Fresno Dome: 2025 Sep 23 (5 of 5)…read more We're hosting a friend who's never been to Fresno Dome so we decided to take him there. Fresno Dome looks like a smooth dome from afar but it's actually granite rocks of different shapes and sizes coming together to create this geological marvel. I'm always amazed when we reach the top of the dome. Once you get to the top of this granite dome, you can be assured of breathtaking panoramic views of Sierra Nevada and Southern Yosemite National Park. Its rocky facade made this easier to climb, but the last time I hiked Fresno Dome was in July - so, I felt a need to get lessons from a goat. Goats are incredibly agile climbers - ascending steep slopes and leaping over mountains in their sure-footed hooves. I wonder if they'll give me lessons on how to climb mountains. Hmm... What to wear: Layer your clothing. You get sweaty on the way up, but at the top, you may feel a chill. Hiking shoes or hiking boots are a must. We actually saw a woman in sandals. That's a firm No-No. One slip and you'll be flying down the slopes. What to bring: Water and snacks. You'll need more than one bottle of water per person (I usually bring 3). Dehydration sets in fast, especially when you sweat. We bring snacks because when you reach the top, you would want to stay to enjoy the breeze and the views. Just remember to bag your trash and take them with you. What to expect: Mosquitoes, bugs, ants, etc. It's their land you're wondering into. On the flip side, you'll be amazed by beautiful butterflies, plants and wildflowers (depending on the season).

Situated between Oakhurst and Yosemite National Park at an elevation of 7,450 feet, Fresno Dome is…read moreone of those elegant granite formations for which the Sierra Nevada is famous for. Fresno Dome is a popular destination for rock climbers, but hikers can also reach the summit via a short trail that climbs the dome's gently sloping backside. Reference: MAREK WARSZAWSKI / THE FRESNO BEE | FEBRUARY 03, 2009 11:17 AM I didn't realize it's only a 1.6 mile round trip , it felt much longer but it's an easy peasy hike which rewards you with beautiful views of the Sierra from the top. Easy at first but gets pretty steep at the top . Since my baby bear has intellectual disabilities and autism, he's not too aware of danger, we stopped midways of the dome . We were still rewarded with gorgeous views from midways. It was pretty muddy at the begging of the hike , we had to hop from one rock to another to avoid getting our hiking boots wet. After that it's a easy hike ( except pretty steep at the top). Hella winding road to get to the trailhead, it's unpaved dirt road towards the end. I don't recommend you going if you don't wanna get your vehicles dirty lol. We saw a beautiful owl with his wings wide opened atop a tree stump near the trailhead. I wasn't able to capture it with my phone but the image is still very clear in my head after four years. Cheers to the great outdoors (^｡^)

Amazing experience with knowledge instructors. Great climbing location! Friendly and helpful…read morestaff during the booking process. Even helped us get accommodations nearby. Would totally do it again!!

Spent three days climbing with guides from Yosemite Mountaineering School. I'm sure all the guides…read moreare spectacular, but I can personally recommend Chase and Jake. Highly professional, impressively safe, and personable, not to mentioned astonishingly strong climbers. Chase and I spent a day cragging gearing up for a run up Half Dome's southwest face via Snake Dike. The end of our 12 hours together had much less talking, but Chase helped make the 6+ mile hike in much more enjoyable (as much as it could be of course) passing the time with fun stories and fun facts. We told some jokes, saw some nature, passed some hikers, and were first on the crag, setting us up for an awesome day! Jake and I climbed the 1100-foot East Buttress of Middle Cathedral and when my foot slipped while scaling a lie back crack and my life flashed before my eyes, I felt the rope tighten and stopped safely (only falling 6 or 8 feet of the 800 feet we had climbed thus far). Awesome day with Jake! Both Chase and Jake were excellent on meeting me where I was in my climbing ability, being a confident 5.10 leader, able to climb middle 5.11 but without much experience on Yosemite's granite I had a few tricks to learn to be successful. I highly highly highly recommend YMS to anyone new to the valley or wanting to safely experience what Yosemite has to offer!

I almost died here…read more I was climbing Snake Dike for the first time. At the point where you are supposed to traverse left, off of the dike you've been climbing on pitches 1-3, and onto another one...I didn't. I just kept "riding the dike". This route is called "Snake Dance" and goes at 5.9R. Long story short, the first bolt must've been 90-100 ft above the anchor. I had climbed up 80-90 ft, could see the "first" bolt but was getting pumped out trying to reach it. I started shaking, was filled with terror and then...then I was falling. I was cheese-grattering down the granite slabs, and I was oddly at piece. I remember thinking "well, I had a good run, I guess now I know how it's going to end." I tried to keep my feet in front of me as I was coming up on a ledge. I thought it would be better to break my legs than my FACE. As I neared the ledge my clothes had shredded through down to my skin (it was cold day, wearing a shoftshell probably saved me from even more sever road rash) and the, suddenly, the rope caught! I didn't know what injuries I may have sustained but at least I wasn't going to die. I mean, as long as my belayer held on. And she did, boy did she ever. I had fallen all the way down to the one of the previous anchors. How...convenient. I had my climbing partner hold the rope tight and I swung over to the anchor. I had her rappel down to me and...her hands were very very badly burned from the rope. But, she held on, and she saved my life. We limped out and eventually got to an emergency room. Her hands would have to be in bandages for weeks, but they are all better now. Luckily, I got away with just a cracked rib, bruised heels, and road rash along my arms, thighs, and butt (sorry bro). We came back 6 months later, stayed on-route and had a great time. A summit has never tasted so sweet. The "actual" Snake Dike route is till VERY run-out in places. There are spots where there is only 2 or ever ONE bolt on the entire pitch. But, most of the climbing is in the 5.4 range, so it's not anywhere near as heady as 5.9 slab. (yeah, I'm a punter, 5.9 slab with epic runouts gets me real skeered, especially now...seriously, my hands are sweating all over my keyboard as I type this...) Best part of Snake Dike is that you don't need a permit. I don't expect it will be like this for much longer, get it while it's hot!

This is a hike I would recommend to friends and you. I was there on a gloomy day when all of the…read morefalls in Yosemite were going like gang busters. This was due to a Snow Melt in May 2019 from a 160 Percent to Average Snow Fall. Take your time and you may notice some special sights like the Moss covered Heart Shaped Rock which is about Four Feet across. The Popcorn look alike I believe is Tree Resin. It did look good enough to eat. Notice the Rock Overhang and be sure you do not hit your head! Be sure to check the trail instructions from Forevermemorable F.. Without them and the pictures he posted I would not have found the trail. I would recommend you use Hiking Poles to help you descend the trail. If you would like to see the upper part of this falls take a ride on "Big Old Flat Road", Location 37.727751,-119.713163. Here you will find a small Parking Lot across the road from the upper falls. Walk on the bridge and check for the cascades. One nice aspect of this spot is that even when the park is packed the are no crowds here. I think it is more interesting to view than Bridal Veil Falls and you can get very close to it. Please check my pictures to see what I mean.

The hike to the waterfall is less than 15 minutes but the trail is hidden. 99% of visitors stop off…read moreand stay in/around the parking lot. I went in the Spring when the waterfall was moving and grooving. Much too fast and powerful to get much closer. Check out the pics of my April visit. This place would be great to visit in the Summer and just chill in the pool just under the waterfall. If you need trailhead info PM me.

Overall, It was a great experience. Very comforting to have everything sorted and just focus on the…read moremovement. The weather was great. Almost too hot but better than too much snow. Our guide, Dave was EXCELLENT. Social, made great food, and paced us very well. We all had a wonderful time!

What a fantastic trip put together for us by the Sierra Mountain Center. From the start Emma was…read morefantastic and professional in the coordination efforts for our Palisade Traverse trip. My son and I had a 1:1 guide ratio and the guides, Dave Stimson and Tyler Logan, were exceptional. Exceptional in their knowledge of the route, their efficiency with rope craft and their trailside manner - despite the exhausting climb we had such a fun time. We are already planning next year's outing with SMC. You can see a video of the trip here: https://theearthbeneathyourfeet.com/Hikes/HikeDetails/5574743739453848794f31484538675743512b3472513d3d

Amazing. Climb…read more Probably one of the best multi-pitch rock climbs I have ever done. We started very late and ended up going down in the dark. I don't recommend this for one main reason: The descent is not straight-forward by headlamp. I found the description from SuperTopo to be a bit confusing, so here's my description (in case you don't heed my advice and try to roll this sucker late in the day): You are going to want to down-climb the last 10-15 ft of the summit pinnacle. The section you JUST climbed up to reach the tiny summit. Down-lead this (or better yet, just leave your pro in from the ascent) and build an anchor at the base. (I know this seems like a stupidly short "pitch" to build an anchor for, but, TRUST ME. The rope drag is heinous if you try to go around the corner and then anchor-in.) Then do a running belay/simul-climb around the corner (you are now going AWAY from the face you just climbed up). Once around the corner, go slightly right (skier's right). Once you've done this, just keep going left and down, gradually, on easy 3rd class terrain (we took the rope off at this point). When it starts to look easy to go right, traverse right until you pop out on the other side of the mountain. You'll probably do some minor bush-whacking, just try to keep hopping on those big granite boulders! The SuperTopo seems to say that you hook back right a lot sooner (after going down-left), the terrain there looked like very run-out/, 5th class slab (read: skeery), so we did not do this. OK, now that we've talked about the boring part (getting down), let's talk about the FUN part: climbing up. It's 5 pitches of 5.6-5.7 on glorious granite with ample spots for pro. You can run it out with ease, knowing there is always going to be a place to get your nuts in. This is the complete opposite of "Snake Dike" on Half Dome in that regard. We did the far-left (climber's left) variation. I think it's variation "A" in the guide book. We decided to simul-climb the first two pitches, this was a good call. The beginning of pitch 1 is very easy (low-5th and even 4th class) by the time it gets more difficult, the leader will already be at the 2nd anchor and the second can be belayed up. If you're a strong climber you could even keep going and link all three of the first pitches! Every pitch is fun, with great moves and great positioning. I'd make sure you are not wearing a pack or gear sling for the start of pitch 4, as the chimney is kinda tight in the beginning. Or maybe I'm just getting fat? I lead the last two pitches by headlamp, a new experience, and shockingly more fun that scary. If you do this, I'd start either insanely early or insanely late, in order to avoid the crowds. Have fun!

Cathedral Peak is arguably the most beautiful peak in Yosemite National Park. Despite its beauty,…read moreand despite the fact that the trailhead is at the edge of Tioga Road and easy to find, there are no crowds. During my hike on this 7 mile round-trip trail, I encountered, at most, only twenty other hikers. The trail is an easy hike for adults and for little kids. There are no cliffs near this trail. This means that, unlike some of the trails leading to or from Hawkins Peak at Pinnacles National Park and unlike the fabled Kalalau Trail in Kauai, there is no danger rocks falling from above, and no need to worry about tumbling over the edge of any cliff. Once you have reached the 3 1/2 mile mark, you will be rewarded with a splendid view of Cathedral Peak, which is photogenic from any angle, and which provides a variety of photogenic rewards at different times of day. Near Cathedral Peak is a meadow with little streams, and orange-colored bedrock near one of the streams. Also in this area, is an exposed granite dome, similar to nearby Lambert Dome. My photographs show: (1) Me posing on a granite dome located next to a meadow. This meadow is just to the south of Cathedral Peak, (2) The trail marker sign next to Tioga Road, (3) The orange-colored exposed bedrock, and (4) Two photographs of a little stream that winds its way through a meadow, with Cathedral Peak in the distance.

Such an awesome spot. All of their employees are soooo nice and helpful. They have really popular…read moreand reliable gear and even a clearance section with is cool. The employees are locals and familiar with a lot of cool runs/hikes. I definitely recommend this place and will visit when passing through Bishop!

I've been hiking around the Bishop and Mammoth Lakes area the past couple days and finally needed…read moreto get some hiking poles and microspikes/crampons for the Sabrina Lake to Blue Lake Trail. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the great assistance and information provided by Mike and Sarah Re: gear. (FYI - They have tons of variety for your outdoor needs AND even have a climbing wall and gym) Purchasing the Leki trekking poles and renting the Snowline microspike/crampons $6/day was FABULOUS! With my poles and the microspikes I felt like an invincible SpiderGirl walking up and down hard packed snow and ice! I LOVED the hike to Blue Lake SO much, I hiked it twice in a row!!! YUP! I'm talking 2 days SAME trail! One of my all time FAV hikes and I've hiked in Patagonia, South Island NZ, Canadian Rockies, etc. If you want some hiking fun at this time of year, drop by Sage to Summit! Buy your trekking poles and rent your microspikes! Totally worth it! I'm thinking of hiking this trail one more time it is THAT cool to hike thru packed snow and ice with those microspikes. FYI - Hike to Blue Lake is about 7.15 miles RT based on how much exploring you want to do! Luckily, I hiked in twice in a row to shoot some photos in different sections. It's a HUGE lake and unfortunately, I don't like waking up early, so still wasn't able to hike further to the middle of the lake area due to lack of daylight hours at this time of the year. Thanks Mike and Sarah! I will return to your shop and recommend you guys too! :0)

I had a fun time E-Biking with Chris. He took me down an awesome trail that had great views.read more

I had never been e-biking before and have to admit I was pretty intimidated. I was weary at first,…read morebut it was seriously so much fun. Zooming through the sierras and exploring all the back roads in Mariposa County is a unique experience everyone should partake in. Chris takes care of his riders like family. He made sure I was dressed appropriately for the wind, made sure I had enough water, and fed me snacks. I'd recommend anyone traveling to the area to book a e-bike tour through Yosemite E-biking!

We came here in the summer. As a family, had a great time! They have day pass as well as per…read moreactivity based tickets. We took the day pass. We did mountain coaster, tubing, bungee trampoline, rock climbing, archery, ropes challenge. Everything was fun and the staff were nice and friendly. It's highly recommended to show up at opening time itself if you want to do everything and multiple times. :) The adventure pass also allows you to use the gondola ride up mammoth mountain which is a must to do. Definitely go till the top and spend some time exploring the mountain top. You can also have lunch up there. All in all great time. Highly recommend.

With the lack of summer business they're the running the shuttles into Devil's Postpile…read more They're running one shuttle an hour for 100 people - in the morning when most people are arriving. Don't ask if they happen to have two running at once in the summe or they'll lecture you about how Disneyland is busy too. Cool, Disneyland has multiple shuttles.

I wanted to leave a review because the beginning of this trail can be tricky. At least it was for…read moremy friend and I. I hiked this trail about 2 weeks ago (December 2025). You will park at a designated parking lot. The lot says you have to pay $10. There is an envelope and you write your license place number and name on it. It says to drop thr payment at a local store. I don't know if they check if you have paid or not. The trail head is not far from the parking lot. It will be to the left of you if you are facing away from the road. The trail is beautiful you start off along the river. You will hike along the trail for a short while then it dead ends and opens up to the road. You will cross the road and there is a sign that says trail, follow that trail. There is somewhat of a fork go to the left, you will cross a wooden "foot bridge". There is also a sign telling you to be careful on the slippery rocks. Then you follow the trail, it is easy to miss the turn off where the trail continues and goes up the mountain. At a point it goes up to the right and there will be another sign that says "trail". We missed it, and could not figure out where to go. Because the trail continues a long the river but then dead ends. We back tracked and realized there is another trail where we were supposed to turn and go up the mountain. It gets steep after you go up, but you get amazing views. It's worth the climb. This trail eventually dips back down and you are along the river again and get river access again.

This experience was definitely one for the books. We took a dip in the natural spring water which…read morewas quite COLD. I'd say this hike was medium to difficult, but we were able to get over rocks, stumps, and loose gravel with sneakers. The temperature and the time of day were just too much to bare and we stopped whenever we'd come across a small body of water. The water streams were quite peaceful. The wind brushing again the trees and birds chirping was just magical.