Yosemite National Park anytime of the year, especially in the winter, is breathtaking. Our access was limited because of road closures and back to back winter storms. We were fortunate to get an hour of blue skies our entire stay.
Yosemite
The Tunnel View gives a glimpse of Yosemite Valley with views of El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome. The drive to Yosemite is along very steep and winding roads. Michael is a champ driving the RV and we do our best to only travel on good weather days but in the mountains, conditions change frequently and rapidly. Upon leaving Yosemite, we encountered gusty wind and hail. Yikes!
El Capitan
A 3000 feet tall granite monolith. It’s a favorite among rock climbers. Since 1905 there have been over 30 fatalities.
Bridalveil Falls
One of the most recognized waterfalls in Yosemite.
The waterfall flows year round and drops 617 feet. It was especially loud from chunks of ice breaking off and crashing onto the rocks below.
A short but very slippery hike over ice to get up close.
Yosemite Valley
Seems like there was a view in every direction.
Snow covered boulders and the slowly moving Merced River were picturesque.
Half Dome
A granite dome that rises over 4,737 feet above the valley floor. There is a cable route hiking trail from the valley floor to the top of the dome, which is 8.2 miles long. It is a very popular thing to do with over 800 people on the trail a day in the summer.
Wildlife
Being winter, limited access to the park, and covered in snow, there weren’t many wildlife viewing opportunities.
Yosemite Ridge Resort
The RV park is small and about 30 minutes from the park entrance. We were the only ones there. When we arrived, there was snow on the ground making it a little slippery trying to get into our site. If we ever camp in the snow again, we will need chains for the RV to prevent the back wheels from spinning. It’s amazing to think that RV wheels can spin when it weighs about 40,000 pounds. We have chains for the Jeep.
Unfortunately, because of the winter storms there was no internet or cable. Wifi returned after a day but kept going down. They propped their satelite dish up to get a couple of channels. We did not have any Verizon coverage. Our site was too wooded to get satellite. It was a great opportunity to read. The water pressure was only 30 psi. Otherwise, 50 amp service (which was out for 3 days before we arrived) and sewer. The challenges of winter camping.
This crow seemed to be posing at the Tunnel View.
Iron Door Saloon
The Iron Door is located in Groveland. According to the owners, it’s the oldest continuously operating saloon in California.
