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Yosemite National Park timberlinetrails.net
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live along the Northern Californian coast are the tallest and the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine of Eastern California are the oldest.
(From Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia)
(From Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia)
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Yosemite is one of the
largest and least
fragmented habitat blocks
in the Sierra Nevada, and
it supports a diversity of
plants and animals. The
park has an elevation
range from 2,000 to
13,114 feet and contains
five major vegetation
zones: chaparral/oak
woodland, lower montane,
upper montane, subalpine
and alpine. Of California's
7,000 plant species, about
50% occur in the Sierra
Nevada and more than
20% within Yosemite.
There is suitable habitat or
documented records for
more than 160 rare plants
in the park, with rare local
geologic formations and
unique soils characterizing
the restricted ranges many
of these plants occupy.
Yosemite National Park is
located in the central
Sierra Nevada of
California. It takes 3.5
hours to drive to the park
from San Francisco and
about six hours from Los
Angeles. Yosemite is
surrounded by wilderness
areas: the Ansel Adams
Wilderness to the
southeast, the Hoover
Wilderness to the
northeast, and the
Emigrant Wilderness to
the north.
The 1,200-square-mile
park contains thousands
of lakes and ponds, 1,600
miles of streams, 800
miles of hiking trails, and
350 miles of roads. Two
federally designated Wild
and Scenic Rivers, the
Merced and the
Tuolumne, begin within
Yosemite's borders and
flow westward through
the Sierra foothills, into
the Central Valley of
California. Annual park
visitation exceeds 3.5
million, with most visitor
use concentrated in the
seven square mile area of
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
represents only one
percent of the park area,
but this is where most
visitors arrive and stay. El
Capitan, a prominent
granite cliff that looms
over the valley, is one of
the most popular world
destinations for rock
climbers because of its
diverse range of
difficulties and numerous
established climbing
routes in addition to its
year-round accessibility.
Impressive granite domes
such as Sentinel Dome
and Half Dome rise 3,000
feet and 4,800 feet,
respectively, above the
valley floor.
The high country of
Yosemite contains
beautiful areas, such as
Tuolumne Meadows,
Dana Meadows, the Clark
Range, the Cathedral
Range, and the Kuna
Crest. The Sierra crest
and the Pacific Crest Trail
run through Yosemite,
with peaks of red
metamorphic rock, such
as Mount Dana and Mount
Gibbs, and granite peaks,
such as Mount Conness.
Mount Lyell is the highest
point in the park.The park
has three groves of
ancient Giant Sequoia
(Sequoiadendron
giganteum) trees; the
Mariposa Grove (200
trees), Tuolumne Grove
(25 trees), and the
Merced Grove (20
trees). Giant Sequoia
are the most massive
trees in the world and
are one of the tallest
and longest-lived
(Coast Redwoods that
Home Page
Yosemite is one of the
largest and least
fragmented habitat blocks
in the Sierra Nevada, and
it supports a diversity of
plants and animals. The
park has an elevation
range from 2,000 to
13,114 feet and contains
five major vegetation
zones: chaparral/oak
woodland, lower montane,
upper montane, subalpine
and alpine. Of California's
7,000 plant species, about
50% occur in the Sierra
Nevada and more than
20% within Yosemite.
There is suitable habitat or
documented records for
more than 160 rare plants
in the park, with rare local
geologic formations and
unique soils characterizing
the restricted ranges many
of these plants occupy.
Yosemite National Park is
located in the central
Sierra Nevada of
California. It takes 3.5
hours to drive to the park
from San Francisco and
about six hours from Los
Angeles. Yosemite is
surrounded by wilderness
areas: the Ansel Adams
Wilderness to the
southeast, the Hoover
Wilderness to the
northeast, and the
Emigrant Wilderness to
the north.
The 1,200-square-mile
park contains thousands
of lakes and ponds, 1,600
miles of streams, 800
miles of hiking trails, and
350 miles of roads. Two
federally designated Wild
and Scenic Rivers, the
Merced and the
Tuolumne, begin within
Yosemite's borders and
flow westward through
the Sierra foothills, into
the Central Valley of
California. Annual park
visitation exceeds 3.5
million, with most visitor
use concentrated in the
seven square mile area of
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
represents only one
percent of the park area,
but this is where most
visitors arrive and stay. El
Capitan, a prominent
granite cliff that looms
over the valley, is one of
the most popular world
destinations for rock
climbers because of its
diverse range of
difficulties and numerous
established climbing
routes in addition to its
year-round accessibility.
Impressive granite domes
such as Sentinel Dome
and Half Dome rise 3,000
feet and 4,800 feet,
respectively, above the
valley floor.
The high country of
Yosemite contains
beautiful areas, such as
Tuolumne Meadows,
Dana Meadows, the Clark
Range, the Cathedral
Range, and the Kuna
Crest. The Sierra crest
and the Pacific Crest Trail
run through Yosemite,
with peaks of red
metamorphic rock, such
as Mount Dana and Mount
Gibbs, and granite peaks,
such as Mount Conness.
Mount Lyell is the highest
point in the park.The park
has three groves of
ancient Giant Sequoia
(Sequoiadendron
giganteum) trees; the
Mariposa Grove (200
trees), Tuolumne Grove
(25 trees), and the
Merced Grove (20
trees). Giant Sequoia
are the most massive
trees in the world and
are one of the tallest
and longest-lived
(Coast Redwoods that
At 2,425 feet, Yosemite Falls is one of the world's tallest,
waterfalls. It is actually made up of three separate falls:
Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 ft), the middle cascades (675
ft), and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 ft). You can walk to
Lower Yosemite Fall in just a few minutes. A hike to the
top of Upper Yosemite Fall is a strenuous, all-day hike.
Yosemite Falls is fed mostly by snowmelt. Peak flow
usually happens in late May, but by August, Yosemite
Falls is often dry. It begins flowing again a few months
later, after winter snows arrive.
waterfalls. It is actually made up of three separate falls:
Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 ft), the middle cascades (675
ft), and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 ft). You can walk to
Lower Yosemite Fall in just a few minutes. A hike to the
top of Upper Yosemite Fall is a strenuous, all-day hike.
Yosemite Falls is fed mostly by snowmelt. Peak flow
usually happens in late May, but by August, Yosemite
Falls is often dry. It begins flowing again a few months
later, after winter snows arrive.
When most people think of Yosemite, an image of Half
Dome's sheer north face immediately comes to mind.
Standing at 8,836 feet of elevation, it towers nearly 4,800
feet above the valley floor. If you are in good shape,
climbing the cable ladder on the back side of Half Dome
is a must do.
Dome's sheer north face immediately comes to mind.
Standing at 8,836 feet of elevation, it towers nearly 4,800
feet above the valley floor. If you are in good shape,
climbing the cable ladder on the back side of Half Dome
is a must do.
Nevada Falls above and Vernal Falls below. Photo taken
along the Trail between Glacier Point and Nevada Falls.
along the Trail between Glacier Point and Nevada Falls.
One of the many beautiful meadows and tarns located in the high
country of Yosemite National Park.
country of Yosemite National Park.
Vernal (for springtime) gets it's name from the canyon
below, because it is kept lush and green all year round
from the watery spray from above. In contrast to the
horsetail plumes of most of the other falls in Yosemite,
Vernal Falls is square and broad. At 317 feet it is not the
highest water fall in Yosemite, but it is certainly one of
the most beautiful.
below, because it is kept lush and green all year round
from the watery spray from above. In contrast to the
horsetail plumes of most of the other falls in Yosemite,
Vernal Falls is square and broad. At 317 feet it is not the
highest water fall in Yosemite, but it is certainly one of
the most beautiful.
When most people think of Yosemite, an image of Half
Dome's sheer north face immediately comes to mind.
Standing at 8,836 feet of elevation, it towers nearly 4,800
feet above the valley floor. If you are in good shape,
climbing the cable ladder on the back side of Half Dome
is a must do.
Dome's sheer north face immediately comes to mind.
Standing at 8,836 feet of elevation, it towers nearly 4,800
feet above the valley floor. If you are in good shape,
climbing the cable ladder on the back side of Half Dome
is a must do.
In the early 1900´s the first director of the National Park Service, Stephen
Mather, decided that Yosemite needed a first class hotel. Well the result of that
vision was the Ahwahnee Hotel and it is certainly a first class hotel. It was
designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood who was well known for the
impressive hotels he had designed for Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
If you ever decide to stay in this beautiful structure, make sure you have
reservations well in advance.
Mather, decided that Yosemite needed a first class hotel. Well the result of that
vision was the Ahwahnee Hotel and it is certainly a first class hotel. It was
designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood who was well known for the
impressive hotels he had designed for Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
If you ever decide to stay in this beautiful structure, make sure you have
reservations well in advance.
El Capitan is a massive granite block that rises 3,604 feet
above the floor of Yosemite. The grand rock structure is
highly resistant to erosion and contains very few joints or
fractures—a feature that makes it one of the most popular
rock climbing locations in the world. The multiday ascent of
El Capitan requires climbers to use a number of advanced
rock climbing techniques.
above the floor of Yosemite. The grand rock structure is
highly resistant to erosion and contains very few joints or
fractures—a feature that makes it one of the most popular
rock climbing locations in the world. The multiday ascent of
El Capitan requires climbers to use a number of advanced
rock climbing techniques.
Snow fed upper Yosemite Valley stream in
late fall.
late fall.
