An early start to the day as we wrap up our week in Yosemite, and off to see some more massive trees before heading back to Bass Lake.
Yosemite’s giant sequoias live in Mariposa Grove, the largest of the park’s three sequoia groves and the reason this particular patch of Sierra granite got federal protection back in 1864 – a full 26 years before Yosemite itself became a national park.
Abraham Lincoln signed off on protecting the grove in the middle of the Civil War, which says something about how impressive these trees are: apparently even a country tearing itself apart could pause long enough to save some big trees.
We’ve already covered the grove in detail in our original Mariposa Grove post from 2012, so we won’t re-hash the Grizzly Giant or the California Tunnel Tree here – go read that one for the full rundown on the trees, the history, and the crowd-dodging logistics of getting a decent photo.
Short version for anyone in a hurry: the grove holds over 500 mature sequoias, some pushing 3,000 years old, and no amount of prior sequoia experience actually prepares you for standing under one.
This was our last stop inside the park boundary, which felt fitting. A week of granite domes, alpine lakes, and cold mountain rivers, capped off by trees old enough to make the rest of the trip look recent.
Little Giants
The kids are dwarfed beneath these giant Sequoia trees
Up Up Up
Craning their necks to see the top of a Giant Sequoia
More Tree Hugging
Timeout to hug yet another tree
Clothespin Tree
You can guess how the Clothespin Tree got its name
Beneath The Giants
Mariposa Grove really is an amazing place
California Tunnel Tree
You have to wait in a long line or rush a photo between tourists to get a shot at the California Tunnel Tree
Grizzly Giant
Mandatory shot beneath the Grizzly Giant
Photo of a Photo
Capturing Shelby taking a photo of Tom beneath the Grizzly Giant
Little Porker
The ground squirrels here are obscenely overweight and grumpy looking
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
The mandatory sign shot
Starting Things Off Right
Tom immediately got to work over the fire once we got settled into our campsite at Bridalveil Creek Campground.
Oh Deer
This doe and her two spotted fawns hung out in the woods behind our campsite in the Tuolumne Meadows Campground.
Olmsted Point
A beautiful view of Half Dome and Clouds Rest from Olmsted Point.
The Purple People Eater
Somebody left this fully functional but ugly older Coleman tent at the dumpster next to our campsite at Bass Lake – it was perfect for our Yosemite trip to have a huge gear storage and changing room. We put it near the dumpster at Tuolumne Meadows on our way out with a FREE sign on it to go to a new owner.
Fireside Warmth
Tom snuggles up next to the campfire in his space blanket.
Opening Course
Pretty amazing salad for tent camping!
Dasani Is Here
My climbing buddy Dasani was with us in spirit
Tioga Lake Dip
Tom hops in Tioga Lake after our hikes at Saddlebag Lake and Mono Lake.
Camp Cuisine
Colorful, tasty, and healthy!
Camp Chef
We emptied bags of microwave popcorn into a tin, covered with aluminum foil, and – Jiffy Pop!
The Finished Result
Not too shabby for campfire popcorn
From the grove we pointed the car toward Bass Lake where Colette and Polly the RV were, just outside the park’s south entrance.
The rest of the day was spent doing essentially nothing – which after Tuolumne hikes and Glacier Point logistics felt earned. Bass Lake has relatively warm water, which after a week of rivers cold enough to make your teeth ache, felt like a genuine luxury. It’s a reservoir rather than a natural lake, built in 1901 to feed a hydroelectric plant, but it’s quite likely that absolutely nobody floating on it knows or cares.
We spent the afternoon in and around the water, letting the week unwind before the kids headed back to Fresno to fly home to Denver.
Yosemite Valley gets the postcards and the four million annual visitors, but there are plenty of great outdoor opportunities near the park’s edges to explore.
Warm Water Finally
Shelby enjoys floating in Bass Lake after our Yosemite camping week
All Quacked Up
Even the ducks can tell she’s an animal person
Best Hammock Ever
Tom passed on floating in Bass Lake and spent his afternoon relaxed in the hammock.
