Panorama trail12/31/2022 ![]() ![]() It’s what tens of thousands of people are entering the Half Dome permit lottery for every year. The cables are the most infamous part of the Half Dome hike. After Union Point, the trail approaches a wide ledge and we were rewarded with unobstructed views of the valley for a short stretch. ![]() The upper part of the Four Mile Trail is often closed in the winter because the dropoffs become a lot steeper. The volume of the falls was at its peak in May, but the distance made the falls look miniature. We could see both upper and lower Yosemite Falls as we hiked higher and higher. The trail looked like it used to be paved, with alternating sections of gravel and broken pavement. With a 25 pound pack on my back, the cardio was intense and my legs burned. You can drive to Glacier Point in the summer when Glacier Point Road is open, but there’s definitely satisfaction in doing the work for the views. ![]() The Four Mile Trail gains 3,300 vertical feet from the valley floor to Glacier Point in just over 4.5 miles. We also listened to the rangers’ obligatory wilderness permit lecture, waited in long lines at the Yosemite general store for the inevitable last-minute gear, and filled our water and used the bathroom.īy the time we rolled into the trailhead, the sun was beating down high over our heads and we were not looking forward to the strenuous initial climb. On a busy weekend in May, it took us over 1.5 hours to find parking for 2 cars. Yosemite Valley is extremely busy in May, which means lots of people and lot of cars. We finally found one lone spot in a pull out on Southside Drive around 0.8 miles west of the trailhead.ĭespite our valiant efforts to leave the Bay Area before sunrise and get an early start to our trip, we somehow arrived at the Four Mile Trailhead at 12:30 PM. We considered parking on Northside drive at the Yosemite Lodge or Yosemite Falls parking and taking the path that cuts across the valley, but we couldn’t find parking there either. There was no parking lot near the trailhead, and Sentinel Beach parking is day use only, so we had to circle the valley a second time. We didn’t try the trailhead parking because it’s small, and we circled Curry Village for a while (competing with countless other cars) before we could find parking for the first car.Īfter we got into the second car, traffic made it take a while to get to the Four Mile Trailhead. At Happy Isles, there is parking along Happy Isles Road, at the Yosemite Trailhead Parking, and at Curry Village. Our group went in 2 separate cars, so we wanted to park one car at Happy Isles and one car at the Four Mile trailhead to save us around 2.5 miles of walking. The original trail was too “easy” anyway and the elevation gain would be “good for training”. Then we added on the Four Mile Trail because we realized the drive from Happy Isles to Glacier Point was over an hour. My friends hadn’t done Half Dome before, and we didn’t need permits before the season started and the cables were still down. We would park a car at each trailhead and shuttle between them. The idea actually began as a pretty leisurely itinerary: drive to Glacier Point, take the Panorama Trail to Little Yosemite Valley, then hike back down to Happy Isles. (Read more about the climbing gear we used in my first blog post about Half Dome.) This was my second time climbing Half Dome in the off-season when the cables are down. In 2 days of backpacking, this route combines the best of Yosemite: Glacier Point, Half Dome, Nevada Falls, and the Mist Trail. It’s an amazing backpacking destination and one of the closest to drive to from the Bay Area. Ever since I started backpacking in 2019, Yosemite has become my backyard. The stunning scenery as well as the intense mileage and elevation gain make this a killer overnight trip. ![]()
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