Next, we moved on to the Sentinel Dome trail. We tried to take a shortcut. I’m not sure if it was shorter or not, but we didn’t get lost, so let’s call it a success. The sign at the parking area claimed the trail was 1 mile one way. Apparently my sense of distance isn’t very good, because I thought it looked about 10 miles away.

Needless to say, I was wrong, and we reached the Dome a little while later. Behind Odie is Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America.

I assure you, I’m not as fat as I look in this picture.

After we decended the snow-capped Dome, some fellow hikers asked if it was scary at the top. Odie replied, “Terrifying!” They ultimately made the final ascent, and you can see them on the right of this picture wishing they had snowshoes.

Our next sight was Mirror Lake. Unfortunately, we took the trail on the wrong side of the lake, so we couldn’t see the reflection of Half Dome. How were we to know that we were supposed to take the paved road instead of the narrow, rocky path to see nature’s beauty. I’m not sure we missed anything though, because the lake didn’t seem very reflective from the side we were on anyway. While the lake was a disappointment, we did see this interesting waterfall that is blown to mist, then reforms to the left many feet lower.

The finale of day one was the incredible night sky as seen from the valley. Growing up in northern New Jersey, I never saw most of the stars that make up the constellations. I began to think those ancient peoples were halucinating. It turns out all of those stars are there.

It was about this time that I became paranoid about bears. We had bought some food for the next day’s journey, and I was convinced that they would break down our door to get at our cinnamon rolls and turkey sandwiches. Those animals are crazy! You’re not even supposed to have soap or toiletries in your car, because they’ll break in. I became worried about the laundry detergent in my trunk.