Re: Yosemite Falls in late July?

Hello, I'll be visiting Yosemite in late July this year... how are Yosemite Falls doing this year? I know the best time to go is in Spring, but should I see at least some water falling? Thanks for your expertise! I've never been and I'm very excited!

By late July there won't be much water left in Yosemite Creek. Bridal Veil should still be running and the Mist Trail should be worth a hike.

I wish they would point one of the webcams at Yosemite Falls, so people could check it on a daily basis. Alas, they have decided to point 3 of the webcams at Half Dome, which never moves. Kind of a waste of technology. There was a late snowstorm in early June which provided a little extra snow, so the falls will run slightly later in the season. You can see how they looked on June 3rd by going to this page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WELCF3f5XWc

However they won't have nearly as much water in late July.

I totally agree with you Bob. They would have to install a new one because all the others are too far west to shoot Yos Falls (why not one on top of the big building at GP??), but they really need a few more views. Heck, most ski resorts in Tahoe are far ahead of Yosemite in this regard. They have way better webcams, even user controllable live streaming cams...Yosemite could easily install one of those.

Edit: I wonder if the Sentinel Dome Cam could be turned to see Yos Falls??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2009 04:55PM by cthenn.

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cthenn
most ski resorts in Tahoe are far ahead of Yosemite in this regard.

Most ski resorts have an economic incentive to install cams.

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eeek

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cthenn
most ski resorts in Tahoe are far ahead of Yosemite in this regard.

Most ski resorts have an economic incentive to install cams.

Not after some of these recent winters! I was seeing bare earth into January at some places Not exactly the enticement to spend a long day driving up the mountains!

Well they have 5 cams but they don't all seem to be working at any given time.

The Turtleback Dome cam showing El Capitan and Half Dome is great. It would be nice if they could reposition it slightly to show Bridalveil Fall, but that might not be possible where the cam is located.

The cam looking west to show the air quality is pretty useless as far as I'm concerned. That should be moved to some other location, for example maybe the Tunnel View or Valley View areas.

The Ahwanee Meadow cam gives the best quality image of any of them, but it's kind of redundant when the Turtleback Dome cam already shows Half Dome. If that cam could be moved to show a view of the Merced River then it might be a little more useful.

The cam on Sentinel Dome seems to be out of service now, but when it was working about 6 months ago it had a nice view of Half Dome, but since Half Dome is already on view by the other cams, if it were up to me I would fix the cam and re-direct it to show Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Dome has a good view of Yosemite Falls.

The Tioga Pass cam is useful for seeing what the conditions are in that area, so I would leave it as is, except add an indicator to the image showing whether Tioga Road is open or not.

If the budget allowed I would definitely put a couple of cams at Glacier Point, one showing Tenaya Canyon and Half Dome and one showing the valley view including Yosemite Falls. But those would be extravagances so it would have to be dependent on if the money was there. I would probably also put one at Washburn Point showing Nevada and Vernal falls, since to me the view of those falls seemed a little closer and better than from Glacier Point. And if there was any money left over, I would put one at Olmstead Point looking towards Clouds Rest and Half Dome. But obviously I'm not in charge of any of that so none of it is up to me. That would just be what I would do. Yellowstone has at least 7 web cams that I know of, but Grand Canyon has only 1 that is operating at this time, as far as I know. Grand Canyon could easily have 5 or 6 including one at Toroweap Overlook, which is time consuming to get to and dangerous to be at.

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Bob Weaver
The Turtleback Dome cam showing El Capitan and Half Dome is great. It would be nice if they could reposition it slightly to show Bridalveil Fall, but that might not be possible where the cam is located.

The camera is located at an electronics site (radio repeaters, etc.) and Bridalveil is not visible from that location.

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The cam looking west to show the air quality is pretty useless as far as I'm concerned.

It's not there for you.

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The Ahwanee Meadow cam gives the best quality image of any of them, but it's kind of redundant when the Turtleback Dome cam already shows Half Dome.

It's quite useful for seeing the condition of the meadow (e.g. is there snow?). That's not redundant at all.

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The cam on Sentinel Dome seems to be out of service now, but when it was working about 6 months ago it had a nice view of Half Dome, but since Half Dome is already on view by the other cams, if it were up to me I would fix the cam and re-direct it to show Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Dome has a good view of Yosemite Falls.

The cam is down do to cable issues with the site. When it's working it should a very good view of the high country and that's what it is there for. Pointing it at Yosemite Falls (assuming the falls can be seen from the electronics site) would mean losing the high country view.

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Bob Weaver
Well they have 5 cams but they don't all seem to be working at any given time.

The Turtleback Dome cam showing El Capitan and Half Dome is great. It would be nice if they could reposition it slightly to show Bridalveil Fall, but that might not be possible where the cam is located.

The cam looking west to show the air quality is pretty useless as far as I'm concerned. That should be moved to some other location, for example maybe the Tunnel View or Valley View areas.

The Ahwanee Meadow cam gives the best quality image of any of them, but it's kind of redundant when the Turtleback Dome cam already shows Half Dome. If that cam could be moved to show a view of the Merced River then it might be a little more useful.

The cam on Sentinel Dome seems to be out of service now, but when it was working about 6 months ago it had a nice view of Half Dome, but since Half Dome is already on view by the other cams, if it were up to me I would fix the cam and re-direct it to show Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Dome has a good view of Yosemite Falls.

The Tioga Pass cam is useful for seeing what the conditions are in that area, so I would leave it as is, except add an indicator to the image showing whether Tioga Road is open or not.

If the budget allowed I would definitely put a couple of cams at Glacier Point, one showing Tenaya Canyon and Half Dome and one showing the valley view including Yosemite Falls. But those would be extravagances so it would have to be dependent on if the money was there. I would probably also put one at Washburn Point showing Nevada and Vernal falls, since to me the view of those falls seemed a little closer and better than from Glacier Point. And if there was any money left over, I would put one at Olmstead Point looking towards Clouds Rest and Half Dome. But obviously I'm not in charge of any of that so none of it is up to me. That would just be what I would do. Yellowstone has at least 7 web cams that I know of, but Grand Canyon has only 1 that is operating at this time, as far as I know. Grand Canyon could easily have 5 or 6 including one at Toroweap Overlook, which is time consuming to get to and dangerous to be at.

Talking to the people that actually own the cameras might be more productive.

http://www.yosemite.org/31/Contact-Us.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2009 06:51PM by eeek.

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eeek

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Bob Weaver
If the budget allowed I would definitely put a couple of cams at Glacier Point, one showing Tenaya Canyon and Half Dome and one showing the valley view including Yosemite Falls. But those would be extravagances so it would have to be dependent on if the money was there. I would probably also put one at Washburn Point showing Nevada and Vernal falls, since to me the view of those falls seemed a little closer and better than from Glacier Point. And if there was any money left over, I would put one at Olmstead Point looking towards Clouds Rest and Half Dome. But obviously I'm not in charge of any of that so none of it is up to me. That would just be what I would do.

Talking to the people that actually own the cameras might be more productive.

http://www.yosemite.org/31/Contact-Us.htm

They probably would be amenable to a kind offer from you to underwrite the purchase, installation, and operation of the additional webcams.

Great! If you had to guess... Yes/No to any water from Yosemite Falls on July 23rd, what would you say? I'm happy with a trickle.

Also, I'm spending 3 full days at Yosemite... one of which will be spent doing Half Dome. I've been reading about all the hikes and stuff... from experience, though, what would you say are absolute MUST-Do's? Any hikes in the < 5 mile range that are amazing? Any scenic drives worth doing in the early morning that offer stunning views and/or wildlife?

Again, thanks for all your help!

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WanderingBear
Great! If you had to guess... Yes/No to any water from Yosemite Falls on July 23rd, what would you say? I'm happy with a trickle.

Also, I'm spending 3 full days at Yosemite... one of which will be spent doing Half Dome. I've been reading about all the hikes and stuff... from experience, though, what would you say are absolute MUST-Do's? Any hikes in the < 5 mile range that are amazing? Any scenic drives worth doing in the early morning that offer stunning views and/or wildlife?

Again, thanks for all your help!

Wow, that's open ended! If you mean the Valley, many of the sights can be seen via drive-ups (parking in designated lots and walking short distances). If you want to hike upward, Yos Falls Trail and the 4 Mile Trail can be nice. What's particularly nice about the 4MT is that you can hike up and then take a shuttle down back to the valley if you don't want to walk back down. The views along the way up and from Glacier Point are amazing. You can also take side trips to Sentinel Dome and/or Taft Point once you get up to GP. Some combination of this is what I would suggest, but others can offer you tons more insight.

As far as drives go, you could simply drive Tioga Road all the way to the east end of the park, stopping along the way for an uncountable number of spectacular things to see.

My guess for Yosemite Falls on July 23rd is that it will be a gossamer spray. This past winter was on the light side for snowfall. Bridalveil Fall, the first major one you see as you enter Yosemite Valley, is capable of running all year, but is just a trickle in the autumn. It will probably still have some flow on July 23rd. The park's web site states that both Vernal and Nevada falls are capable of running all year long though just a trickle in autumn. As the flow of Vernal Fall dwindles, it may separate into two or three separate side-by-side falls, still pretty though not the thick raging curtain of springtime. Even if the waterfalls are disappointing, everything else about the park is still beautiful and stunning. The granite cliffs, the views, the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the wildlife... it's all amazing and spectacular no matter what time of year you are there. The main problems with the summer are the heat and the crowds. The crowds are mostly in Yosemite Valley, but there are still good reasons to visit Yosemite Valley even if it's crowded. It actually is the most beautiful place in the world that I know of. You don't even have to "do" anything, just relax and take it all in. The gestalt of being there in the midst of all that beauty is enough. There are free shuttle buses that take you to almost any point in the Valley you want to go to. The trails around the Happy Isles are a great way to cool off in a shady, beautiful area. Most people pass right by Happy Isles in their relentless pursuit of Half Dome, but Happy Isles is a gem. I also think the payoff-to-effort invested ratio is much higher if you hike to the top of Sentnel Dome rather than Half Dome. Sentinel Dome is a 2-mile round trip with a 300-foot elevation gain, compared to Half Dome which is a 17-mile round trip with a 4,700 foot gain. Yet they offer similar views from their tops and either one gives you the same "being on top of the world" feeling. Just my opinion... obviously 1,000 people per day disagree and go to Half Dome anyway. By all means visit Glacier Point and the nearby Washburn Point, and sunset is the best time of day for those, for the alpenglow on Half Dome and the peaks of the park. By all means drive the entire Tioga Road (120) with so many stops to see along the way: Tuolumne Grove of sequoias, Siesta Lake, Olmstead Point, Tenaya Lake, the Cathedral Peak area, Tuolumne Meadows which is the starting point for so many great hikes. Just outside the park's eastern entrance is Ellery Lake which I found spectacular. The park is too big and there is too much to do to get it all in one trip. It's best not to rush around and try to see everything. Just pick a few things that appeal to you the most and do those, and spend time relaxing and just absorbing all the beauty. That's better than trying to complete a laundry list of things to see or do.

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WanderingBear
Great! If you had to guess... Yes/No to any water from Yosemite Falls on July 23rd, what would you say? I'm happy with a trickle.

Also, I'm spending 3 full days at Yosemite... one of which will be spent doing Half Dome. I've been reading about all the hikes and stuff... from experience, though, what would you say are absolute MUST-Do's? Any hikes in the < 5 mile range that are amazing? Any scenic drives worth doing in the early morning that offer stunning views and/or wildlife?

Again, thanks for all your help!

If you are doing Half Dome on one day, you will necessarily see a LOT of Yosemite Valley.

I would head to Tuolumne Meadows and do at least one, maybe more, of the following:

1 - Cathedral Lakes and Medlicott Dome side trip - 9 miles or 11 with the dome side trip. Spectacular views of peaks and lakes that stay full all summer. Modest hiking, really easy if you can do Half Dome.

2 - Lembert Dome - great views for modest effort - 3-4 miles total.

3 - Gaylor & Granite Lakes, Tioga Hill - 5 miles total (of modest trail and easy cross-country) through some of the best accessible scenery in the park. Lakes, summits, a magnificent glacial cirque at Upper Granite Lake, old mining remnants, marmots, wildflower meadows, and the stunning clear blue sky that comes only at high elevation. Trailhead just west of and downhill from Tioga Pass.

4 - If you can get an *early* start and if Half Dome hasn't wiped you out, Mount Dana. 6 mi RT out and back, 3,100 feet elevation gain, best done after spending a night or two sleeping up high (to avoid altitude sickness). Spectacular, not crowded, more satisfying than Half Dome, and worth every burning uphill step to the 13,061 foot summit (latest USGS altitude figure - don't blame me!). Trailhead right at Tioga Pass entrance station, south side of road. Unofficial trail, but not hard to find or follow.

If I could pick only one of these, it would be No. 3. Gaylor/Granite is quintissential.

Thanks everybody for your input! It's not set in stone, but I think it'll spend the first day seeing all the touristy things, maybe do 4 Mile trail, definitely see Glacier Point (probably for sunset too), do Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, and Bridalveil Falls. If I'm really feeling one place I'll probably just soak it all in and if I'm out of time I can always skip something. Day 2 will consist mostly of driving Tioga Road, doing stuff like Gaylor Lakes (I'll have to check out Granite too now), Lembert Dome, Olmsted point, Tenaya Lake, Tuolomne meadows, or any combination of those places. Day 3 will be doing Mist trail, I'll get to see the two Falls (hopefully) and then a trek up Half Dome, and if I'm not exhausted I'll do Mount Dana. I don't want to be in a rush though, like you said... I should just soak it all in and enjoy the atmosphere...

Thanks again for your help everyone!

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WanderingBear
Thanks everybody for your input! It's not set in stone, but I think it'll spend the first day seeing all the touristy things, maybe do 4 Mile trail, definitely see Glacier Point (probably for sunset too), do Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, and Bridalveil Falls. If I'm really feeling one place I'll probably just soak it all in and if I'm out of time I can always skip something. Day 2 will consist mostly of driving Tioga Road, doing stuff like Gaylor Lakes (I'll have to check out Granite too now), Lembert Dome, Olmsted point, Tenaya Lake, Tuolomne meadows, or any combination of those places. Day 3 will be doing Mist trail, I'll get to see the two Falls (hopefully) and then a trek up Half Dome, and if I'm not exhausted I'll do Mount Dana. I don't want to be in a rush though, like you said... I should just soak it all in and enjoy the atmosphere...

Thanks again for your help everyone!

!!! Mt Dana is up Tioga Road - not near Half Dome.

If you do Half Dome one day, you will most assuredly not be doing Dana that day also B) Half Dome is a BIG butt-kicker of a hike. Start at 5:30 AM for best results.

I think it unlikely that most folks would even do Half Dome and Mt. Dana back-to-back on two different days. The miles will get you on Half Dome; the altitude will get you on Dana. I suppose it depends on one's age. If really young and overflowing with energy then maybe back-to-back on adjoining days might be feasible.

Jim

Oh, if you want stunning views of wildlife, leave your bear locker open and then hide in the bushes...

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cthenn
Oh, if you want stunning views of wildlife, leave your bear locker open and then hide in the bushes...

Just camp in the Valley and eat dinner.

A friend of mine recently did El Cap from Tamarack Flat (like 16 miles roundtrip), next day Dana, and 3rd day, Half Dome, in Teva sandals...

Came back to work on Monday and said "yeah, my legs are only a little sore".

cthenn,

Is your friend human or cyborg? Just wondering.

Jim

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tomdisco
cthenn,

Is your friend human or cyborg? Just wondering.

Jim

Maybe a John Muir clone?

Two weeks back, Nick and I (admittedly wearing hiking boots), did North Dome & Indian Arch (~9.5 miles) Monday, Eagle Peak (14 mi) Tuesday, Waterwheel Falls (16 mi) Wed, Half Dome (17 mi) Th and Cloud's Rest (14 mi) Friday. Not that hard, really, all you really need is some gumption (mental). A big dish of ice cream at the end of each hike helped a bunch We met a couple of guys wearing quality "hiking sandals" going up Half Dome, but we think they started at Little Yosemite that morning. We saw LOTS of out-of-shape people near the Half Dome summit, including some very hefty ladies. Don't know if they got up the cables or not...I hope so.

Bruce,

I applaud the energy you and Nick have. I don't believe I've had that much energy since age 6. It's a bit more than "mental" for the old farts slow plodding club (bill-e-q excluded).

Jim

No cyborg, but it's more common than you think. I visit several different GPS track sharing sites, and it's not uncommon for me to find GPS tracks that are 1 day, 20+ miles, 6000-8000 feet of climbing. Some people out there are just super hardcore. I can't do that, but I think there are a lot of people who can.

cthenn,

I know what you mean. Last year when my wife and I were doing Lembert Dome a young guy with a day pack was moving 5-6 mph uphill. He passed us 1/3 the way up, summited, and passed us again on his way down while we were still below the tree line headed up. Don't think he stopped to admire the view! Got the impression he could do that all day long without breathing hard.

Jim