Once we got to Yosemite we took Tioga Pass Road (Rt.120) across the park (Dad, you'll be happy to hear they let us drive the whole way in our car.), stopping at several spots along the way (see map) until we finally made it to Tuolomne Meadows. There we walked along some trails to Soda Springs where we were able to sample some naturally carbonated water bubbling up from the earth.
Big Oak Flat Road was closed from Crane Flat down into Yosemite Valley because of a managed forest fire that got out of control. Thankfully I had read about this while were were waiting in the airport in Philly, so we planned to just take Tioga Pass Road (Rt.120) across the park. There was enough smoke to make everything look hazy even as we headed away from the fire toward Tuolomne Meadows.
I just went to their website again on Thursday morning (9/3) and now Tioga Road is closed from Crane Flat to White Wolf. Looks like we made it just in time.
Regardless of the fire, Yosemite was still a wonder to behold. Peaceful and immense with it's massive Redwoods and huge rock faces. We stopped at Olmsted Point (B) (see map above) and walked the .2 mile trail to catch a view of Tenaya Canyon. Then back in the car and on to Tenaya Lake (C) where we waded up to our knees before I lost most of the feeling in my lower extremities (glacier-fed lakes are cold!). We really wished we had had kayaks so we could have explored the lake further. Back in the car again and on to Tuolumne Meadows (D) where we got a quick bite to eat and then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the meadows (and Soda Springs as mentioned before) via trails in the area.
After leaving Yosemite, we met up with more fabulous road with some incredible views of the valley below. Next time we're planning to camp in the park for several days. When it isn't on fire, of course.
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