Day Trip, Yosemite National Park

The wife and I took a day trip to Yosemite National Park on Friday. On the way we stopped off at Bass Lake.

Bass Lake is a man-made lake now used for recreation, hydroelectric power and irrigation. Pacific Gas & Electric Company currently owns the 4-½ mile-long lake, and land surrounding the Bass Lake community , which is part of the Sierra National Forest.

The Pines Resort (in the background) is located on the shores of Bass Lake. Tucked at a 3,400-foot elevation in the Sierra foothills, the resort is just 17 miles south of Yosemite National Park’s south entrance and 55 miles northeast of Fresno.

Bass Lake is a popular outdoor playground rich with opportunities for fishing, water skiing, patio boating and canoeing.

From 1899 to 1931, the Madera Sugar Pine Lumber Company operated miles of narrow gauge railroad track. During that time, nearly one and a half billion board feet of lumber were harvested from the forests. Five wood burning Shay locomotives hauled massive log trains to the mill over the extensive rail network.

Shay number 10, built in 1928 weighs 83 tons and is the heavest operating narrow guage Shay locomotive today.

This is the sight you first see when entering Yosemite Valley, Half Dome in the back ground and Bridelveil Falls to the right. Bridelveil Falls is one of the smallest falls in the valley at 620'.

Ribbon Falls is the seventh highest waterfall in the world at 1,610 feet.

Upper Yosemite Falls from across the valley.

Upper Yosemite Falls closer up.

There were a lot of bikes in the park, high temperature on this day was 75 degrees.

The Ahwahnee hotel pictured above was specifically designed to highlight its natural surroundings, featuring Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. The destination of queens and presidents alike, The Ahwahnee offers a perfect balance of history, hospitality and elegance.

This is the Ahwahnee lounge.

The crown jewel of Yosemite dining, the award-winning Ahwahnee Dining Room is both magnificent and intimate. The 34-foot-high beamed ceiling with large sugar pine trestles that complement the room’s granite pillars, floor-to-ceiling windows, chandeliers, linen tablecloths and beautiful china create the perfect ambiance for a memorable dining experience.

Yosemite Falls is actually three separate falls, Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 ft.), Middle Cascades (675 ft.) and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 ft.). The total 2,425 foot drop makes Yosemite Falls the highest in North American and fifth tallest waterfall in the world.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Rising 3,593 feet from the valley and 7,569 feet above sea level, El Capitan, is a breath taking sight. Favored by expert rock climbers from all part of the world, El Capitan is the largest exposed granite monolith in the world. In fact, El Capitan is almost twice the height of the rock of Gibraltar!

Left click on the above two pictures and you will be able to see some fools climbing. It takes climbers 3-5 days to scale El Capitan.

We had a great day visiting Yosemite and Bass Lake. We would like to plan a summer trip back to Bass Lake, stay a few nights and enjoy the High Sierra's.