Yosemite for 3 days

Where would you go (photographically speaking) in Yosemite if you have 3 days? I'm supposed to drive from las Vegas on Thursday and stay in Yosemite Friday, Saturday and drive back mid Sunday to San Fran.

Hiking is not a problem, I would be carrying my Mamiya RZ67 and my digital camera

Thanks

It's going to be very tough to find bad places to shoot.

markbarendt said:

It's going to be very tough to find bad places to shoot.

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yeah true, I'm just not familiar with Yosemite, went there only once and it was heavily raining most of the time

On the way there you might want to stop and see Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP.Most of the popular attractions are in the Valley itself. If you approach from the south end you will go north and go through a tunnel. Immediately after the tunnel ends, turn left into the parking lot for a great overview of the Valley. You can get maps and find out more at www.nps.gov, select California and then Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia.

From Vegas I'd come in from the east side of the Sierras

Sirius Glass said:

On the way there you might want to stop and see Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP.Most of the popular attractions are in the Valley itself. If you approach from the south end you will go north and go through a tunnel. Immediately after the tunnel ends, turn left into the parking lot for a great overview of the Valley. You can get maps and find out more at www.nps.gov, select California and then Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia.

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I'd love to stop by other National Parks, but unfortunately I'm not doing the trip alone and others want only to see Yosemite

amellice said:

I'd love to stop by other National Parks, but unfortunately I'm not doing the trip alone and others want only to see Yosemite

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Drop them off in Las Vegas and let them walk.

Sirius Glass said:

Drop them off in Las Vegas and let them walk.

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Get serious, Sirius.... I grew up smack between Kings Canyon and Yosemite and have taken hundreds of backpacking trips into that part of the Sierra,
yet would need three or four more lifetimes just to visit all the major canyon systems and lake basins. I know places where you can walk for a
week in Kings Can, Sequoia, and even within the boundaries of Yosemite Natl Park, without likely seeing another person. For those who want to tangle
with the usual summer weekend tumult of 30,000 people in Yosemite Valley itself, that's a different story. But even there one can find a quiet spot with a bit of walking AWAY from the insane stereotypical "must see" viewpoints. The drive itself from Lost Wages can be beautiful. Head over to Hwy 395 then up over Tioga Pass, which is now open. The Deli at the Mobil Station right at the foot of the Tioga Rd is excellent. Lots of sights between
Tioga Pass and Olmstead Point. Then slowly down to Yosemite Valley. On the other side of the Valley, an afternoon up at Glacier Point can be
worthwhile if you can't stand the theme park atmosphere of Yosemite Village. If you hike around at the higher altitudes, ALWAYS have a raincoat and sweater along. The weather can change quickly at higher altitudes; and beware of lightning storms in exposed areas. Crossing streams in early summer can also be risky, though in popular areas like Tuolumne Meadows bridges are present. But that's an awfully tight schedule for anything except hectic driving. Easier just to drive straight from the Bay to Yosemite on a weekday evening. Only takes four hours. About the only sensible option is not to try to see too much at once. Spend quality time in a limited area instead, then go back as opportunity allows, especially in off-season,
when the Valley is distinctly quieter and the air less filled with campfire smoke.

Drew for someone with three days, a day at Yosemite, Kings and Sequoia is reasonable for on someone who does not have many opportunities to see those parks. I myself will return from Cerro Gordo, Lone Pine and the Bristlecone trees in Inyo NF via Tioga road next week.

Assuming you are coming in from lee Vining, have a look at Mono Lake before heading up the hill. Take time to stop at Tuolumne Meadows and have a walk around the flat area to the north of the parking lot. Then continue along the road to Tenaya Lake and have a paddle in the outfall.

If I was in the driving seat and coming up the 395, I would insist on a short detour at Benton Crossing and take in the Hotwater Creek area just for a chance to soak in the warm waters.

paul_c5x4 said:

Assuming you are coming in from lee Vining, have a look at Mono Lake before heading up the hill. Take time to stop at Tuolumne Meadows and have a walk around the flat area to the north of the parking lot. Then continue along the road to Tenaya Lake and have a paddle in the outfall.

If I was in the driving seat and coming up the 395, I would insist on a short detour at Benton Crossing and take in the Hotwater Creek area just for a chance to soak in the warm waters.

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I have been to Mono lake several times, however this will be the first time I will be in Tuolumne Meadows so that is where I will be spending most of my time in Yosemite.

Sue and I spent a week there for our honnymoon in 2008. This would be a good time for me to pull out some prints and see where we were.
I took ths 500 CM and a Nikon D300 I think, might have been a D100. All the medium format stuff was with a 80 cf and a 150 cf lens. Not certain if I had the 40mm or a 50mm yet.

It was the first week of November and All The Tourists Were Gone. Yea.
You could drive yourself almost anywhere and not ride the propane busses, (I can nly imagine). The upper areas were snowed in already and blocked off. Well I told my new bride, that is why we rented a 4x4 jeep. I moved the baracaid and up the mountain we went into deeper and deeper snow. A huge squall was closing in on the horzon and you could see snow pouring down.

When I saw a snow cat stuck in the snow covered up to it's treads I relented and turned back.

Something else that was closed was the narrows and hanging gardens. Tricky place to get too, a wet suit, Pelican case and a damn good weather forcast is highly encouraged. Any rain anywhere can flood the narrows and well the rest is not pretty.

PM me if I forget to come back in a day or so, Ill see what I can find.
Lee

I just got back from Yosemite Valley, where I helped chaperone a bunch of 8th graders attending a NatureBridge session.

A highlight and physically-demanding day, took a bus around 8am to Glacier Point and walked down from there. Take lunch and two quarts of water (1 1/2 will leave you just a bit thirsty).

The folks who took the Panorama Trail past Liberty Dome, Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls (if you can handle the 8 miles) got back around 5:30pm but had a great time, or the "4 mile trail" if you are interested in a shorter trip. When I was younger I hiked up and down the Panorama trail and have to vote for "downhill" hiking as the way it should be done. This time I took "4-mile" as it was my assigned duty... It was fine, great views of Sentinel rock... and Yosemite Falls from a distance.

Camp Curry (now Half Dome Village marked on signs but not the maps) serves good meals in their dining compound. The coffee corner is open at 6am, serves Peets and the baristas are great, and the pizza is good and they have good beer on tap.

Check sunrise and get yourself up before twilight breaks. Your friends will likely still be asleep and you still have time to get back to the coffee corner and bring them coffee just as they awake and name you "hero of the day". The sky changes fast and you will be well-served if you get out before the dawning sky brings your contrast range to N-2 territory. (I have a shot that would have been better taken of the Merced with Half-Dome in the background... if I had gotten there just as twilight broke.

Yosemite Falls will be brutally touristy. As will all the pull-outs.

The best day by far, was when we walked from a spot near El Capitan... up "Old Pine Flat Road" where we got a view similar to the tunnel view, but without people and with an old dirt road for foreground. Makes you feel like you are there in 1850.

From there we lunched under El Cap, and continued back to Camp... Half Dome Village, along the less-populated trails and across the meadow... we hopped the shuttle back. Being West of "everything" and across from the views, we had very few other people on the trails with us.

Another day they took us back behind the kennels where there's an apple orchard. From there we went to "split rock" and the pounding rock there. I loved the unusual places they took us. There's this place called the "Spider Caves" where, if you are not too corpulent, and if you are not claustrophobic, you can make your way through on your back and side, crawling like a spider (not that there's spiders in the cave but you crawl like a spider to get through them).

Unless you want to do long day walks 3 days is plenty to see the main sights. You just need to accept the weather and light you get given.

I've shot there a ton and love it! I usually go during winter. There is a great photographer
who lives locally named Michael Frye and he put out a fantastic book I highly recommend
anyone unfamiliar with the park....

The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite: Michael Frye

He give very comprehensive direction to locations.

thanks guys, we wouldn't mind the cliches since it's our first visit there

"Main sights", pfffttt. Flatlanders! Even the postcard stereotypes are constantly changing. I've driven over Tioga countless times as basically a commute from the west side to the east. Sometimes they let me through free if I couriered Dont Feed the Bear pamphlets between entrances. Now
I have a lifetime Geezer permit. But returning from Wyoming and Nevada from backpacks the last two summers, the first instance one couldn't even see rocks across a gulch from all the forest fire smoke. I was already smelling it halfway across Nevada. But the second time, the smoke lent a thin veil that gave a subtle atomospheric quality to Tenaya Peak that I had been anticipating for years. Now nobody but me ever seems to photograph that stunning crag, simply because there is no turnout and idiotic sign telling you it's a "must see", and it ain't on any AA postcards, so must no exist!
But sure enough, once I set up a tripod, half a dozen cars pull up and crowd me, each with a bunch of bozos taking selfies with their goofy faces blocking "whatever" significant sight it must be. Look for your own rock, idiots. (Ain't it fun to be old and cranky; I've earned it!) But just take your
time and enjoy the drive, Akram. The Nevada sage country can be either boring or spectacular, depending on the clouds and weather. You can cross
Death Valley in the morning if you have good AC (carry water), then right over to Lone Pine and up 395 to Lee Vining. You'll have a great time,
regardless. The lower hill and farm country can also be gorgeous in golden morning light on your return via Hwy 120, though a bit hot for those of us accustomed to Bay weather.

I had wonderful week in Yosemite, many thanks for everyone pitched in. We went from Las Vegas to Yosemite through the Tioga Pass. Went to Olmsted point, Glacier point, Washburn, all the classic views on Yosemite, hiked to the top of Halfdome (pretty amazing hike). All major waterfalls were running except Horsetail. It was amazing

Glad to hear it worked out so well. You apparently got a lucky break between lightning storms and fires.

DREW WILEY said:

Glad to hear it worked out so well. You apparently got a lucky break between lightning storms and fires.

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yes weather was perfect, but sadly there were not clouds at all, I had hard time shooting

Regardless of weather/absence of clouds, 'can't wait to see what you post, amellice.

HiHoSilver said:

Regardless of weather/absence of clouds, 'can't wait to see what you post, amellice.

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Yeah me too, I think I shot around 9 rolls and I developed all of them in the last 2 days, time to go in my kitchen darkroom

It's always a trade-off. If you get great clouds, the top of Half Dome in nowhere to be! In the mountains I always try to be over the passes of other
high areas by noon. Things can change suddenly. Over the weekend I reprinted a shot from Sequoia taken a couple summers ago with a giant dome
in the background from across a giant meadow. The main difference from Yosemite was that there were zero other people there. Luminous soft light
with tufts of fluffy soft clouds way in the background, wisping over the dome and some 12,000 foot peaks. That's the look I wanted in the print. But
within fifteen minutes it was raining like heck right where I was standing, way down there in the meadow, and I scarcely had time to repack my gear.

This site of Bin Danh shows a portfolio of Daggeurotype of Yosemite in a very different light (and colour!).
http://binhdanh.com/Projects/Yosemite/yosemite.html