Yosemite National Park

If you read our first post, then you saw the photo I took of Half Dome from an overlook area. I didn’t get to hike Half Dome (permits are required and can be difficult to get), but I did get to experience the magic that is Yosemite National Park with Incredible Adventures. Read on to learn about the amazing camping and hiking adventure at Yosemite!

Costs

First, let’s discuss the cost. I went on their 3-Day Camping Tour of Yosemite which currently cost around $600 USD. Since I booked months in advance I was able to take advantage of a promotion they had and got 20% off. This was a great deal, but even at full price, it’s definitely worth every penny. This covers the cost of tents, sleeping pads, Day 1 dinner, Day 2 breakfast and lunch, Day 3 Breakfast and lunch and all snacks in between. Sleeping bags could be rented for an extra $20 or you could bring your own.

Day 1

The adventure began at an easy pickup location in San Francisco. We met at the Hilton Hotel in SF at 7am. Our group consisted of 11 people; I was was traveling with 3 other friends in this group. We all traveled together in a comfortably sized tour van with a small trailer hooked up to the back carrying all our travel bags.

The drive to Yosemite took roughly 5 hours. We stopped once halfway through the drive for a bathroom break and grocery run. Our tour guide shopped for groceries for the camping weekend while the rest of us bought lunch for that day and any other snacks we might want. We arrived at Yosemite to hike our first trail – Tuolumne Grove, around 1:30PM.

Tuolumne Grove Trailhead is home to the Giant Sequoias. We did a short hike (2 miles round trip) which took about 2.5-3 hours. The hike down was very easy, but the hike back up was moderately difficult with a 400 ft elevation gain (this was a great first trail which prepared us for the harder hike scheduled for the next day). If you’ve ever been next to a Giant Sequoia then you’re familiar with how tiny and insignificant (in a good way) they make you feel. There is a fire-scarred sequoia which a tunnel was carved into in the late 1800s. You can walk through this tunnel and it’s a great spot for pictures.

After the hike we drove to an overlook area and got our first look of Half Dome. The view was amazing but nothing compared to the view we would get the next day. We arrived at our campsite (located outside of Yosemite National Park – about 10 minutes away) in the evening and set up camp. We all set up our tents, we could opt to sleep alone or with a friend. For dinner we made burritos (meat and non-meat options were available) and then we sat around the campfire and made smores while we got to know each other better.

Day 2

The next day many of us, myself included, woke up with slight altitude sickness. My face was a little swollen and my head hurt a bit, but other than that I felt fine. I live at sea level and was still aclimating to the higher elevation (Camp was around 7500 ft elevation). Our guide told us to drink a lot of water and eat plenty of carbs and just take it easy. We would be hiking to a much higher elevation, but as long as we went very slow and took breaks we would be fine.

For breakfast there was cereal, bagels, fruit, and yogurt to choose from and we could eat as much as we wanted. We also prepared sandwiches and snacks to bring with us for later in the day. Once everyone was ready we took the quick drive into Yosemite and drove into High Country to hike up to Lembert Dome. If I had come to Yosemite without a tour group, I would have probably just stayed in Yosemite Valley and done the popular hikes there. High Country is about an hour drive once you get into Yosemite and takes you to a much higher elevation (start of the hike is around 8500 ft elevation). I’m really glad the tour group helped get us off the beaten path, we were able to explore more of Yosemite this way.

The hike to Lembert Dome is close to 4 miles round trip with 850 ft elevation gain. It can be a very steep climb at times and is considered moderately strenuous. Our tour guide did give us options incase we did not feel up to hiking to Lembert Dome. There was a trail that forked off towards a Lake and was considered easier. We all ended up choosing to hike to Lembert Dome. Everyone hiked at their own pace, with the guide staying in the middle to check in on how we were doing from time to time.

I would consider myself moderately fit, I go to the gym a few times a week and try to walk and get a few extra steps in throughout my day. This hike was still very difficult for me but incredibly rewarding at the summit. I’ve never hiked at a high elevation and the thin air left me out of breath even though I was walking at a very slow pace. Most of us on the trip live at sea level, but with enough breaks and taking our time we all made it to the top. The top was absolutely magical. There was snow at the top and we could see the snow covered mountain ranges that encircled us. The view was breathtaking and not just because the air is thinner here.

After hiking in High Country we drove to a nearby lake and had our lunch there. Next stop was Olmstead Point. This was a quick and fairly easy walk with the most amazing views of Half Dome. It’s where the photo from our welcome post was taken. Our guide then drove us to Yosemite Valley where we did another easy walk to the base of Yosemite Falls. We had dinner at the cafeteria nearby and then drove back to our campsite for the night.

Day 3

This day we woke up extra early (630am) and made breakfast and lunch for the day. We drove into the park where we had about 6 hours of free time. Our guide gave us easy hike recommendations and other activities we could choose to do on our own. We broke off into our own groups, my friend and I decided to rent bikes and ride around the Valley. We were able to hike to the base of El Capitan. The hike is relatively easy, with a moderate rock scramble at the end.

We then bounced around the gift shops and finally made our way back to the meet up point to meet our guide and the tour van. The ride back to San Francisco was also around 5 hours with a stop in the middle for dinner. We arrived back in SF at 9pm at the Hilton Hotel where we hugged our new friends goodbye and went our separate ways.

Important Details to Know

• I went to Yosemite during Memorial Day weekend and the mornings were cold! It was around 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit on the third morning. Pack a few extra layers.
• Nights can be just as cold. I brought my own sleeping bag which is rated for 20 degrees Fahrenheit and that worked well with my thermal undergarments and Pategonia zip up.
• Mountain weather can change in an instant. Before my trip, I was constantly checking the weather for Yosemite Valley (elev. 3,966 ft), but camping and hiking at a much higher elevation meant that the weather in Yosemite Valley would not reflect the weather I would experience. Again, bring extra layers!
• Bike rentals go quick. Get there early if you want to secure a bike. They were out of adult bikes but being only 5’3″ I was able to rent a children’s bike and make out alright.
• All questions I had before the trip were answered via emai with the Incredible Adventures. They were very quick to respond as well.