Four Mile Trail

El Capitan Photographed Looking Into the Sun – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 290

Jeff

El Capitan from the Four Mile Trail

El Capitan from the Four Mile Trail

After leaving Glacier Point, we decided to hike the Four Mile Trail down to the Valley. It was already mid-afternoon and the sun would be intense as we were hiking westward.

Taking pictures into the sun was tricky. The photograph above was taken with my “least advanced” and presumably “less capable” camera. The Canon AS 590 IS which is ancient in relationship to current point-and-shoot standards.

While the picture is good for a record of the trip, much of the detail is gone and or washed out. To salvage the picture and make it a bit more artistic in nature, I converted it to black and white.

Which version do you like better; the black and white or the color version? Leave your remarks in the comment section.

El Capitan in Black and White

El Capitan in black and white

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 155 (Four Mile Trail 5/5 – Half Dome Close and Large)

Jeff

Half Dome close up along Four Mile Trail

A close up view of Half Dome from a vantage point along the Four Mile Trail

Much like my Grand Canyon experience, there were times when hiking the trails at Yosemite, it was difficult to put the camera down and walk. There was a tendency to step to the side every twenty to thirty feet to take another picture. Luckily digital photography is not expensive, but there are often time constraints.

I took several shots of Half Dome from the Four Mile Trail and for this photo I used my Canon bridge camera to get closer to the dome to show as much of the color and texture as could capture.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 154 (Four Mile Trail 4/5 – Half Dome Peek-A-Boo)

Jeff

Half Dome as seen along the Four Mile Trail

After Hiking along the Four Mile Trail for a while, Half Dome became visible

Imagine this scenario…We were hiking along the Four Mile Trail for more than twenty minutes. At the beginning, the woods were deep and we were in the shade with little visibility beyond the trees. Soon we moved to the outside of the mountain and started to descend the switchbacks.

From time-to-time, there would be a break in the tree line and we could peer over the edge of the mountain to get our bearings and see the vistas before us. After each look, we returned to the hiking and resumed our downward path. This was repeated many, many times because we didn’t want to “miss anything!”

Then, without any inkling of what we were about to see next, we looked out from between the trees and saw Half Dome (see photo above) in all its glory. I had no idea it would be that visible or that clear of impediments.

Half Dome was bathed in the sun, the valley spread out beneath it and the surrounding cliffs provided the frame. Isn’t that a magnificent site?

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 154 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 153 (Four Mile Trail 3/5 – Penstemon Wildflower)

Jeff

Pink Penstemon along the Four Mile Trail

Mountain Pride clings to the rock face along the Four Mile Trail

How amazing are wildflowers? All they need is a small foothold and they create a home between the spaces in the rocks. The pink penstemon featured above is Mountain Pride (Penstemon newberryi) and was prevalent along quite a few of the trails.

Against the gray rocks and the dark shade background, the penstemon created quite a flare as it was highlighted by the sun’s setting rays. It was difficult to show restraint by keeping my camera at bay.

You can read more about Penstemon newberryi at iNaturalist.org

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 152 (Four Mile Trail 2/5 – El Capitan)

Jeff

El Capitan as seen from the Four Mile Trail

El Capitan viewed from the Four Mile Trail in late afternoon

As we started down the Four Mile Trail, we couldn’t help but stop every few feet. This was especially true at the very beginning of the hike as there were many gaps between the trees which allowed us to “pull back the curtain” a bit and see the magnificent views. We were high, but in spite of that, the key players loomed large.

We were hiking into the sun so much of the detail is not presented in the picture of El Capitan, but the overall vista is portrayed well. Given another crack at this, I would take an early morning hike to try to catch the sun bathing El Cap, but as you will soon see, this would leave Half Dome in the shade.

As a matter of reference, Tunnel View is somewhere out there past the break in the mountains beyond El Capitan.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 152 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 151 (Four Mile Trail 1/5 – Yosemite Falls)

Jeff

NOTE – This is the first photograph in a series of five that will be presented over the following days to give readers a sense of what it was like to hike the four Mile Trail. Previous Year of Yosemite photographs and descriptions were mostly individual presentations without providing a narrative to portray the essence of the hike.

Yosemite Falls from GP

Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point just before we begin our hike

After spending some time at Glacier Point, we moved toward the Four Mile Trail trailhead. On the way, I stopped for one last picture of Yosemite Falls. We were far away, but the falls were so overwhelming that they made their presence felt.

We read about the Four Mile Trail and we were excited to begin our adventure. No matter how much one reads about certain trails, being there can still take your breath away. While we “heard” that Half Dome and El Cap could be seen from the trail, the reality of how much, how close and how amazing the views would be could not be anticipated.

Even though the Four Mile Trail from Glacier Point is downhill, there are numerous switchbacks and the footing can be slow in places so be prepared.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 151 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture date: June 6, 2016
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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 82 (Four Mile Trail)

Jeff

Part of the Four Mile TrailPart of the Four Mile Trail not too far from the Trailhead at Glacier Point

I have shown a number of photographs taken along our hike down the Four Mile Trail. This picture gives an indication as to the type of trail it is. Notice that the path is rather “clean” with few rocks to catch toes. There are some rougher spots along the way, but nothing that would be very problematic. We found the trail to be quite navigable.

The path appears a bit narrow, but we had no trouble finding places to pass and to let others pass us. Much of the trail has canopy so it is a good hike even on sunny days. Being near the “edge” of the mountain also provides excellent views.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 82 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 58 (The Spires & El Capitan with Sun Setting)

Jeff

El Capitan, the Valley Spires and Peaks 

A view of El Capitan, the Spires and Peaks as the Valley Opens Before Us

The light was not the best for taking a photograph as we were hiking along the Four Mile Trail in a westerly direction with the sun beginning to set. I felt compelled to try to capture the stunning view of Yosemite Valley with El Capitan on the right and the Spires and Peaks on the left. The Valley was open before us and we could see the Merced River and the meadows. It was beautiful and inspiring. We stopped often to inhale the scene before us.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 58 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 47 (Rescue Gear)

Jeff

Rescue gear storage box along the Four Mile Trail 

A box of rescue gear is left on the Four Mile Trail…jut in case

While hiking the Four Mile Trail starting at Glacier Point, we noticed a metal box with a lock on it along the edge of the path. We surmise that this is a box of rescue gear that might be needed when hikers need assistance.

Notice the lock on the box which we conjecture is enough to keep the contents away from those who are unauthorized.

NOTE – If you want to see a reason why such an item might be necessary, you can review Day 25’s post Warning Signs related to the Four Mile Trail.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 47 YOY – Year of Yosemite (Rescue Gear)

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 28 (Alumroot-Heuchera micrantha)

Jeff

Alumroot-Heuchera micrantha

This wildflower is a relative of one of the shade gardener’s favorites, Coral Bells. It is Alumroot,Heuchera micrantha

As we hiked the trails of Yosemite, one of my favorite subjects was wildflowers. Along the rock faces of the mountains were a wide variety of plants which had taken root in the crevices. During the late afternoon as we were hiking the Four Mile Trail from Glacier Point to the valley, the sun was coming through the canopy and highlighted this particular Alumroot, Heuchera micrantha which was striking.

It apparently is a relative of the more familiar Coral Bells which many gardeners covet as a plant that does well in the shade or dappled light.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 28 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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