Yosemite National Park
(Part 2)
Tenaya Lake - Yosemite National Park
Photo by John Fischer
10/05/99
One of the amazing things about the west that we don't see back east is the drastic and sudden changes in climate. At noon today we were standing in Yosemite at an elevation of about 9500 feet, by the shore of a beautiful lake of deep blue water. The temperature was in the low 50's. In the distance there were mountains capped with ice and snow.
By night we had reached one of the driest places on earth, Death Valley, 150 feet below sea-level with a temperature near 100. Looking up we saw a sky so clear that the Milky Way streamed from horizon to horizon. Such is the American west.
If you want to get from Yosemite to Death Valley there really is only one route. You need to drive across the central part of Yosemite to Tioga Pass. From the south entrance of the Park, into the Yosemite Valley and back up the northern valley wall and east to Tioga Pass is only about 100 miles, but it takes about 3.5 hours to drive, more if you add what are sure to be many stops to appreciate the views.
The National Park Service starts controlled fires from time to time to help manage the forest, burning off some of the old trees to allow fresh growth. It's a controversial policy and one which is somewhat contradictory to their own policy of non-interference with nature. If lightning starts a fire it is allowed to burn unless it threatens life or property. Only fires created by man's carelessness are usually extinguished. We saw one of those controlled fires today.
Route 120 runs west to east across the central expanse of Yosemite. It wanders through lush forests. It hugs the edge of deep valleys. It passes some of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. As you near the eastern boundary of the park you drive through the Tuolumne Meadow, the highest Alpine meadow in the United States.
As you exit the park you drive down the steep walls of Lee Vining Canyon dropping thousands of feet in elevation. When you reach the end of Route 120 you are in the Great Basin of the United States, the region marked by the Sierra Nevada on the west and the Rockies on the east.
From this point it's still about 200 miles and 3-4 hours to reach Death Valley. The drive is easier and the changes in climate are drastic as you move deeper into the desert.
I'll catch you tomorrow as we explore Death Valley. As always, when viewing the photos, just click on the thumbnail to see a larger image. Here's a link if you missed Part 1 of our column on Yosemite.
Controlled fire
Tenaya Lake
Tuolumne Meadow
Tuolumne
Meadow
Tioga Lake
Lee Vining Canyon
If you missed one of our prior columns on our extended trip through the American west, check out our Western Diary Index.