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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:30 p.m. After you check in at the hotel front desk and have your room assignment and key, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Introductions: 5:30 p.m. We’ll gather for a session we call Crossing Points to begin getting to know our fellow Road Scholars and discover what we share beyond a love of lifelong learning.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: Orientation: 7:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. A naturalist will provide educational content throughout the program. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 275 miles, approximately 5.5 hours riding time; one rest stop en route. Walking about 1/2 mile throughout the day; dirt paths, flat meadow, paved trail from Bridalveil Fall parking area to base of waterfall. Elevation gain approximately 80 feet. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel, board a motorcoach, and ride to Yosemite National Park in central California. The “gold rush” of 1849 wreaked havoc on the environment, followed by extensive commercial exploitation. In response, President Lincoln designated Yosemite Valley a public trust in 1864, the first time the U.S. government protected land from private development and for public enjoyment. Yellowstone became America’s first national park in 1872. Today, it is one of America’s most beautiful and most visited national parks.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will ride to the historic Ahwahnee Hotel where our naturalist will tell us about the classic architecture and the various historic characters that stayed at the elegant hotel. Next, our naturalist will lead a field trip through Yosemite Valley, world-famous for its impressive waterfalls, cliffs, and unusual rock formations. We will learn about the valley’s glacial past that carved the grand walls we see today. Our first stop will be El Capitan Meadow. From the meadow, use binoculars to scan for climbers on El Capitan, one of the world’s most popular climbs. Rising more than 3,000 feet above the Valley floor, it is the largest granite monolith in the world. The first ascent on El Capitan was made by Warren Harding in 1958 and records continue to be broken. We will ride on to Tunnel View that gives us a bird’s eye view of the Valley with El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome. It is one of the more iconic scenes of Yosemite. Riding by Bridalveil Fall, we’ll see it plunge 620 feet. Bridalveil thunders in the spring but during the rest of the year its light, swaying flow resembles a “bridal veil.” It is one of the many waterfalls that can appear in Yosemite Valley. We’ll then ride on to our hotel and check in.
Dinner: We will have vouchers provided to use at Base Camp Eatery in Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Evening: At leisure. There are many opportunities to enjoy the park independently after dark. Use the “Yosemite Guide” to find out what programs are being offered. Programs offered by the National Park are free of charge. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm Programs at the Yosemite Theater require a ticket that can be purchased the day of at the visitor center bookstore or on-line at https://yosemite.org/experience/theater/.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 30 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time; curvy mountain road. Hiking up to 4 miles, approximately 3 hours; wooden boardwalk, paved path. Potential crowded conditions at Mariposa Grove, potential for getting wet at Lower Yosemite Falls, slippery walkways.
Breakfast: At the Lodge.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias that contains some 500 mature giant sequoias. We will park near the shuttle stop at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Center where restrooms are located. We’ll then board a National Park Service bus that will take us into the grove and to the start of the wooden boardwalk to see the sequoias. Our naturalist will lead us through the grove and explain giant sequoia ecology and our connections with these large trees. Giant sequoias are perhaps the largest living things on Earth and may exceed 3,000 years in age. Reopened on June 15, 2018, the Mariposa Grove restoration project aimed to restore the grove’s dynamic ecology and increase the grove’s resilience. Many visitors from around the world are eager to visit the beloved grove of trees that was closed for three years. Keep an eye out for the sequoia saplings that have taken root with the absence of people. Note: The park is likely to be crowded with others who also want to see these wonders of nature. Please exercise patience.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Returning to Yosemite Valley Lodge, we’ll set out on a leisurely walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls along a paved path with a slight incline. The path is one mile round trip. If the water levels are high in the valley, be prepared for a large spray at the base of the falls that could leave us drenched amid slick walkways.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Dining choices will be listed in the “Yosemite Guide” park newspaper published several times a year and available on line at http://www.travelyosemite.com/lodging/dining/.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 100 round trip, approximately 5 hours riding time. Walking about 1/2 mile total (weather permitting), paved path to beach. Elevation 8,000 feet. Note: Tioga Pass is closed from approximately November to early June.
Breakfast: At the Lodge.
Morning: We will board a motorcoach for a full day in the subalpine environment of the High Sierras. Our naturalist will provide a narrative that touches on many aspects of the natural and human history along Tioga Pass Road to Olmstead Point, Tenaya Lake, and Tuolumne Meadows. Tioga Pass Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive between Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows through forests, meadows, lakes, and granite domes. The road is one of the few roads that pass over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the eastern side into Owens Valley. It started as a dirt road in 1915 and was slowly paved and widened over the years. It was fully completed by the 1960s with the rise in car sales and families taking road trips to the national parks. Olmsted Point looks down on Yosemite Valley from the east and from a very different angle. Tenaya Lake is a magnificent High Sierra lake surrounded by granite domes, lodgepole forests, and Yosemite’s vast wilderness. Tuolumne Meadows is a large, open subalpine meadow graced by the winding Tuolumne River and surrounded by majestic peaks and domes. At Tenaya Lake (weather permitting), we will walk approximately 175 yards on a paved path to the beach. Additional opportunities may be available depending on local conditions at the time of the program; the Group Leader will discuss prior to the field trip.
Lunch: At Tenaya Lake, we will have box lunches.
Afternoon: Next, we’ll set out on a stroll into lush, alpine Tuolumne Meadows. Surrounded by lodgepole forest, it is at an elevation of 8,000 feet. The Tuolumne River flows through the meadow on its way to the Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir. We’ll walk about 1/2 mile walk towards Soda Springs while learning about the alpine environment.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure. There are many opportunities to enjoy the park independently after dark. Use the “Yosemite Guide” to find out what programs are being offered. Programs offered by the National Park are free of charge. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm Programs at the Yosemite Theater require a ticket that you can purchase the day of at the visitor center bookstore or on-line at https://yosemite.org/experience/theater/.
Activity note: Standing in exposed areas. Bring hat and sunscreen.
Breakfast: At the Lodge.
Morning: We will be joined by a local climber and climbing expert who will give us an outdoor presentation on rock climbing in Yosemite. Climbers took mountaineering to another level in the 1950s and started to ascend the vertical walls of Yosemite Valley. Rock climbers were looking for a different way of life by the 1960s and were influenced by the counter-culture movement that was occurring in the United States. Many people would camp in the valley for several months to climb the granite walls in Yosemite. The gear has changed from homemade gear and welded together to the thriving industry providing climbers with a range of gear for different types of climbs. Many people climbers come from all over the world and train for years to attempt the granite walls in Yosemite Valley.
Lunch: On your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon: Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. Visit https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm to find ranger-led programs and other events happening in the park. There are many hikes in the Valley including Mirror Lake, Vernal Fall Footbridge, Lower Yosemite Fall and Cook’s Meadow. You might also like to visit the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center or the Ansel Adams Gallery. Yosemite Valley Lodge also offers bicycle rentals for the paved, flat bike path that loops through the valley. You can find out more about bike rentals at https://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/biking/.
Dinner: At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 200 miles, approximately 5 hours riding time with a stop depending on traffic.
Breakfast: At the Lodge.
Morning: We will check out of the hotel, board a motorcoach, and begin our return trip to the hotel in Brisbane.
Lunch: En route to Brisbane.
Afternoon: We expect to arrive at the hotel in Brisbane by approximately 3:00 p.m. (depending on traffic). This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
JOOOB
