Visual Log of my 1st Yosemite visit - Part 1

[Martin Ocando]

This is a 43 year old dream that I just fulfilled last Saturday September 6th 2025. I still recall back in the early 80s browsing with my photographer friend Carlos through Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell's artwork and dreaming of visiting Yosemite together one day. Since things has not been easy for any of us, this is something I was finally able to do 43 years later.

I totalled 22 hours of driving time. It was exhausting and I made a few mistakes, like not researching Tuolumne Meadows enough as I already discarded it, but... let's not get ahead of myself and start the log already.

Friday September 5th 2025

• Departed Long Beach at 2:20PM
• Traffic from Santa Monica until Santa Clarita / Valencia was just brutal. Put gas in Gorman and continued on.
• Arriving at Fresno at around 7PM.

Yosemite, here I go. Well tomorrow I mean... Yeah, I know. Is a bit irresponsible to take a photo while driving, but I just trusted Sony's AF and snapped a few in burst without looking, and this one came out fine.

Saturday September 6th 2025

• Woke up at 3:45 am, couldn't even sleep out of excitement.
• Departed for Yosemite at 4:00 am
• Stopped for a coffee, and more gas
• Arrived at Tunnel View at 6:20 am

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My first ever photo of Yosemite Valley. What a moment.

• Spent like 25-30 minutes mainly calling my family to share the view. It was just so exciting to me. I just cried and was so thankful.

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20 minutes later the light didn't change much, so took a few more frames and moved down the valley.

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Had to stop when I saw the scene. Brought Galen Rowell vibes to me.

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The river was very dry,

A Park Ranger told me the name of this bridge, but I truly can't remember. If anyone knows, please let me know.

• Still going to the main village area, but stopping all the time for the amazing views.

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First of many panos I did that day. Everything was so huge. Next time I'll bring an UWA

I have two "virtual" mentors in my photography life. Galen Rowell and Ansel Adams. So this was a stop I needed to do.

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Enjoying the Originals on the walls. Thanks to Lucas from the Ansel Adams Gallery staff for taking my photo and hearing my Dream-come-true story.

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• Still had a few stops to make on my way out

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• Next Stop: Lower Yosemite Falls

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Very dry, as I expected.

• Next Stop: El Capitan Viewpoint

Stopped on the road and you look to the right and you have El Capitan, and to your left you have another granite titan. Quite frankly there is so much to see in this place that I can't remember all the names. This could be either Cathedral Rock, Sentinel Dome, or something else. I don't really know. You Yosemite experts will let me know.

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Actually I walked through this field to take the next photo of El Capitan, as you can see the fenced road in the lower side, and my car is the silver SUV you see on the mid-right parked behind the white pickup where a family was grilling hot dogs.

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No words or photographs can give credit to such magnificence.

What to do now?

When I was still planning on the week before, I have decided that I wanted to go really slow (sadly not slow enough), so I decided to skip Tuolumne Meadows. But it was just 11 AM, and the only stop remaining was Glaciar Point which is roughly a 1 hour round trip so I could be done by noon.

I'm not wasting a trip to Yosemite just to get short on the basics. Let's do Tuolumne. Worst case scenario I'll be back at 3, hit Glacier Point, and I can be heading down to Fresno before 5PM, so I don't have to drive through the night after the redeye wakeup and all day driving and hiking.

So I did. But I made a mistake... more in next post.

--
Martin
"One of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make is to look at the real world and cling to the vain hope that next time his film will somehow bear a closer resemblance to it" - Galen Rowell

 

[grsnovi]

It's on my bucket list.

 

[Rod McD]

Hi Martin,

Thx. Some iconic, magnificent places and great images. It's the physical USA that attracts me to the country....... One day maybe.

Cheers, R

 

[Martin Ocando]

On my way to Tuolumne Meadows.

Mistake #1: I didn't research enough, since I already decided not to take the 3 hour round trip, but it was a last minute decision.

Mistake #2: Haze and smoke was brutal. Not my fault, really.

As you can see, all week the air quality was moderate, so I was kind of hoping it would stay the same. But sadly it was worse on the morning of the 6th, and only improved around 3-4pm. Which coincided with me coming back from Tuolumne Meadows, looking around I realized it was clearing out, and I thought it was perfect timing for Glaciar Point.

So back to the log...

Next stop, Olmsted Point

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This is after applying dehaze. It looked way worse in person.

Next stop, Tenaya Lake

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Next stop, Tuolumne Meadows

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After heavy dehazing

I even went full Ansel Adams trying to overcome so much haze.

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Next stop, Glaciar point.

But before that, I should go back to Tunnel View and see how things look in the afternoon.

This place is so amazing, that no matter the time of the day, it always delivers.

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When I was close to reaching Glaciar Point, Half Dome appeared on my right and I almost lost control of the car. What a sight.

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And this is why is called Glaciar Point

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Time: 4:10 pm.

I roamed around the place for 20 more minutes, hiked a bit but my legs weren't responding. I though about waiting for sunset, but it was going to be a 3 hour wait time, and then drive 2 hours at night back to fresno. I was already 13 hours + of awaken time, so I wasn't going to risk it. Next time will be.

There is a third post called Retrospective, where I analyze the whole day, and what can be improved for the next visit.

Hope you liked the photos. I did enjoyed taking them so much. Thanks God for this gift of finally visiting the Landscape Photography dream location I've been longing for 43 years. Yeah, this was a big deal for me.

Thanks.

--
Martin
"One of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make is to look at the real world and cling to the vain hope that next time his film will somehow bear a closer resemblance to it" - Galen Rowell

 

[LarryRC]

Really nice photos and travelogue. I’m amazed at how fast you have put the panos together, pp all photos and add the details. The trip was just this last weekend. When did you sleep?

 

[rashid7]

U did it, BRAVO!

 

[dcstep]

Congrats on making the trip. Looks like you crammed your entire hit list.

 

[Martin Ocando]

This was one of the best times of my life. Sadly I couldn't share it with anyone. But it was a shot I took as all things conspired for it. It was way too many coincidences that happened one after the other. I will return, and hopefully bring my wife with me, and maybe a 3rd time with my friend Carlos also 40+ years avid Landscape photographer which share with me enjoying Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell books.

Drove 800 miles, a total of 22 hours behind the wheel. Way too much and I'm still recovering.

What I would do differently next time:

Location tips:

• Lowe Yosemite Falls: I walked until the bridge, and quite frankly it was not really a big deal in my opinion if is this dry. I've seen some images falls from Cook's Meadow that I feel are way better.
• Tuolumne Meadows: Don't get carried away when you see the first sign. Is just a road side parking and not the real deal. Go a bit further to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, park there, and take a 15 minute hike though the Old Tioga Road to the Tuolumne Meadows Footbridge. That is where the real deal is, and I failed to do it. It could have been potentially disastrous as Yosemite was very dry, all waterways and falls were just a thin stream of water, but I blame myself for just being right there and not going.
• Glacier Point: The first viewpoint is as good as it gets. Walking up the trail where you see the valley below is not that big of a deal and I regret the hike. I was very tired at that time. I think there is an even longer hike which I don't know where it leads, but I wasn't going to walk it, so you mileage may vary.
• Finally Navigation. That's a big one. If you rely on navigation to move around be aware that cell coverage in the area is very spotty. I traveled all the way to Tuolumne Meadows using navigation, and tried to set it for Fresno, well I wasn't unable to get cell coverage well after passing the ranger gate. It was easily over an hour of no cell coverage at all. Thankfully is a straight shot all the way, but be aware and if possible store your locations or maybe build a map with Google Maps or Waze of all locations so they get preloaded. Not sure it can work that way but is worth a shot.

Additional tips:

• Breakfast at the deli was good, so it was the coffee. For lunch I brought a sandwich from the Whole Foods in Fresno. I recommend to do the same as you will not find any place to eat outside of the village.
• Shopping: If you are buying caps, go to the Visitor Center. The Ansel Adams Gallery have good prices, but the store is very expensive. I saw a $45 cap with a plastic clasp. The one I bought at the Visitor Center cost me $19.99 and it was all fabric.
• I'll go slower. Way slower. I brought my tripod, but never used it. I was so worried that time would fly and I wouldn't have enough time for everything that I preferred to shoot panos handheld, and I even had a Nodal Point rail that I prepared days before for this visit, but it was not worth to carry the extra weight on hikes. I almost had to hike at least five minutes, but some times much more.
• Better clothing: I wore corduroy pants, merino wool polo shirt, and walking shoes. Next time I'll wear a much lighter fabric and proper hiking shoes. The shirt was very nice, so I'll repeat that.
• I'll stay closer to the park. I was researching and there are plenty of accommodations at about 1 hour from Tunnel View, so I could wait for the sunset and still get back to the hotel without taking too long. Driving all the way back to Fresno was exhausting.
• Try not to go alone. A driving partner is preferable, but if I still am the only one driving, someone to stay in the car while I step out to take pictures is invaluable. And an extra set of eyes is always helpful on the road.
• Try to avoid haze and smoke months, which are basically the end of summer. Next time I want to capture the fire falls, which usually happens a few days in February. Yes I'll have to battle with cold weather, but the air is much cleaner, and snow gives an extra contrasting detail to the landscape.
• The previous tip also is relevant for everything water related. Streams and falls were very dry, so I think that between February and April is the sweet spot.
• Get in better shape. You'll walk a lot, and if you are not in decent shape (I'm not) you'll suffer. Trails are somewhat easy, most of them, but is better to be prepared.

One final image to say "See you soon, Yosemite"...

--
Martin
"One of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make is to look at the real world and cling to the vain hope that next time his film will somehow bear a closer resemblance to it" - Galen Rowell

 

[Martin Ocando]

Really nice photos and travelogue. I’m amazed at how fast you have put the panos together, pp all photos and add the details. The trip was just this last weekend. When did you sleep?

Well, I haven't much really, but Lightroom nowadays make wonders with panos. I'm still trying to recover as all my legs and back ache of so much driving and some hiking.

 

[Martin Ocando]

U did it, BRAVO!

And in most part thanks to your amazing advice. I would have been lost and wasted so much time if I didn't followed. Thanks again.

 

[rashid7]

U did it, BRAVO!

And in most part thanks to your amazing advice. I would have been lost and wasted so much time if I didn't followed. Thanks again.

U r so welcome Martin. I look forward to hearing about (& seeing pix from) your next trip… hopefully with companion, much longer and during early summer.

 

[Ralf B]

A great effort to arrange and execute your trip that way, a great read, and great pics with the Sony 20-70 and Tamron 50-300. And even with the FL range covered (20 - 300) you documented well how much you had to zoom with your feet (and car...) ;-)

Thanks mucho for sharing!
Cheers,
Ralf

 

[Craig Gillette]

Good trip! I typically stay in Mariposa. There's still some mountain driving but less than the route up from Fresno. The Valley to Wawona and then Oakhurst, let alone all the way to Fresno is rough. One always has to keep an eye on road conditions, slides and rockfall can be problems, then in warmer summer seasons, fires are always a possibility.

Peak water timing is a little tricky. There's usually plenty of water as spring proceeds and often peaks about the end of May/early June. Then one is watching for the Glacier Point and Tioga Roads to open (varys year to year) and the Memorial Day lead in to heavy visitation.

 

[TBLF]

Congrats! Very happy for you, I'd call it a huge success.

Sure you would do some things differently now that you have experience, but on the bright side, you didn't get sick or stuck or get eaten by wildlife, you came away with some great pictures and memories, and lastly, you can save your wife all that extra driving and walking on your return trip with her because of all you learned.

Winning! ;-):-D

Thanks for sharing, it is on a lot of our bucket list's out here, and the additional logistic info is great.

 

[SeeingSomeThingsMissingMany]

Nice one Martin.

A valuable recon. For further Yosemite adventures.

[ o ]

I usually consider my first trip to a place as a recon. Thereafter more prepared.

 

[Martin Ocando]

About the gear, it performed admirably.

• Sony A7RV
• 2 x 240GB OWC CFExpress
• Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G
• Tamron 50-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD
• Nomatic Peter McKinnon 25L everyday backpack
• Nomatic Peter McKinnon 13L sling
• Peak Design 7L Outdoor sling
• 2x Peak Design Capture clips
• 3x Sony NP-FZ100
• 1x K&F Concept NP-FZ100
• K&F 67mm & 72mm magnetic ND and CPL filters
• Sirui ST-124 tripod

Notes on the gear:

• I shot 339 frames: 220 with the 20-70mm and 119 with the 50-300mm.
• By the end of the day, there was still 16% remaining juice on the single battery that I used. I brought 4 batteries just in cast, but still was amazed at how long these things last.
• I activated the shutter dust protection for changing lenses and was happy to report that the sensor remained super clean for the whole trip.
• I used the Nomatic Peter McKinnon 25L backpack over the 13L sling as I thought that the backpack would provide a more stable base for the Peak Design capture clip, which I used consistently, and it was very comfortable for hiking and having the camera ready for shooting. Even with the longer 50-300mm, it was a breeze to carry.
• I don't think I would have had the same performance with the capture clip attached to the sling. I actually have two clips, but the sling tends to slide a bit around and puts all the weight on a single shoulder, which is not comfortable in the long term. I ended up with lots of upper back pain for so much driving, so I didn't want to add to that with the sling.
• So, definitely, the backpack was a better choice, comfort-wise.
• Usability-wise, it would have been better with the sling as I had to set the backpack down to change lenses.
• Tripod. If I had gone slower, I would have used it but remained in the car. You'll take a lot of panoramas in this place. Trying to avoid distortion, I preferred a Pano over shooting at 20mm, so using the tripod, especially with the Nodal rail, would have been great. Still, I shot with enough room thinking about pano projections and that I would have to clip some image real-state.

 

[Martin Ocando]

Congrats! Very happy for you, I'd call it a huge success.

Sure you would do some things differently now that you have experience, but on the bright side, you didn't get sick or stuck or get eaten by wildlife, you came away with some great pictures and memories, and lastly, you can save your wife all that extra driving and walking on your return trip with her because of all you learned.

OMG, I laughter so hard about wildlife eating me :-D

Winning! ;-):-D

Thanks for sharing, it is on a lot of our bucket list's out here, and the additional logistic info is great.

Glad you liked it. I made it with lots of love. This place captivated me forever.

 

[Impulses]

Are you wearing one of the slings as a waist pack? Or was it mostly backpack duty? I bought my backpack almost exclusively for my 50-400 and even that larger tele rides comfortably on the body clipped into Capture on a backpack strap, I've never used Capture on my slings for anything but lens changes w/my Sony kit... The GX850 with a tele OTOH was pretty comfortable to carry on the side of my 10L sling.

You could try wearing a sling or waist pack around front to deal with lens changes... TBH I've not thought about that a ton because side access on my 20L pack isn't too bad and when I'm shooting with the 50-400 I tend to have it out a while. Drop that merino wool polo shirt recommendation, I'm curious... I recently got a bunch of merino socks and I'm a convert.

 

[Impulses]

You rocked it, great shots and a good read! I'll have to take a look on desktop later to appreciate the panos and see what focal lengths you favored for the other shots, I'm always curious about that.

 

[SeeingSomeThingsMissingMany]

on the bright side, you didn't get sick or stuck or get eaten by wildlife,

OMG, I laughter so hard about wildlife eating me :-D

I have similar bod. A Bear would look at us gleefully rubbing it's belly thinking it's Thanksgiving dinner.

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--

Photography after all is interplay of light alongside perspective.