Absolutely spectacular hike up to Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Point then North Dome and Indian Ridge, and run back.
Forecast was for heavy rain and half a meter of snow up top, but it changed to a clear day so we headed up for a fairly epic hike.
We went up the switchbacks and under the massive sheer wall to Yosemite Falls.
We saw a few people there, but from then on we had the park to ourselves. Incredible views of the valley from the cliffside lookout.
We headed on up to Yosemite point for even more expansive views.
From then on it was rolling terrain through gorgeous open mature forest and some burnt areas, then on to the massive granite ridges that lead to North Dome.
Spent a while there gawking and taking pics, then headed back up to a higher dome on Indian Ridge.
That’s when it occurred to us that with the time change we had 2 hours of daylight left to get back, not 3, so we ran back.
We did have lights, down jackets, raincoats, gloves and hats, but would rather not need them. The trail was indistinct in places, so I followed the Garmin trackback to be sure we didn’t detour.
It fogged in for the last part with occasional amazing glimpses of the valley.
We made it to the top of the falls in just enough time, but were surprised to see tourists still ambling up, some of whom had no packs, jackets or lights. We remided them that it will be dark when they return, and a couple of dudes at least showed us the phone light they planned to use. Oy vey.
We kept a decent pace down and never had to crack out the headlamp.
Photos to follow.