Yosemite is a National Park I had been hearing of from friends and in general. I heard of how great it was, how beautiful it was.
Well, I was not disappointed. Yosemite National Park is everything I ever heard it was and more.
Travel
I originally booked a flight to Reno in September with the intentions of going to Yosemite. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about their ticket to gain entry system until after I had booked the flight.
Luckily the beer bug has given us a world with free ticket changes, so this ended up not being a problem at all. I waited until the first of September and got a reservation in October. Tickets seemed to go reasonably fast, but I got mine for entry on Sunday October 18. I had wanted for Saturday, but that was fine.
Flight
The flight Oklahoma City (OKC) to Reno (RNO) was $178 round-trip on American Airlines in Main Cabin. What a steal. The fact it was still available a week or so later to rebook was even more insane. I headed up Friday the 16th after work and arrived into Reno late.
Reno and Tahoe
Friday was not a good day, and I started the day off Saturday on a sour note. I had gotten in late, so I didn’t get up particularly early, and headed out around noon. I visited Donner Pass and drove around Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is absolutely gorgeous and the commercial aspect of it has been kept at a minimum – I’m pretty impressed.
As I headed south, I admired the beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This was truly my first look at them in person. It is truly a beautiful range, much more than they are given credit for.
Mammoth Lakes
I decided to base myself on the east side of the park in Mammoth Lakes. I stayed at the Holiday Haus for 3 nights and my total was around $250. The room was really nice too! The smoke was thick in Mammoth, however. Devil’s Postpile National Monument was closed due to fire, which was disappointing as I wanted to get a NPS stamp.
Yosemite National Park
I had 3 full days in Yosemite starting Sunday the 18th. Each day I entered through the Inyo National Forest and went over Tioga pass at 10,000 feet. What a beautiful drive into the park. Once you are actually inside Yosemite, the views just ontinue to get better. I spent 3 days driving the entire park and valley. These are the photos as a result.
Donner PassDonner Pass in California
South Lake Tahoe
South of Lake TahoeFall colors were strong in this area
Raymond Peak
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Entering Mono CountyCalifornia Scenic Route 89 at the mono county line
West Walker River
Sunset in the MountainsSun sets behind the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Bridgeport, California
California Mountain Sunset
California Fall ColorsFall colors near Mono City, California
Mono Lake Vista PointTwilight over Mono Lake from the Mono Lake Vista Point on highway 395
California Gas Prices
Overlooking Yosemite Valley
El Capitan
Overlooking Indian CreekSmoke fills the valley in Yosemite National Park
Half Dome from Glacier PointView from Glacier Point
Sunset in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite West Sunset
El Capitan at night
Inyo National Forest Sign
View as you approach Yosemite from the eastHeading up California Highway 120 westbound to the Yosemite National Park entrance at Tioga Pass
Fog on the mountains in the morningLooking east from California highway 120 near Tioga Pass
Yosemite National ParkBurned trees from a past forest fire in Yosemite National Park
Tenaya LakeTenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park
Mount GibbsMount Gibbs reflects off a still pond in Yosemite National Park
Olmsted PointView of Half Dome from Olmsted Point at sunset in Yosemite National Park
Meteor Shower in YosemiteOrionid meteor shower in Yosemite National Park
Night Sky over Tenaya LakeDark sky over Lake Tenaya in Yosemite National Park
Looking up at the Milky Way overheadDark skies over Yosemite NP
Yosemite Night Sky
Tenaya LakeNight sky reflects off Tenaya Lake in Yosemite
Merced RiverGlass reflections along highway 140
The smoke was badThe smoke was very bad on my last day in the park
Tunnel ViewpointLooking back at Yosemite Valley from the tunnel viewpoint
Yosemite Valley ViewThere was no wind so it was extremely smoky. The upside is that the water was very reflective
Cathedral Rocks in SmokeSmoky valley as the afternoon sun wanes
Ben Holcomb is a Storm Chaser and IT Professional that lives in Oklahoma. Ben works as a Linux Cloud Engineer. He has observed over 200 tornadoes since 2007 and has appeared on most national and some international television news networks. Ben loves to travel and has been to all 50 states as well as 19 countries and 38 national parks.
