There is really no way to describe the view as you first leave the tunnel and are transported from the real world to a magical place that looks more like it belongs in the movie The Land Before Time than in California. Just before you exit the tunnel, there is a sign telling you to slow down and look for pedestrians. I guess someone figured that people seeing the Valley for the first time would stop wherever they were and their mouths would drop open. It's probably true.
Yosemite Valley from the first turnout coming up from Wawona.
After the initial drive down into the Valley, we stopped in several spots for basic botany lessons in the various Valley areas. We learned about the trees in the yellow pine--ceder forest areas as well as in the riparian areas. It's weird to think that not even two hundred years ago there were no trees in the Valley at all. The Native Americans who lived in the valley used to set periodic fires in addition to the lightening-started fires throughout the valley to keep it a grassland (for hunting). In the hundred+ years since, fires have been very limited, and as a result, now the valley floor is covered with Ponderosa Pine, Incense Cedar and other mountain trees.
After our valley floor lesson, we all piled back into the cars and headed up the other side of the valley, starting out climb towards Tioga Pass. As we started ascending, the temperature started to drop from a very comfortable 75-80 in the valley to 50-60 as we approached the entrance to May Lake Road at around 8700 feet of elevation. Initially, we had planned to take the trail all the way up and over a ridge to May Lake, but when we arrived we found feet of snow still on the ground and after a while the trail became impassible. Still, the views were beautiful and although the air was pretty thin, it was fresh and cool. All in all, it was a great first trip to the valley.
Note: I want to apologize, this post was supposed to go out on Thursday, but I forgot. Anyway, more posts to follow. And Happy Father's Day!
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