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Re: I want my first view of the big walls to not be from the Valley.
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 7:42 am
by AlmostThere
Also, due to camping restrictions and the valley is just not that long, a week is too long unless you intended to park at one end, hike to the other, and then hike back. And on either rim, you are going to regularly encounter hordes of day hikers who hike the 2-6 miles from the road to the viewpoint of choice.
And yeah - there's still something like 10 feet of snow at 7-8000 feet. May is probably going to be a bad time. Either posthole hell in snow where snowshoes are pointless, or mosquito HEAVEN.
Re: I want my first view of the big walls to not be from the Valley.
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:21 pm
by oldranger
I've viewed the valley from many perspectives and still think the most dramatic views are as you approach the valley on highway 41 and after exiting the tunnel. I know there is little solitude or romance in sharing the views with the multitudes but after entering the park for 7 decades my jaw still drops with my first glimpses of the valley via this route. One way or another I would strongly recommend you manage to include these viewpoints into your itinerary.
Re: I want my first view of the big walls to not be from the Valley.
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 7:34 pm
by MountainMinstrel
oldranger wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:21 pm
I've viewed the valley from many perspectives and still think the most dramatic views are as you approach the valley on highway 41 and after exiting the tunnel. I know there is little solitude or romance in sharing the views with the multitudes but after entering the park for 7 decades my jaw still drops with my first glimpses of the valley via this route. One way or another I would strongly recommend you manage to include these viewpoints into your itinerary.
Agreed. When I lived in Fresno I always took a picture from tunnel view on the way in and the way out. No two pictures are the same.
Re: I want my first view of the big walls to not be from the Valley.
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 8:00 am
by Wandering Daisy
I spend a lot of early-season, peak-waterfall time in Yosemite Valley and in my opinion, you see the most by day-hiking from the Valley and doing a few overnight trips. Backpacking in spring snow-melt is very wet and a bit miserable, something most people actually do not like that much. Logistically, doing a mix of day-hikes/overnights allows you to camp the night before and night after each backpack in the Backpackers Campground, where you DO NOT need a reservation, just your backpack permit. Combining a week's backpacking with a view of the Valley from one of the rims is a better later season trip.
Re: I want my first view of the big walls to not be from the Valley.
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:47 am
by SSSdave
There is a reason Yosemite Valley views from the valley bottom are considered World Class natural wonders and much has to do with the nature of looking up at tall landscapes against skies versus looking down say from valley cliff rims. That reflects why there are so very few strong landscapes taken by serious photographers from such rim areas. Same thing with views from mountain top peaks or airplanes.
As for avoiding all the traffic, the solution is simple. Drive the loop road at 7am to 9am before the masses arrive in vehicles from all the outside the valley accommodations. For features with best afternoon light, get out of your vehicle and HIKE the many valley loop trails that are often empty except those connecting to short distance features.