After parking at the Lodge area, I took the waiting shuttle bus to the Mirror Lake shuttle stop. It was definitely spring in the valley--very pleasant along Tenaya Creek. The climb up the Snow Creek switchbacks was warm, but not uncomfortable. The views across the canyon of Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and the Quarter Domes were wonderful as always.
The flat area around 6500' at the top of the switchbacks was mostly snow free, perhaps a bit less snow than there had been last Thanksgiving.
I had a snack a the flat area, where I saw the only people I'd encounter until Yosemite Point. Unfortunately, I didn't leave this area until about noon... the steep climbing was over, but... as is typical in early season, snow slowed me down past this point. Near the cascades along Porcupine Creek (I bet these are nice when not under a lot of snow), I put on my snowshoes.
Snow coverage was 100% from here until the ridge above North Dome. I had done this trail several times--mostly in snow--and some old footprints and an occasional exposed cut lot or grown-over blaze helped with routefinding, but I did manage to get off track not too far from where my wife and I camped for the first time in the backcountry.
The snow to this point had been mostly firm and crusty, but it felt like I was snowshoeing up soft, white sand during the brief climb to the Indian Arch junction.
After this junction I saw some fresh footprints; oddly, they hadn't come up via either Snow Creek or from Yosemite Falls. North Dome gully? The snow thinned out by the ridge above North Dome, where I stopped for another snack.
My progress through the snow had been slow, and it was about 3:00 when I left this ridge, with about 7 or so miles to go. I decided not to do the spur to North Dome itself. I had been hoping for less snow on the way to Yosemite Point, but was greeted with waist-deep powder just past the North Dome spur trail. In fact there was generally less snow--about the right amount so that the decision to wear or not wear snowshoes always seemed to be the wrong one.
At Indian Canyon creek, I thought of taking the old "trail" down, but it was getting late and I didn't want to try to find a trail that has been abandoned for over 100 years with a headlamp. Also, there are several nice views between this creek and Yosemite Point along the official trail.
At Yosemite Point I was greeted with the usual great views as well as a group of young (high school?) hikers who had come up via Yosemite Falls.
Despite the late hour, people were still climbing up to Yosemite Point... but it also looked like there would be enough light to last the trip down.
I had another snack at Yosemite Point, but then started down the falls trail. Some work has been done on it, but there are still many stretches of loose-sand-and-gravel-on-polished-rip-rap that required careful foot placement.
For those who are wondering, the snow cone is still there:
It was a bit of a race with the sun to the bottom, but I managed to get to my car while it was still light. While walking through the parking lot, Sentinel Falls was framed with some slivers of golden light... I wonder if there's a time of year when it becomes a "firefall"...
All in all, another wonderful off-season day-hike in Yosemite.
More Pictures
Not-at-all-official Yosemiteinfo Forum challenge: In this picture (taken from Yosemite Point), locate the following: 1) the microwave reflector above Union Point; 2) Agassiz Rock; 3) the Glacier Point waterworks. Bonus points for identifying an abandoned segment of the old Four Mile trail.
