This past weekend I had the opportunity to make up for a missed opporunity from last year. I finally got to do the hike to North Dome. This is i smallish dome that is directly adjacent to the very famous Half Dome (a hike I will be doing for the second time come July). North Dome is also a short distance away from Basket Dome, which if you look at them from Glacier Point, make a pretty spectacular pair of breasts. So, I can now say that I have been on the right boob the next time I'm up there. On the trail to North Dome is a small side trip to the only Natural Arch in Yosemite, Indian Rock, which I decided to hit on the way back. The hike is only moderately difficult in a few parts, and was very satisfying when I went off trail (I will expound about this in my hiking blog when I have a little more time). The most notable thing about the bulk of the hike is the amount of fallen trees along the way. There are a lot of young up and comers sapping the nutrients away from the old boys and the amount of dropping trees attests to survival of the fittest. Then, I hit the most alluring part of the trail: bear sign. There were at least 4 trees that had their bark removed by claws, which black bears do quite often. Very cool. Then, you crest the bulk of the trail portion, and you come upon this view:
In this photo, you see North Dome prominently displayed just to the left of center. At the same height in the picture and a little to the right of center is Glacier Point, which is one of the most popular places to get pictures from. Just above that is my favorite place to get pictures that you can drive to, which is Washburn Point. Above that and further to the right is a great place to get pictures of Yosemite Falls called Sentinel Dome, which is one of the easiest hikes in the park, but really quite nice.
Once you get up on North Dome you have a lot of things that jump out at you immediately. The first of course is Half Dome:
This picture of Half Dome is one of my favorites, and as you can see I was there a little early for the full sun pics. This is one of those rare occasions where I know I will be back on a trail specifically for a shot or two. Wilderness Passes in Yosemite are required for any camping away from designated spots, and to get the full sun pics I will need to partake, but that probably won't happen til next year. On the left hand side from a little above the midway point down, you will see the rockslide that buried part of the Mirror Lake trail recently.
This shot is of my favorite hiking destination Clouds Rest. It also includes a portion of Half Dome, and for those with good eyesight, in the background is Mt Lyell, which is the continental US's only remaining glacier. I have every intention of doing that hike, though it is getting pushed further and further back on the timeline.
This shot also includes a portion of Half Dome, but it's focus is Mt Starr King, which is another off trail hike that I intend to partake in. Mostly for the shots of Clark Range and Half Dome from angles not done before.
Moving over just a bit affords a look at one of my favorite little falls, Illillouette Falls. I had to wait an hour to get as much sunlight in the shot as I could wait for. This is another that I will be going back for.
This shot is a look at Yosemite Valley. The jutting out formations just above the center of the picture are of my previous hike, Dewey, Crocker, and Stanford Points. Nice to see them from across the way.
As I set my packs down and got myself some nuts to eat, I was visited by a furry little friend that some intrepid yo-yo's from previous hikes have taught that humans equal food. Just cuz I don't agree with feeding the California Chipmunks doesn't mean I won't snap a picture or two of the cute little guys.
I had to get one more shot from North Dome before I headed off to my next destination, and I decided that this rock formation was worthy of a pic. The truth is that the first time I went to Yosemite, the waterfalls weren't flowing. I fell in love with the geology of the place. There are so many different rock formations that feature rocks that have no business being there, it's scary to think how powerful glaciers are to carry the stuff for miles and miles. This trail was littered with examples of this very thing.
As I was headed back up the trail I was reminded of how fragile all of this land is and how small we are comparatively. This pic is of a rock formation that is literally dangling above the lower portions of the trail. I was under this very large piece of solid rock only moments before.
After quite a bit of uphill climb, you crest the top part of the North Dome trail to find Indian Rock staring you straight in the face.
After Getting the last shot, I started the trek up to Indian Rock. As I was avoiding one obstacle, I kicked another and instead of yelping in pain, I growled (can't help it, part animal). Little did I know that there was a deer just a few feet from me. She hadn't taken any notice of me, and I hadn't taken any notice of her til the growl. We had a stare down until she placed me back in the harmless category and went about her business.
When I got up to Indian Rock, there were people climbing all over it, so of course I couldn't get a pic. I decided to take a little walk off trail. I will go into more detail in my blog, when I have more time. So, after about 45 minutes, I returned to Indian Rock to get a few shots. I came away with this picture of the backside as well as a few of things behind and through the rock, which I may share at a later time.
All in all, I thought this was a great hike. It's one that you won't see too many people on if you are looking to avoid the gaggle of people in the valley and want to see some great things. I definitely would call this an afternoon hike thought, since the sun has to cooperate for the full effect of the pics if that would be your goal. Also, there was a lot of bear sign, so it's not a trail you want to be caught in during the night. I also had a pretty trippy moment when I thought I heard a bear growling from one of the trees (yes, black bears are arborreal). It turned out that the tree was creeking loudly in a small amount of wind. Remember back when I said there were a lot of downed trees. If my ears were correct, there will be at least 7 more of these massive trees on the ground come next summer. So, if you intend to do this trail, listen for the trees...
North Dome Hike (Yosemite)
