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parks: replan Sep 22-25 around light and driving

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- Sep 22: enter via Hwy 120, exit via Wawona road with Cook's Meadow,
  El Capitan Meadow, Valley View and Tunnel View at sunset; pullouts,
  fallback loop, gas and grocery stops
- Sep 23: Mariposa Grove first, Glacier Point at sunset; Chinquapin
  junction; Mirror Lake optional
- Sep 24: 8 AM departure, route table after Fresno, cabin-stop options,
  Crescent Meadow and Tunnel Log, Moro Rock at sunset
- Sep 25: byway stops on the return, Canyon View, Cedar Grove, Boyden
  Cavern optional, Big Baldy optional, Panoramic Point at sunset
- Sep 26: drop the LK airport and weekend notes
- parks_sights: fees and reservations section, light notes, new stops

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_0143dpDbP48SioBZZJ4iTf5c
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days/2026-09-22.md
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## Logistics
- LK flies to Kansas City (flight details TBC); away from the group until Sep 27
- Check out of the Airbnb by 11 AM · depart ~7 AM
- LK flies to Kansas City on her own; rejoins the group in LA on Sep 26
- Check out of the Airbnb by 11 AM · depart ~7 AM · Hwy 120 via Oakdale, ~4 hrs to the Valley
- Groceries and a full tank in Oakdale — last supermarket; Wawona has a small store. No gas in the Valley; in-park pumps at Crane Flat (Hwy 120) and Wawona (by the store), 24 h pay-at-pump
- Reply to the Wawona host with the estimated arrival time (~8 PM)
## Plan
> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md)
> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md). Route runs west→east into the Valley, then out via the Wawona road so Tunnel View comes at sunset.
- **Morning** Tunnel View (Hwy 120 entrance) → Bridalveil Fall (5-min walk) → Valley View
- **Late afternoon** Cook's Meadow Loop — 1 mile, flat, Half Dome framing, golden hour
- **Evening** Wawona check-in
- **~11:30 AM** Enter via Big Oak Flat (Hwy 120); down into the Valley
- **Midday** [Bridalveil Fall](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71954,-119.64932) (5-min walk) → lunch in Yosemite Village
- **Afternoon** Lower Yosemite Falls loop (1 mile) or rest; falls may be dry
- **~5:00 PM** Cook's Meadow Loop — 1 mile, flat, Half Dome in warm light; ~40 min. Park at [Sentinel Bridge](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.74420,-119.58973); the loop starts across the road
- **~5:50 PM** El Capitan Meadow on the way out — face lit from the west; 15-min stop. Northside Drive is one-way west, so there is no second pass. Two pullouts beside the meadow, in driving order: [east end](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72708,-119.63033) (by the El Capitan Drive crossover) and [west end](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72453,-119.64089). The [El Capitan Picnic Area](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72818,-119.62057) is *before* the meadow. If both pullouts are full: continue over Pohono Bridge, east on Southside Drive, stop at [Cathedral Beach Picnic Area](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72292,-119.62438) (El Capitan across the river), then left at the El Capitan Crossover back onto Northside Drive — ~20 min extra. Do not loop for the picnic area; that is ~40 min
- **~6:15 PM** [Valley View](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71728,-119.66187), a few minutes further on, just before Pohono Bridge; small lot at the viewpoint, 10-min stop
- **~6:35 PM** [Tunnel View](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71557,-119.67689) — arrive 20 min before the ~6:55 PM sunset; lots on both sides
- **~7:45 PM** Wawona check-in — Hwy 41 south ~40 min, then right on Chilnualna Falls Road at the Wawona store, ~2 min to North Wawona
## Addresses
| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin — Wawona | 2627 Spelt Road, Wawona, CA 95389 · PIN 5937 · host +1 209-347-6333 | [37.54718, -119.64746](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.54718,-119.64746) |
| Bridalveil Fall lot | Southside Drive | [37.71954, -119.64932](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71954,-119.64932) |
| Sentinel Bridge lot (Cook's Meadow) | Southside Drive, Yosemite Valley | [37.74420, -119.58973](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.74420,-119.58973) |
| El Capitan Meadow — east pullout | Northside Drive, at the El Capitan Drive crossover | [37.72708, -119.63033](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72708,-119.63033) |
| El Capitan Meadow — west pullout | Northside Drive | [37.72453, -119.64089](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72453,-119.64089) |
| El Capitan Picnic Area | Northside Drive, *before* the meadow | [37.72818, -119.62057](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72818,-119.62057) |
| Cathedral Beach Picnic Area (fallback) | Southside Drive | [37.72292, -119.62438](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.72292,-119.62438) |
| Valley View | Northside Drive, before Pohono Bridge | [37.71728, -119.66187](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71728,-119.66187) |
| Tunnel View | Wawona Road (Hwy 41) | [37.71557, -119.67689](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71557,-119.67689) |
days/2026-09-23.md
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**Stay:** [Cabin — Wawona](../bookings/stays/cabin-yosemite-wawona.md)
## Logistics
- Out-and-back along Hwy 41: south to Mariposa Grove (10 min) → north to the Valley (1 hr 10) → south to Chinquapin junction, east up Glacier Point Road, 16-mile dead end (1 hr) → back to Chinquapin, south to Wawona (1 hr)
- Screenshot the Miramonte door code today while there is cell service — it arrives 24 h before the Sep 24 check-in and the cabin has no signal
- Mariposa Grove: check whether the welcome-plaza shuttle runs; without it the walk to the grove is ~2 miles each way, uphill
## Plan
> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md)
> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md). Order follows the light: Half Dome from Glacier Point is backlit in the morning and best at sunset.
- **Morning** Glacier Point — best light on Half Dome early
- **Midday** Mirror Lake — 2-mile paved loop via free shuttle
- **Late afternoon** Mariposa Grove
- **Morning** Mariposa Grove — early, before the crowds; Grizzly Giant loop ~2 miles
- **Midday** Valley floor — anything not done Sep 22; lunch in the Village
- *Optional:* Mirror Lake — ~2 miles out and back from the shuttle stop (5-mile full loop); lake is often dry by late September
- **~4:30 PM** Drive up Glacier Point Road (~1 hr from the Valley)
- **~5:30–7:00 PM** Glacier Point — Half Dome and the high country at sunset; Washburn Point on the way
- **Evening** Back to Wawona, ~1 hr, in the dark
## Addresses
| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin — Wawona | 2627 Spelt Road, Wawona, CA 95389 · PIN 5937 · host +1 209-347-6333 | [37.54718, -119.64746](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.54718,-119.64746) |
| Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza | Mariposa Grove Road, off Hwy 41 at the south entrance | [37.50662, -119.63029](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.50662,-119.63029) |
| Sentinel Bridge lot (Cook's Meadow) | Southside Drive, Yosemite Valley | [37.74420, -119.58973](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.74420,-119.58973) |
| Chinquapin junction | Hwy 41 × Glacier Point Road, ~12 mi north of Wawona; turn east for Glacier Point | [37.65933, -119.70714](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.65933,-119.70714) |
| Glacier Point | end of Glacier Point Road | [37.73067, -119.57367](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.73067,-119.57367) |
days/2026-09-24.md
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# Sep 24 (Thu) — Yosemite → Sequoia
**Stay:** [Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte](../bookings/stays/cabin-sequoia-miramonte.md) · check-in from 4 PM
**Stay:** [Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte](../bookings/stays/cabin-sequoia-miramonte.md) · check-in from 4 PM · **no cell service** — have the door code saved
## Logistics
- Check out of Wawona by 10 AM · Hwy 41 south, ~3 hrs
- Check out of Wawona by 10 AM · **leave by 8:00 AM** — Hwy 41 to Fresno, Hwy 180 to the Big Stump entrance, Generals Hwy to Giant Forest: **~4 hrs**
- Fresno: full tank and groceries for three nights. No gas near the cabin or inside the parks; backups are Hume Lake (off the byway) and Stony Creek Lodge (Generals Hwy, seasonal) — verify open. Sep 24–25 is ~250 miles
- Giant Forest → Miramonte is ~1 hr 30 back along Generals Hwy and Hwy 180, in the dark after the Moro Rock sunset; watch for deer
## Route after Fresno
The Sequoia / Kings Canyon leg is a T: Hwy 180 from the cabin up to the Wye junction is the stem, and each day takes a different arm. Today is the right arm, Sep 25 is the left.
| Leg | Road | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno → Big Stump entrance | Hwy 180 east (Kings Canyon Rd) through Centerville and Squaw Valley; the Hwy 245 turnoff for the cabin is ~12 mi before the entrance. Pay or show the pass at Big Stump | 62 mi | 1 hr 30 |
| Big Stump → the Wye | Hwy 180; fork 2 mi past the entrance — **left** is Hwy 180 into Kings Canyon (Sep 25), **right** is the Generals Highway into Sequoia (today) | 2 mi | 5 min |
| Wye → Giant Forest Museum | Generals Highway south, winding, past Stony Creek and Lodgepole | 28 mi | 55 min |
Return is the same way in reverse, ~1 hr 30 from Giant Forest to the cabin.
### Cabin stop on the way in — decide later
The cabin is ~5 mi south of Hwy 180 on Hwy 245, near Pinehurst; ~10 min each way, ~40 min with unloading. Arrival there would be ~11:30 AM, before the 4 PM check-in, so it only works if the host agrees to an early drop and the door code is active. Ask Cheyenne (+1 559-790-6432 · Cheyenne@ProspectReal.com) beforehand.
- **Option A — stop.** Fridge for the groceries, no food in the car at trailhead lots (bear rules: food out of sight by day, never overnight), and the door code is tested in daylight — the property has no cell service, so a failed code at 6:30 PM means driving back toward the highway for signal. Giant Forest at ~1:15 PM
- **Option B — straight to Giant Forest.** Buy a cooler and ice in Fresno, keep food in the boot. Giant Forest at ~12:30 PM; first time at the cabin is in the dark, so have the code, the host's number and the turn-by-turn saved offline
## Plan
> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md)
- **Afternoon** Giant Forest Museum → General Sherman Tree (shuttle) → Congress Trail (2-mile paved loop)
- **Late afternoon** Moro Rock
- **~12:30 PM** (Option B) / **~1:15 PM** (Option A) Giant Forest Museum — orientation, lunch from the cooler
- **Early afternoon** General Sherman Tree from the main Sherman lot (drive, no shuttle needed) → Congress Trail, 2-mile paved loop
- **Late afternoon** Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road (2 mi from the museum). Cars are allowed on weekdays and after the shuttle season (May 22–Sep 7); weekends in season are shuttle-only. Drive to the end first: Crescent Meadow — 1-mile flat loop from the lot, ~30 min; John Muir's "Gem of the Sierra". Tunnel Log on the way back
- **~6:15 PM** Moro Rock — small lot at the trailhead, ~350 steps; stay for the **6:55 PM sunset** over the foothills, the Great Western Divide glows to the east. Headlamps or phone lights for the steps down
- **~7:15 PM** Leave for Miramonte; cabin ~8:45 PM
## Addresses
| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte | 48753 Todd Eymann Road, Miramonte, CA 93641 · PIN 2531 · host +1 559-790-6432 · no cell service | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=48753+Todd+Eymann+Road+Miramonte+CA+93641) |
| Todd Eymann Rd turnoff | from Hwy 245 just north of Pinehurst; the cabin is on the ~2.5 mi residential stretch beyond — exact house not mapped, rely on the address search and the host's directions | [36.69722, -119.01364](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.69722,-119.01364) |
| Giant Forest Museum | Generals Highway | [36.56470, -118.77270](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.56470,-118.77270) |
| General Sherman Tree | main lot off Wolverton Road | [36.58165, -118.75144](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.58165,-118.75144) |
| Moro Rock | Crescent Meadow Road | [36.54409, -118.76511](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.54409,-118.76511) |
| Tunnel Log | Crescent Meadow Road, 1 mi past Moro Rock | [36.55254, -118.76138](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.55254,-118.76138) |
| Crescent Meadow | end of Crescent Meadow Road, lot at the loop trailhead | [36.55457, -118.74880](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.55457,-118.74880) |
days/2026-09-25.md
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> Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md)
- **Morning** Grant Grove & General Grant Tree
- **Midday** Kings Canyon Scenic Byway descent
- **Afternoon** Zumwalt Meadow → Road's End
- Return to Miramonte for the final night
- **Morning** Grant Grove & General Grant Tree (~40 min from the cabin) — half-mile loop, ~30 min; coffee and toilets at the village, the last until Cedar Grove
- **Late morning** Kings Canyon Scenic Byway descent — ~1 hr 15 min from Grant Grove to Road's End; drive straight through, saving the stops for the return
- **Early afternoon** Road's End — lunch by the river; short walk toward Muir Rock
- **Afternoon** Back up the byway with stops: Zumwalt Meadow loop → Roaring River Falls (5-min walk) → Canyon View turnout, just east of Cedar Grove village — the U-shaped glacial profile, 2-min stop → Cedar Grove village for toilets and drinks (lodge and snack bar usually close for the season around the end of September) → Grizzly Falls. Canyon walls catch the light from the west in the afternoon
- *Optional hike:* **Big Baldy** — 4.5 mi round trip, ~2 hrs, gentle ridge walk to a granite summit looking west over Redwood Canyon. Trailhead pullout on the Generals Hwy ~6.5 mi south of the Wye, just north of Montecito Sequoia Lodge. Fits in the afternoon between the canyon and Panoramic Point without moving anything else
- *Optional:* Boyden Cavern — marble cave ~10 mi below Grant Grove on the byway, guided tour 45–60 min plus a steep walk to the entrance, ~1.5 hrs total; concessioner-run, check season and tour times. Only if someone wants a cave
- **~5:00 PM** Leave the canyon; ~1 hr 15 back up to Grant Grove
- **~6:30 PM** Panoramic Point — 2.5-mile side road from Grant Grove Village, short walk to the overlook; faces east over the Sierra crest and Hume Lake, so evening light or the 6:55 PM sunset, not the morning
- **~7:15 PM** Back to Miramonte, ~45 min, for the final night
## LK plan
- Collect baggage and continue to the Los Angeles accommodation
- Late dinner and rest; no sightseeing scheduled after the flight
## Addresses
| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte | 48753 Todd Eymann Road, Miramonte, CA 93641 · PIN 2531 · host +1 559-790-6432 · no cell service | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=48753+Todd+Eymann+Road+Miramonte+CA+93641) |
| General Grant Tree | Grant Grove, off Hwy 180 | [36.74806, -118.97111](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.74806,-118.97111) |
| Panoramic Point | 2.5-mile side road from Grant Grove Village, short walk from the lot | [36.75369, -118.94435](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.75369,-118.94435) |
| Big Baldy trailhead (optional) | Generals Hwy pullout ~6.5 mi south of the Wye, north of Montecito Sequoia Lodge; summit [36.67188, -118.88248](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.67188,-118.88248) | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Big+Baldy+Trailhead+Sequoia+National+Forest) |
| Road's End | permit station and lots, end of Hwy 180 | [36.79474, -118.58274](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.79474,-118.58274) |
| Canyon View turnout | Hwy 180, just east of Cedar Grove | [36.78385, -118.65590](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.78385,-118.65590) |
| Cedar Grove village | lodge, market, toilets | [36.78987, -118.66803](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.78987,-118.66803) |
| Boyden Cavern (optional) | Hwy 180, national forest section below Grant Grove | [36.81495, -118.81764](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.81495,-118.81764) |
| Zumwalt Meadow | Hwy 180 | [36.79161, -118.59612](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.79161,-118.59612) |
| Roaring River Falls | Hwy 180 | [36.78147, -118.62190](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.78147,-118.62190) |
days/2026-09-26.md
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## Logistics
- Group leaves the Miramonte cabin early, one day before the booked checkout
- Group leaves the Miramonte cabin one day before the booked checkout
- **8:00 AM PDT** target departure · approximately 4.5–5 hours to Los Angeles before stops and traffic
- LK is already in Los Angeles; reunion time depends on the group's arrival
- Avoid another driving excursion after the Miramonte transfer
@@ -84,3 +84,11 @@ Best scenery, but by far the most driving: approximately 217 miles and 4 hours 2
- **4:00–5:00 PM** Return the car, allowing a substantial traffic buffer
Choose this only if the drive itself is acceptable and both places matter to LK.
## Addresses
| Place | Address | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Gilmore Cabin — Miramonte | 48753 Todd Eymann Road, Miramonte, CA 93641 · PIN 2531 · host +1 559-790-6432 · no cell service | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=48753+Todd+Eymann+Road+Miramonte+CA+93641) |
| Los Angeles stay | TBC | |
| Hertz LAX (LK car return) | 5251 W 98th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045 · +1 310-568-5100 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Hertz+5251+W+98th+St+Los+Angeles) |