Valley views

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA - - LH was working Wednesday, so I hiked up to Glacier point. The Four Mile Trail - - which is 4.6 or 4.8 miles long depending on which trail signs/books you check - -climbs 3,200' to the top. I tacked on another 2.6 miles on a hike nearly to the top of Sentinel Dome (we ran out of time) with the driver of the Glacier Point Tour bus - - which I then rode back down to the trail head in the valley where I had parked our car.

About halfway up the trail it was easy to see the ever-depleting Yosemite Falls, the hallmark of the park. It's about 25 percent of what it was when we arrived. No more thunderous roar from the over 1,400'; first drop. The snow melt which feeds the falls is pretty well melted.
Bridalveil Falls, on the other hand, is still flowing pretty well. It's on the north side of the valley and the snow melt process is slower. This is a fall (one continuous drop) as opposed to Yosemite Falls (three drops to the bottom).
El Capitan, the rock climbers dream, is pretty quite these days. Other than a new record for speed climbing set a week ago at 2hrs, 43mins, 37secs. there isn't much activity. It's hot so in July and August when the temperatures are above 90 and the sun is on the wall most of the time the climbers wait. September brings cooler temps and they begin to climb in large numbers again. I could only spot two climbers from where I shot this pic and then only because they had on bright colors