(15 miles--1-1/4 hours by stage)
Most charming because of the climax of ever-increasing scenic beauty
and grandeur, is the fifteen-mile ride from El Portal up the gorge of
the Merced to Yosemite. It is rather to be regretted that modern
auto-busses hurry us over the new highway in less than an hour and a
half, giving us scarce time to appreciate the majesty and beauty of
the ever-changing panorama.
Leaving ~El Portal~, the road parallels the north bank of the Merced,
passing beneath gnarled oaks and silver-gray digger pines. In the high
water of early spring, Indian Creek, across the canyon, descends over
the picturesque ~Chinquapin Falls~. Entering the gateway of Yosemite
National Park, we follow up the riotous Merced River, noting here and
there a hardy yellow pine or an incense cedar venturing down to the
canyon bottom. About two miles inside the park is ~Avalanche Falls~
across the river. The trail bridge below is the crossing of the Sunset
Trail, which ascends past the foot of the fall and climbs 2500 feet to
the Wawona Road. A short distance up the canyon the road passes
beneath ~Arch Rock~, a natural tunnel formed by huge blocks of
granite. Just beyond, Grouse Creek descends the south canyon wall by a
series of cascades.
We have now entered the true mountain forest, and ride beneath yellow
pines, incense cedars, Douglas firs and now and then a true fir.
~Elephant Rock~ towers above and to the right. Just below it is
~Battleship Harbor~, a placid stretch of the Merced in which fancied
granite dreadnaughts ride anchor. At the left the old ~Coulterville
Road~ steeply descends the canyon wall and joins the main highway.
This first road to Yosemite was opened in 1874 and was for years the
main stage route from Merced. For the benefit of those who require
entertainment the chauffeur often points out the image of a white
Persian cat on the rock wall to the left. A short distance beyond and
on the same side of the road are ~Wildcat Falls~.
Crossing two small bridges we obtain the best view of Elephant Rock
down the canyon. At the left are the ~Cascade Falls~, during the flood
waters of early spring one of Yosemite's most beautiful cataracts. The
top of the cascade is 594 feet above the road. About a half mile
further is ~Pulpit Rock~, on the south side of the river. It is best
viewed by driving beyond and then looking back down the canyon. Below
the road and at the right is the government power plant, where the
water from the Merced drives two thousand-kilowatt electric
generators. The intake and dam are passed further up the canyon.
Three thousand feet above, the ephemeral ~Widow's Tears Fall~ drops
1170 feet from the rugged ramparts of the south wall. Another mile
takes us past the site of the old Indian village Ah-wah-ma to ~Pohono
Bridge~. From this point two roads ascend the valley, one on either
side of the river. The more picturesque Pohono Road runs up the south
side of the canyon. This is described in Road Trip I-A. The ~El
Capitan Road~, following up the north side of the valley will first be
traced.
A short distance from the bridge we are treated to a most impressive
view of the ~Gates of the Valley~. At the left the sheer 3300-foot
precipice of ~El Capitan~ dominates the entire landscape. Its majesty
is matched by the beauty of the ~Bridalveil Fall~ and ~Cathedral
Rocks~ opposite. Between them is Nature's threshold, the brilliantly
verdant ~Bridalveil Meadows~, dotted with dark green pines and oaks.
Beyond, ~Half Dome~ is partly hidden by the projecting cliff of
~Glacier Point~ at the right. The summit of the lofty bare granite
ridge in the distance is ~Clouds Rest~, the highest point on the
Yosemite walls. If the winter snows be still melting above the rim we
will see at the left the ~Ribbon Fall~ dropping delicately over its
1612-foot precipice into a recess just west of El Capitan. Its Indian
name was Lung-oo-too-koo-ya, or "pigeon fall." Near its base the ~Big
Oak Flat Road~ branches to the left and ascends thru the piles of
shattered granite talus of the north wall. At this point was the
Indian village, Hep-hep´-oo-ma. The road to the right leads past the
El Capitan Checking Station and across ~El Capitan Bridge~ to the
Bridalveil Road (Road Trip ~I-A~) south of the river.
Continuing up the north road we pass thru ~El Capitan Meadows~, where
were the Indian villages of Aw´-o-koi-e, He-le´-jah, Ha-eng´-ah and
Yu-a´-chah. As we skirt the base of the almost vertical wall, the
stage driver will generally point out more or less interesting images.
Chief among these is Tote-ack-ah-noo-la, the "Rock Chief" of the
Indians, whose title was translated into Spanish to make the present
name. In a shallow niche 1189 feet above the road stands a hardy
Jeffrey pine 82.4 feet in height and two feet in diameter. Across the
river are the massive ~Cathedral Rocks~ and the delicately pinnacled
~Cathedral Spires~. Further up the canyon the massively sculptured
pyramids, the ~Three Brothers~, rise abruptly to the north. Opposite
them the road to the ~Bear Pits~ turns into the woods. Turning
northeast, our road passes ~Rocky Point~ at their base. This is
We-äck, the place where Chief Tenaya's three sons were captured in
1851.
One mile beyond is ~Yosemite Lodge~, one of the two large hotel-camps
of the valley. The main buildings occupy the site of Koom-i´-ne, the
largest and most important of the old Indian villages. Just northward
the ~Yosemite Fall~ makes its triple plunge of 2600 feet, the highest
waterfall in the world. The upper fall drops 1430 feet sheer. Crossing
the azalia-bordered ~Yosemite Creek~, the road skirts a wide meadow
and turns sharply across the valley. To the left is a magnificent
panorama of the ~Royal Arches~, ~North Dome~, ~Washington Column~ and
the precipice of ~Glacier Point~. At the right the great obelisk of
~The Sentinel~ rises from the south wall.
Crossing Sentinel Bridge to ~Yosemite Village~ we halt at the
~Sentinel Hotel~ which, with the cottages opposite, occupies the site
of the old Indian village Haw-kaw-koo´-e-tah, the home of the band
called Yo-ham´-i-te, for whom the valley was named. A short distance
beyond is the office of the U.S. National Park Service, where all
campers should stop and register.
We continue up the canyon, now paralleling the south river margin thru
a beautiful pine, fir and cedar forest. Thru the trees we now and then
catch a glimpse of the ~Quarter Domes~ beyond the dominating ~Half
Dome~, and finally the summit of ~Clouds Rest~. Three-quarters of a
mile from the village is the picturesque ~Sierra Club Lodge~ at the
right of the road. A short distance further is ~Camp Curry~,
delightfully situated among the giant pines and cedars at the base of
the towering cliff of Glacier Point. At this spot was the large Indian
village of Too-yu´-yu´-yu, and a short distance to the northeast in
the meadow was Too-lah´-kah´-mah. This famous hostelry, Camp Curry, is
the final destination of all stages. The road continues up the canyon
to Happy Isles.