End of the Mesa de Anguila Trek

Approaching the Saddle ©2010 Jeff Blaylock

Final approach to the saddle, the low point along the Mesa de Anguila's northern wall and easiest access route to the desert below.

Continues from “Hiking Back to Canyon Flag Camp”

Had we been able to follow our original plan, we would have awakened Saturday morning (April 3) above the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon, watching the sun rise over the distant Sierra del Carmen, or perhaps the Sierra Quemada. Instead, a lack of water on the Mesa de Anguila pushed us into visiting the canyon rim as a long dayhike. Now it was simply a matter of hiking back the way we’d come.

But first, we watched another beautiful sunrise from our campsite beneath Canyon Flag.
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Glacier Point and Nevada Fall

Glacier Point Panorama

One of the magnificent views from Glacier Point, as seen one year ago this morning at the start of a long dayhike back to Happy Isles.

One year ago today, I took a shuttle bus up the winding Glacier Point Road and hiked back down to Yosemite Valley via the Panorama, Mist, and John Muir Trails. In the above photo, taken from near the point, Half Dome is the prominent granite dome on the right, rising dramatically above Mirror Meadow. Behind it stands Clouds Rest. I would be on both of these summits in the coming days. Across the canyon from Half Dome is the bald pate of North Dome, which I would visit the next day. From there, I would get my first close-up view of the iconic Half Dome. Tenaya Canyon is the deep gash between them.

The Panorama Trail follows the southern rim of Yosemite Valley until it reaches the Merced River as it leaves Little Yosemite Valley. Its departure is a dramatic one, spilling over the cliff as Nevada Fall, which can be seen (and heard) all along the last mile of the Panorama Trail.
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