Ok, so in my last blog post I mentioned that I wanted to go hiking again. Well…I did it! 🙂 I went to Yosemite for a weekend!

I had to go online to recreation.gov to get a three day pass for Yosemite since they require reservations this summer to get into the park. I ended up getting a pass for June 11th, 12th, and 13th.

Not only did I go to Yosemite, but I got a motel room in Mammoth. This meant that I not only commuted daily into Yosemite, but I also took advantage of the trails in Mammoth.

So, you’re probably wondering how it was with the reservation system for Yosemite. It was perfect! Friday and Saturday were the slowest days and to be honest, those two days were better than most days I’ve spent in Yosemite in the month of October! There was a ton of parking and no traffic. Yosemite Valley was very manageable and enjoyable. Not only that, but the weather was absolutely amazing!

Sunday was a pretty busy day, but not in an annoying way. There were more people, but everything was easily accessible and nothing to stress about. It was also the warmest day in Yosemite Valley (mid to upper 80s), so I ended up in the high country where it was 20 degrees cooler. If you plan to go to Yosemite in the summer, try and spend the early morning hours in Yosemite Valley and then head up Tioga Pass by 11am so you can enjoy a more comfortable climate.

Below are some images I took while in the area. The first image is along the lower Gaylor Lake trail in the high country. It was the first hike of the trip (started at 5am) and I ended up hiking close to 10 miles.

The next images is of Quaking Aspen Falls along Tioga Pass. Following that is an image of lower Yosemite Falls; then Cascade Creek along the El Portal entrance; and last is an image of the entrance sign leading into Mammoth Lakes. You’ve got to love John Muir quotes!

Have a great week everyone!