theksmith 3,832 Posted July 19, 2014 we had a fun group in good spirits the whole time despite the long hot days and grueling obstacles - thank you everyone for making it a great trip! special thanks to G for leading and MadDog for tailgunning too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,832 Posted July 19, 2014 teaser pics... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottL 178 Posted July 19, 2014 We made it home safe.. This guy we saw on state route 99 didn't Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stockjeep 25 Posted July 22, 2014 great breakfast Monday morning serious trail repairs at Rubicon Springs-Maddog saved the day with duct tape Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehall 8 Posted July 22, 2014 Any pics of your favorite part of the trail? Mine was the slabs by loon lake. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dzJeepChic 2,435 Posted July 22, 2014 Any pics of your favorite part of the trail? Mine was the slabs by loon lake. Still sorting... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,832 Posted July 22, 2014 one of my favorite pics from the trip - going up Cadillac Hill: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lichen 107 Posted July 22, 2014 Wow! Someday I'll have to hitch a ride with one of you Jeep guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,832 Posted July 23, 2014 finished sorting the pics... didn't get many of the actual trail though, too busy driving and spotting! saw signs of the CA drought everywhere. i spent the first night in Merced, CA - the armpit of, i mean gateway to Yosemite NP. the next morning i hit the road by 4am, i was hoping to get some good sunrise pics in the NP but arrived at all the good stuff too late still. single lane road delay early on: first sighting of some big granite! big boulders in the river. the river is very low... further downstream i had passed rafting launch spots where there were only a few inches of water flowing. neat way to enter the park - this was right after the pay station coming in on hwy 140. look closely and you'll spot the waterfall here... almost to Bridalveil falls... there was so little water that it didn't even "flow" all the way down, instead just turning to mist not far from the top. this Pelican box was locked to a tree near the trail.... any ideas what for? there was only one hole in it and it looks like some sort of optical sensor there: last minute i decided to drive to Glacier Point, and i'm glad i did - turned out to be a great view. first stop on the way up the hill gives a tease look at Yosemite valley: 2 of the viewing areas i stopped at had bronze topo sculptures matching the view. as i got back in the Jeep i received my first of several "stink eyes" from hybrid drivers in the park. whatev then there was a loooooooong tunnel. the road climbed higher and the thermostat dropped to a nice chilly temp outside! coming around a corner suddenly you are out of the forest and like "ooh this looks like it'll be neat...." "nice view" would be an understatement at that point. it was such an incredible scene that it just put a smile on my face. in case you missed the waterfalls, here's a 4x zoom: notice anything in this pic? yup, i had some company... in fact there was lots of chubby wildlife around Yosemite... apparently people don't understand the "keep wildlife wild" signs. then just a little further down the road was the actual Glacier Point viewing area. anyone here know about birds? these cool blue kids were picking up scraps near the trail... continued... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
