, we usually see only a few people so it's mainly a walk in solitude. In the winter of 2012 we went into the Visitor Center to ask about the conditions. The ranger we talked with was Shelton Johnson, which was wonderful after the Ken Burns' PBS series. We ended up talking so long, my wife had to drag me away since we needed to get going on our hike. He said the Valley Loop Trail was his favorite trail to hike in the Valley and that it was also a favorite of a lot of the employees.

[Wandering Daisy]

[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... ited-1.jpg[/rimg]
This is the larger image of the view from Sanford Point taken about 7PM. One reason I camped up there is to get the evening lighting. Was hoping for a pink sunset, but this was all that happened.

From Swinging Bridge to the El Cap Meadows Bridge, I usually walk off-trail along the Merced River instead of on the trail that is on the other side of the road. The walk along the river has lots better views, but you do have to do some wading and bushwhacking. We did a ski-tour one year in the winter on the Valley Loop Trail and that was really great. The valley rarely gets enough snow to do this, but it is wonderful when the perfect weather hits.

[sparky]

awesome