Hike Report: Heading for Yosemite National Park? There are a lot of trails there and I always wanted to do the Glacier Point Trail. So, we went there and found a lovely place to camp. When I got out of the car I looked up. Yikes! I have acrophobia badly. Am I idiot enough to do that trail? That looked like 4.5 miles of sheer horror. I can tell you that trail has so many drop-offs that are classic over exposures. Shoe String encouraged me along and we took the bus to the top thinking going down the trail would be easier. HA!
At the top we took many wonderful pictures of Half Dome, El Capitan, and the surrounding areas. Then I went to the north side of the overview and looked down. I saw a red flea down there and it was my car! Egad man, what had I gotten myself into? After grabbing a railing and putting fingernail marks in it, we turned around and found the Glacier Point Trail. It started out in a nice dip with trees all about. Keep in mind that it was summer and it was hot. The Ranger must have been busy putting little pea-sized pebbles all over that trail, too. The trail is wide and well cared for (except for the pea-sized pebbles!). It was fairly wide (up to four feet wide in some areas). Flat rocks and little round pebbles made for sliding adventures. It was a good thing that my boots had deep treads in the soles. Even with that advantage, stopping was not instantaneous as we slid slightly on a lot of our steps. After the first three miles our “braking” muscles hurt so badly we could hardly walk. We hike with ski poles and were we ever glad to have them with us. From the trailhead at the bottom next to the road we had to get to the bus stop across the valley, find a bridge to cross the river, and find a bus stop so we could get back to our car and camp spot. For three days we could hardly walk. We considered ourselves in good shape, too. We passed many uptrailers, most of whom were tourists from other countries. There must have been about 75 people going up the trail. Only five of them were from Washington (our home stomping ground).
Make sure you have reservations for a campsite or lodging before you go to Yosemite. They are booked far in advance because they are so popular. Maps are available many places in the village. You can also get maps over the internet before you leave on your trip. A couple of things to remember: in the early spring there is usually a lot of melting snow and many of the trails may be closed; in mid-summer most trails are open but the swarms of mosquitoes and people are all over everywhere; in the fall, many of the waterfalls may be a trickle or non-existent. Those beautiful falls were gone during our trip.
How to get there: Go to Yosemite National Park, pick up a map, and enjoy your pick of Glacier Point Trail or one of the many others less strenuous. Be sure and take the bus up to Glacier Point. It is a spectacular overview!
Captain Boots & Shoe String
