Yosemite Ntl Park - Mirror Lake

Yosemite Ntl Park - Mirror Lake (7), originally uploaded by kimberzy.

I went up to Yosemite on May 15, 2009, just for a day trip, as I was camping out at Bass Lake that night. I got there early, which was a good thing, because it turned out quite warm that day. I mainly went to walk up to Mirror Lake, because I think that is one of the most beautiful parts of the park, and by summer's end, it is dried up. Mirror Lake is a nice, 1 mile long walk up a gently sloping hill, which is paved so it is handicapped accessible. There is a steeper section near the end of the trail, but it is not bad at all. It is a truly beautiful place. The southern part of the trail is blocked right now, due to a rockfall which happened in late March.

It got quite busy in the valley by the afternoon. I decided to drive up to Hetch Hetchy, which I had never been to before. While the valley was not great for wildflowers (except for the Dogwood trees, which were full in bloom), the Hetch Hetchy road was full of flowers, including Lupine, Thistle, Indian Pink, Snowplant, Harlequin Lupine, Monkeyflower, Spreading Phlox, Canyon Live Forever, Mission Bells, Larkspur, and more. You can get to Hetch Hetchy Road on Hwy 120, about 8 miles past Crane Flat.

After visiting Hetch Hetchy, I drove back to Bass Lake, as it was getting later, and I wanted to check in and put up the tent. Glacier Point Road was open, but Tioga Road was still closed. I had contemplated going up to Glacier Point, but since I am going back to Yosemite in July, I decided to go up there then.