Ok, so I'm rather tardy at writing the actual story. However, we did indeed visit Sentinel Dome at 8,122feet (2,476m. And it is indeed beautiful. we met with a lovely couple, Bonnie & Al who are spending their summers volunteering at National Parks. Bonnie is as close to a doctor as I can imagine, she worked as a Medical Technologist in a specialist area of bone marrow transplants. Al was a financial adviser and is now at 75 a keen hiker and rock climber! They are from Ohio and spend their summers hanging out in National Parks, volunteering, then head south in the RV for the winter. Pretty good life!
On our last days off, Tuesday last week we met at the parking lot off Glacier Point Road and set off from there. Yosemite NP is amazing in that the Valley (4,000 feet elevation) approximately 1 mile wide by 13 miles long;- although reported to be 7 sq miles is surrounded by high plateau of rugged granite. Sentinel Dome sits at 8,122 feet and provides a spectacular 360degree view far & wide.
The hike was a kind of loop with a couple of sections being return trips. We walked an easy slightly downhill slope through sparse trees to Taft Point which at 7,503feet is a little higher than the well known Glacier Point and rather more spectacular. To boot we arrived to see a group of young lads, stripped of their shirts sitting with legs dangling over the edge of what is a sheer precipice almost 4,000 feet directly to the valley floor. Their rope was secured and tensioned between to points across the abyss awaiting the one who was game to walk.... or was it the one waiting to perform, for it did appear that when a reasonable number of people were present the tight rope walking began.
From Taft Point we returned along the path, to take a northward fork along the glacial rim to the Sentinel Dome. This part of the trail promised to be picturesque as it provided astounding views both downward... the Yosemite Lodge Swimming pool appeared as a small blue patch as would be viewed from an aeroplane, and of the multitude of surrounding granite monoliths. And to boot there were almost no people! Quiet and peaceful and idyllic. The whole walk was about 6 miles and a little range in altitude.
