This was my fifth time to Yosemite, and it still thrills me like no other place has. The first time I got to the park was a one-day quick visit while in San Francisco with Bruce at a conference. We were only in the park for a few hours, but it left quite an impression on me. I've since been back during RoadTrip95, our honeymoon, and RoadTrip98 (two weeks in the park, amazing). This time I again had only one day to spend, so I did what I could. Got to the Tioga Pass entrance station around 7 AM, got into the valley a bit after 8. Hung out at Bridal Veil falls for a bit, Fern Spring, rented a bike and rode around the valley floor, watched the rock climbers on El Capitan, and finally headed up to Glacier Point.
I had originally planned to take the short hike to Taft Point and the fissures in the afternoon, but it looked like there was some weather coming in so I stopped at Glacier Point first to see what would develop. Good thing I did. I wasn't at the Point more than 20 minutes before it started raining, then hailing. I waited out the hail with another photographer at the store, trading photo location tips. We met a biker who had to ride back to SF that evening in the rain with a newbie passenger. Glad I wasn't him.
Got some good pictures after the storm cleared, then back down to the valley for sunset. Waited at Tunnel View for a while, but the background sky just wasn't going to get interesting. Had dinner at Curry Village, then drove to Valley View and was rewarded with some excellent skies as the sun set behind me. (Those pictures are medium-format slides so I'll get them posted later). Finally left the park and drove to Oakhurst to spend my last night on the road.
 Yosemite Falls and the Merced river |
 View from my rented bicycle |
 After the storm, Vernal and Nevada Falls and Half Dome |
 This coyote certainly wasn't shy |
 Some elk hanging out by Royal Arches |
 El Capitan at sunset |
 Yosemite Valley at sunset. The medium- format version is much crisper (to be posted later) |