California - Day 8 - Sonora (Yosemite)

Tuesday 21^st September

Yosemite and Sonora, California

Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet (648 to 3,997m) and contains five major vegetation zones :lower montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy. Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area, but this is where most visitors arrive and stay. El Capitan, a prominent granite cliff that looms over Yosemite Valley, is one of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the world because of its diverse range of climbing routes in addition to its year-round accessibility. Granite domes such as Sentinel Dome and Half Dome rise 3,000 and 4,800 feet (910 and 1,500m), respectively, above the valley floor.

Mariposa Grove it is the largest grove of Giant Sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature examples of the tree. Two of its trees are among the 25 largest Giant Sequoias in the world. The Mariposa Grove was first visited by non-natives in 1857 when Galen Clark and Milton Mann found it. They named the grove after Mariposa County, California, where the grove is located. The Giant Sequoia named Grizzly Giant is between probably 1900–2400 years old: the oldest tree in the grove. In 1932, park officials claimed it as the fifth largest (by volume) tree in the world, but other trees were subsequently found to be larger. It has a volume of 34,010 cubic feet (963 m3), and is counted as the 25th largest tree in the world. It is 210 feet (64 m) tall, and has a heavily buttressed base with a basal circumference of 28 m (92 ft) or a diameter of 30 feet (9.1 m); above the buttresses at 2.4 m above ground, the circumference is only 23 m. Grizzly Giant's first branch from the base is 2 m (6 ft) in diameter. Another tree, the Wawona Tree, had a tunnel cut through it in the nineteenth century that was wide enough for horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles to drive through. Weakened by the large opening at its base, the tree fell down in a storm in 1969.

Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress on June 30, 1864 ceding the "Mariposa Big Tree Grove" (and Yosemite Valley) to the state of California. Criticism of stewardship over the land led to the state's returning the grove to federal control with the establishment of Yosemite National Park.

Sonora founded by Mexican miners -reminiscent of the state of Sonora, Mexico - during the California Gold Rush, Sonora was once a booming centre of industry and trade in California's Mother Lode. Last of the gold that was removable with traditional mining techniques was quickly extracted, leaving miners to use more complex and expensive mining techniques to reach deep pockets of quartz and gold. Sonora as well as other mining towns of the era experienced economic hardship when the value of gold decreased. As easier accessible gold deposits dried up, businesses and miners realized extracting the gold cost more than it was worth. As "gold fever" died down, Sonora's size and population steadily decreased over the years.

The Journey

The first stop today is in the town on Oakhurst,(09.30) here you will find an ATM and a Post Office, all within the strip mall where we are parked, there is a supermarket which has a Deli, here you could get something for your picnic, toilets can be found at the rear of the supermarket, there is also a CVS Pharmacy which sells reasonably priced wine, there are also toilets at the rear of the store. From here we will continue towards Yosemite, once inside the park we go to Mariposa Grove,(11.15) those that are doing the tram tour will board here, we will be here for approx 1hr and 45 minutes, toilets and gift shop available (Yosemite Road Guide available here). On departure we will continue into the park and see some stunning scenery, there will be a photo stop at Half Dome view point, then onto Yosemite Lodge, cafeteria and toilets) where you will leave the coach, and if you wish join the park bus (free) to Yosemite Village a short ride away approx 10 mins, or you may take a walk. Later we leave Yosemite and travel out of the park, there will be some fantastic views as we climb out of the valley, unfortunately no area to stop, take your photos through the window. Arriving in Sonora at the Best Western, a motel style, with a restaurant and bar with Karaoke entertainment.