Hiking and climbing mountains inspired me into this life philosophy - LIFE IS A MOUNTAIN. Every step you make leads to summit. You may be forced to turn around or change routes for any cause, never know. But, stay focused and look forward. The mountain will be there always. Pace yourself and reach "your" summit, for every step counts. Enjoy the view and feed your soul as it comes along. Life is a journey, not a destination. Life is like climbing a mountain.....
9-28-2017 Clouds Rest offers one of the most breathtaking 360 panoramic views in Yosemite Valley as it gives the best vantage point of the valley. The hike also provides quite an impressive and thrilling experience as you traverse the narrow
ridge with sheer drop-offs on both sides to reach the summit. The fastest and shortest way to scale Cloud's Rest is from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead on
Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake.
From the trailhead, follow the trail sign
for Sunrise H.S.C. After the first 1.5 mile, the trail starts to climb steeply in switchbacks. The
switchbacks will get your heart rate going no doubt as you gain 1,000' in just one mile. No pain, no gain! Go easy and be careful as you cross the narrow ridge to the top...both sides of the sharp ridge are sheer drop-offs.
Take in amazing vistas from the summit...many of Yosemite
landmarks such as Half Dome,
Mt. Hoffman,
Mt. Dana, Sentinel Dome,
North Dome, Tenaya Lake, Cathedral Rock
and El Capitan...and many peaks of High Sierras.
There were rockfalls at El Capitan two days in a row. The second rockfall at El Cap was seen in this hike from the top of Clouds Rest.
9-28-2017 El Capitan's massive rockfall occurred for second straight day,
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, in Yosemite National Park. A gigantic granite
slab fell from the east wall of El Capitan. I was hiking up Clouds Rest
on Thursday and happened to see the rockfall covering the valley with a
cloud of dust.
It's a sobering reminder that the landscape is constantly changing even though it
may not seem like that.
El Capitan via Yosemite Falls Trail 16 miles RT 3,600 Elevation Gain
Hiking to the top of El Capitan was my bucket list for a long time ever since I saw El Cap when I visited Yosemite for the first time back in my college days. I still remember vividly the awestruck sensation I felt when I saw the looming "monolith" in the Yosemite valley. Along with Half Dome, El Cap is a famed icon for many rock climbers just like Mt. Everest for mountaineers.
The hardest part of El Cap hike via Yosemite Falls Trail takes place for the first 3.2 miles of Yosemite Falls trail trekking up and up the rocky and slippery granite trail gaining 2,700 feet elevation. After the steep and rocky trail of Yosemite Falls, the trail continues through the forest gaining about 1,000 feet elevation up and down in 4.7 miles. Eagle Peak Trail connects with El Cap Trail, so that's an option to explore on the way to or back from El Cap. I hear the views from Eagle Peak are unbeatable. No pain, no gain. The reward you see from the top of El Cap isunforgettable! Take in breathtaking panoramic views of Yosemite Valley and High Sierras. Splendid.It's a must do hike if you want to stand on the top of El Cap....unless you are a hardcore rock climber to challenge scalingthe granite monolith - 3,000 feet vertical.
By the way, I saw bears twice. The first bear was an adult bear about 3/4 miles from El Cap and the second time was three young ones (larger than a cub, but not fully grown adult) about 1.5 miles from El Cap on the way back to trailhead. They all ran away as soon as they saw me, but one of the three actually climbed up a tall tree! Wow, bears can climb a tree so fast!....faster than a squirrel? No kidding. Well, if you encounter a bear on the trail, do not be scared. Here's a rule of thumb staying safe around bears.
