Yosemite

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Date: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) June 27-July 2; Sept. 12-17 Assembly Point: Yosemite N.P. (airline service to Fresno; Timberline van shuttle between Fresno and Yosemite prior to and following tour) Tour Cost: $1,395 (includes all lodging, all meals, leaders, van shuttles between Fresno and Yosemite, trail maps & narratives) As an organization whose emphasis has always included the national parks of the U.S. and Canada, we've struggled with our long-standing exclusion of Yosemite as a destination. As cyclists, we've often looked at Yosemite's potential and each time concluded that the limited cycling options and substantial vehicular traffic in the valley were negatives that could not be overlooked. As hiking has matured as a major component of our program, we now have a forum within which to build a Timberline-style Yosemite adventure. In 1999, Timberline is headed for Yosemite National Park. The reality of Yosemite is that of its approximate 750,000 acres, or 1200 square miles, over 90 percent of its area is protected wilderness and the vast majority of visitors never venture more than a mile from their vehicles. As we've learned from our years of hiking in Yellowstone, five minutes out of the trailhead parking area and we well may not see another person on our trail until we return to the trailhead at day's end. And so, in the season ahead, we'll begin to explore the wonders of Yosemite, its giant sequoias, dramatic waterfalls, deep glacier-carved canyons, snowclad Sierra peaks and magnificent domes. As is the case with so many of our programs where the hiking opportunities are essentially without limits, we'll always struggle with the decisions as to which hikes to select for a 6-day program. Our goal has been to include those trails that are reasonably athletic, non-technical day hikes, and that best reflect the variety and scenic fascination that is Yosemite. Our program assembles in Yosemite mid-afternoon of Day 1 and we'll provide a van shuttle to the park from the Fresno airport. We'll spend our first of two nights at the White Wolf Lodge (Toulemne Meadows Lodge for fall program) and devote our first two hikes to the Toulemne Meadows region of the park. Early morning of Day 2, we'll hike from Dana Meadows to historic Mono Pass, with its great alpine views of the Sierra crest and Blood Canyon as well as the high desert region east of the Sierra (8 miles). On Day 3, we're headed for what well may be the park's most spectacular viewpoint as we challenge the Clouds Rest Trail that ultimately will lead to the Clouds Rest summit. Clouds Rest is substantially higher than better-known Half Dome, safer to climb without the terrifying drop-offs for which Half Dome is famous, and, most importantly, far less crowded with significantly better views of the park (14 miles). Following our Clouds Rest experience, we're headed for the valley, where we'll spend our next two overnights at the Yosemite View Lodge. On Day 4, we'll hike from the valley floor along the Yosemite Falls Trail, initially to Lower Falls and ultimately to the brink of Upper Falls. With a vertical plunge of 1,430 feet, Yosemite Falls is highest in the U.S. We're not about to call it a day as yet because we're headed beyond the falls to Eagle's Rest and its commanding view of the valley (12.5 miles). The Vernal/Nevada Falls Loop, considered to be among the park's most scenic hikes, is our plan for Day 5. We'll begin our hike from Glacier Point and head toward the valley with countless breathtaking views of the massive monoliths-Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and Clouds Rest-for which Yosemite is famous. We'll visit Nevada Falls initially and then prepare for a traditional drenching as we descend along Vernal Falls on the aptly named Mist Trail (9 miles). We'll spend our final night at the Wawona Lodge in the park's southern sector and then explore the magnificent giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove prior to our program's conclusion mid-afternoon (7 miles). T I M B E R L I N E   A D V E N T U R E S 7975 E. Harvard Suite #J  Denver, Co. 80231 Telephone: (800)417-2453; or (303)759-3804 Fax: (303)368-1651 E-Mail: timber@boulder.earthnet.net