November 19- Sentinel Dome & Taft Point

Patrick and I wanted to get one more use out of our annual National Parks pass before it expired, so we walked a couple short trails in Yosemite the weekend before Thanksgiving. Options are fewer in the winter since many of the roads, trails and passes are closed for the season, but we were fortunate enough to get partway up the road to Glacier Point to venture paths to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. We were also fortunate that we didn't under-dress (I decided at the last minute to throw gloves/hat/extra fleece in the car, just in case) since I checked the Valley weather/temperature, forgetting we'd be at the higher elevation.

This tree/root/whatever was an eye-catching absurdity as it grew and protruded from the middle of a boulder. As you can see, the path was fairly easy and pleasant except for occasional ice patches that threatened sure footing, particularly when we reached the steeper ground to the dome.

As we ascended, the air grew very dense with fog. The Dome didn't have snow at the top of it, but the cold breeze coated the shrubbery with crystals of thick frost. The fog obscured our view but it created a very solemn and surreal feeling. It sort of reminded me of when a movie character is transported to a virtual reality that looks like a never ending empty white room.

This made me think of Galadriel's Mirror (Lord of the Rings), which I thought was really neat. But when I got closer it wasn't a frozen pool that Patrick was peering into, just a smooth metal compass mounted on the stone. Oh well- it was still a fun thought to conjure!

On the way to Taft Point there were deep fissures that allowed us to glimpse the Valley floor from far above. A person on the top of the cliff in the foreground can provide some scale.

When turning away from one of the fissures, something in a bush caught my eye- a pair of sunglasses someone must have set down and forgot about. There's a scratch on one lens, but the condition is way better than any of my pairs in drastic need of replacement, so I was thoroughly pleased at the more than appropriate find. Patrick said it's a decent semi-pricy brand of sunglasses too. We lost our camera case last year in the park, so I guess that's part of the balance of nature!

Patrick, perched on an arch overlooking El Capitan.

The sun paid us a visit, illuminating the base of El Capitan with rays that chased away the fog for a time. It made an incomparable backdrop for a photo.

Here's the same view but panned to the left a bit to capture the other ridge. Around every corner in Yosemite, there seems to be another gorgeous and amazing perspective of God's creation!