Yosemite, North Rim, May 23-26 2009

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Yosemite+Village,+Yosemite+National+Park,+CA&sll=37.263124,-113.054123&sspn=0.268866,0.44014&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Yosemite+Village,+Mariposa,+California&ll=37.723818,-119.644632&spn=0,0.055017&t=p&z=14&layer=c&cbll=37.723741,-119.644855&panoid=thVc-SkfDwOGUrZrdtCDMQ&cbp=12,302.89,,0,1.96

looks like the TH is just on the west side of Ribbon Creek.

My wife and I did a loop using the OBOFRT to Ribbon Meadow Trail and back down the valley on the Yosemite Falls Trail.

Day1. We left Burlingame, CA (south of SF) at 10:15 AM arrived at the YNP entry station around 3:30pm and got our permits and bear can there. Drove onto the valley and per the ranger's instruction parked at Curry Village and took the valley Shuttle to the Valley Visitors Center where we transferred to the El Capitan Shuttle. Was let off the El Cap shuttle at the El Cap Bridge at 5pm. We crossed the road north and about 200 yards into the woods we found a trail going east. Keep heading east and soon you'll find the former log pile (they've been removing it) and road bed. All went well until we came to the 100 ft Scramble up the hill. I made up pretty well in under 10 minutes, however my inexperienced and less fit wife struggled for over an hour on the crumbly dirt and loose rocks. Darkness had fell by the time she reached the top and instead of continuing on in darkness we decided to go ahead and camp there.
Day2. This day was basically a long uphhill all day. I let my wife lead and the exertionsmoke from a nearby controlled burn and dry air was bothering her exercise-induced asthma. (Note for East Coast folks, Yosemite in summer is super dry and dusty. You'll want a bandana to wipe off nightly.) We found water in several streams and due to our slowness Tanked up some extra at Ribbon Creek and camped atop El Cap.
Day3 I awoke just before sun rise and watched it rise over the nearby Sierra peaks and Half Dome. We soon ate and packed up detouring to Eagle Peak for spectacular views of the entire valley (better that the previous day's view from El CAP). The way down via Yosemite Falls Trail was long and tough, but we made down about 5pm and left the park; opting to stay in Oakdale about 90 minutes away and get a head start toward our flight from SF the next day.

Never saw nor heard any bears but did see lots of logs and stumps ripped open (looked like their only food option there w/ no fish (all the local streams crashed over 1000 ft waterfalls to the yalley) or berries around) and a couple of scat (many days old).

Jarod,

I'm stoked you made it to Yosemite and your trip sounds great. The views are amazing from the top of El Cap. Any pictures?