Yosemite National Park

Days 39 and 40 of the trip were spent exploring the wonders that Yosemite National Park holds.  It's fair to say that the park is absolutely huge - the scale of the mountains and the park itself are quite something to behold...

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite valley is one of the most popular areas at Yosemite. The valley is about 8 miles (13 km) long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines.

Our first views of the valley were taken from a stopping point that gives some cracking views from above.

El Capitan, a vertical rock formation in Yosemite located on the north side of the Valley. The granite monolith extends about 3,000 feet (900 m) from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favourite challenges for rock climbers.

Half Dome, a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley — possibly Yosemite's most familiar rock formation. The granite crest rises more than 4,737 ft (1,444 m) above the valley floor.

Dave with El Captain on the right and the half dome in the centre back of the picture

Me in a similar photo to the above

Behind the scenes as Dave takes one of the many pictures of the day

Me, up close

We then drove down into the valley to explore this area up-close...

A mountain formation that has an area that looks like a face in the top right of the centre formation

Dave next to the face on the above mountain

El Captain from below - we tried to get closer but we were put off when a rattlesnake started rattling and so sent us running in the opposite direction!

Dave below El Capitan

Me below El Capitan

Mountain formations from below

Another mountain formation from below

Glacier Point

Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley that gives some stunning views of the mountains...

The Half Dome, a granite dome that rises 4,737 ft (1,444m) above the Yosemite Valley floor

Yosemite Falls, the highest measured waterfall in America

Yosemite Valley, featuring the Half Dome on the right of the picture and the North Dome on the right

Dave with the Yosemite background (see below for details of what each mountain is)

Me above the Yosemite valley (see below for details of what each mountain is)

A picture board detailing the background of the above pictures

View of the Yosemite valley

An overhanging rock on Glacier Point

Sequoia Trial

The park features several large Sequoia trees, the world's largest single trees and largest living thing by volume. Sequoia trees grow to an average height of 50–85 m (164–279 ft) and 6–8 m (20–26 ft) in diameter - its fair to say they are huge!

Two of the giant Sequoia trees at Yosemite. The trees are thousands of years old

The root of a sequoia tree. See below for pictures of this root with Dave and me

Me at the base of one of these giants

Dave at the base of one of these giants

A giant Sequoia tree known as the big grizzly - the people at the base give an idea of the relative size of the tree

A sequoia with a tunnel cut through the base, known as the California tree

Me next to the root of a Sequoia tree that fell due to a tunnel made through the root by humans that left the giant unstable and following snow it collapsed 

A very tame squirrel in the middle of a meal

Tenaya Lake

Tenaya Lake is an alpine lake elevated at 8,250 feet (2,484 m). The lake itself was formed by glacial action, leaving a backdrop of granite rock. Dave went for a brief swim in the lake but I only managed a paddle - its fair to say it was a bit on the chilly side.

View from the edge of the lake

Another view of the lake, featuring granite in the background