Grabbin' Some Afternoon Delight in Yosemite (Photo Trip Report)

Royal Arches, Yosemite Valley

Camp 4

Arriving in Yosemite on Sunday morning, we found plenty of space in Camp 4 as the crowds returned home from the weekend.

Cathedral Peak

Yosemite Valley caught us off guard. I don't know why, but I expected something less developed . . . not so much. So we drove up to Tuolumne for some peace and quiet. Cathedral Peak appeared to be a good starting point. The approach was a 50/50 mix of trail and snow, and fortunately we only saw one other group. They turned around after the first pitch giving us the mountain to ourselves.

Royal Arches

We weren't too excited for a back-to-back 3-hour round trip up to Tuolumne, so we spent the next day in Yosemite Valley. Royal Arches is reported to be an easy, fun, 16-pitch climb. The tallest climb any of us had done was nine pitches, so we were excited to spend a longer time up in the air, particularly with the phenomenal views. Not all of the pitches were "vertical pitches" (some traversing, etc.), but it was a blast nonetheless. Combined with 11 rappels, this was a long day. Again, we were alone on the mountain . . . afternoon delight!

Valley Sights

Day 3 was a rest day. We caught the USA v. Algeria game. (Okay, I admit, a Sports Grill in the middle of a National Park can be marvelously convenient. I'm such a hypocrite.) Then we spent the day seeing the sights.

Stately Pleasure Dome & Lembert Dome

Okay, back to climbing and back to Tuolumne. Our Cathedral Peak approach had been rather tedious and time consuming with deep, fragile, sun cups in the snow fields. We had no interest in fighting that beast all the way back to the Matthes Crest, so we opted for easier approaches. Stately Pleasure Dome and Lembert Dome were fine candidates.

Half Dome

What would a first Yosemite trip be without a Half Dome climb? We were excited. The approach and descent are long, but so scenic that the miles breeze by. We ascended between Mount Broderick and Liberty Cap, then descended the standard trail. In every respect the environment lived up to its reputation. The climb was outstanding. Even the summit was far less crowded than anticipated . . . more afternoon delight!

Conclusion

With one day left, what would I naturally want to do? Climb? Watch the World Cup! I think they're on to something with this Sports Bar / National Park idea. :) The U.S. v. Ghana game was a kick to the gut, but nothing a pizza, coke and ice cream can't resolve. We drove home fully satisfied with our first Yosemite experience.