The Magurans: California Trip - Day 5: Taft Point, Pohono Trail, & Sentinel Dome

Friday, June 28, 2019

California Trip - Day 5: Taft Point, Pohono Trail, & Sentinel Dome

On our fifth day in Yosemite, we drove towards Glacier Point instead of the Valley. We parked at the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trailhead and hiked the 1.1 miles to Taft Point and the fissures. On the way, we ran into two deer that were not afraid of us at all. Taft Point has an overlook at the edge of a 3000 foot cliff. We took all our photos a good distance from the edge. On the way back up the trail, we veered off onto the Pohono Trail which took us in the direction of Sentinel Dome and Glacier Point. We took that trail for about 2 miles along the Valley rim. We had some great views of Yosemite falls. Then we picked up a trail to Sentinel Dome and hiked to the top for some amazing 360 degree views of the valley (elevation of 8122 feet). We could see El Cap, Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Falls, both Vernal and Nevada Falls, and a stunning view of Half Dome. From Sentinel Dome, we hiked back along a 1.1 mile trail to the parking lot. Once we got back to the lodge, the boys enjoyed some pool time despite the chilly air temperature.