Photos and Reviews of Yosemite Trails, Climbs and Ski Tours from Yosemite Explorer

Yosemite Explorer is a slowly growing repository of photos, information and news about hiking, climbing, skiing and visiting in Yosemite National Park. If you prefer, you can also see a straight chronological listing of all articles from all categories.

Trails (recent additions)

Alder Creek Fall

Alder Creek Fall

A quiet walk with little traffic through dense forest, a recent burn area and a historic tour down the remains of an old logging railroad, arriving at Alder Creek Fall, and impressive 100-foot cascade. A nice place to escape the crowds on a spring weekend.

Other recent additions

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Climbs (recent additions)

Munginella (5.6)

Munginella (5.6)

Munginella is one of only two really good 5.6s in Yosemite Valley proper (the other is After Six), unless you count The Grack, which is relatively close to the Glacier Point rockfall zone. Of the two, I would say that Munginella has the better climbing and After Six has the better positions and is also a longer route.

Other recent additions

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Ski tours (recent additions)

Ellery Bowl Ski Descent

Ellery Bowl Ski Descent

Ellery Bowl provides great bang for the buck provided the road is open to Ellery Lake. A quick two hours or so gets you to the top and the descent is steep and fun. Commonly Ellery Bowl is combined with a descent of Dana Couloir for a longer outing.

Other recent additions

Yosemite News

Bracebridge Dinner Tickets raffle is on! Sponsored by Yosemite Rotary

"Today Bracebridge is, without much doubt, the country's, if not the world's, premier Christmas dinner," or so said Wall Street Journal writer Raymond Sokolov in 2006 (WSJ, J4, 23 Dec 2006). And this year the Rotary Club of Yosemite is sponsoring a raffle where the winner gets a night at the Ahwahnee hotel and dinner for two at the Bracebridge show of your choosing.

Rickey Gates Sets New Half Dome Running Record - 2:28:18

Rickey Gates

I just found out a couple of days ago that Rickey Gates, a 29 year-old nomadic runner, shaved another couple of minutes off the Half Dome running record, completing the round trip in 2:28:18 from the water level gauge to the summit and back. Congratulations Rickey!

Wawona Dome Topos now available

Erik just posted some topos for climbing on Wawona Dome.

Wawona Dome is high enough to be climbable in mid-summer and south-facing enough to be climbable in winter. And at least for now, is a quiet little local area where you are most likely to be alone. Unless publishing the topos changes that!

Other recent additions

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Photo Journal

Foresta Fire Photos

Tanker Plane over ForestaWell, it's been an exciting week in Yosemite. First the fire, then the rock fall, then the earthquake. It's been pretty impressive to look at, but frightening too. As of this moment, Foresta is still evacuated, the Big Oak Flat road into Yosemite Valley is closed (call 209-372-0200 then 1 and 1 for latest road updates.

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