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pj67coll · #5 05-22-2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannym

As you all know I was married last March 27th.
We decided to postpone out honeymoon and now we have decided to plan one sometime this fall.
What we are thinking about is a Yosemite National Park vacation. We want to see the big Redwood trees or Sequois? And of course some of the waterfalls.
Here's a couple of websites we are looking at:
http://www.yosemitepark.com/SpecialEventsPackages_Packages.aspx
http://www.nps.gov/yose/

Or a Grand Canyon vacation. We want to go to the bottom of course & take a trip down the river.

Has anyone ever been there or can offer suggestions on how to make this a great trip?

Thanks!

Danny

I believe that taking a trip down river in the Canyon is both, expensive and booked out many months in advance. Not sure as I've not done it myself but that's what I've heard. I do know a friend of mine who did that some years ago. He went of a week long trip on one of those big rafts where you camp out on the beach overnight and such. However I believe that his trip was booked a year in advance.

As for simply hiking down to the river and back. I've done it. Did it during spring break some years back. It was cold. It can be done rim to river and back up again in one day, though this is not encouraged and having done it once I will not be doing it again. We booked a room in Maswick lodge if I remember correctly. This is in two sections and we stayed in the Maswick south section as this was closest to the rim near the Bright Angel trailhed. I determined this would be an advantage when we got back up to the top again. I was right! The less distance to walk to your room when you get back up the better believe me. We started out at 04:30 in darkness with headlamps and flashlights and reached the river at aboug 11:00. We rested for an hour and then climbed back up again. Reached the trailhead again at 17:30. I could hardly move once I got back to my room I was so sore. I strongly recommend not trying this unless you are very fit and have done a lot of hiking in the year leading up to it. Remember that unlike most hikes where you typically climb a mountain and then walk back down again the GC is exactly opposite. You have to climb back up from the half way point and that can get to be really heavy going if you are not in good shape.

Not really trying to discourage you, merely trying to point out realities based on my experiences.

As for Yosemite...

There is really no bad time of year to see Yosemite (except perhaps mid summer?). However if you are looking to see the waterfalls I'm afraid fall is not the time. You want to be there in late spring when the snow melt is at it's greatest and the rivers are in spate. I was lucky to catch that time of the year purely by chance back in 1993, the only time I've been lucky enough visit it.

One must do hike if you manage it at that time is the "mist trail" from the valley floor up past "Vernal" and "Nevada" falls. Bring a poncho, you will get wet.

Search Yosmite's website for references to "the cables" up the back side of "half dome" Definately something worth doing if you can. You can climb up the chain ladder before its officially in use each year but it's a bit more difficult I believe. Anyway. Depending on what kind of accommodation you desire/require Yosmite can book out way in advance. I stayed in "Oakhurst lodge" in the town of Oakhurst just outside the park and had to drive in each day.

Hope this helps. Spend a lot of time researching these parks and activites. The National Park Service does have a very good website.

- Peter.

- Peter.