parks: replan Sep 22-25 around light and driving

- 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

days/2026-09-22.md

@@ -4,13 +4,34 @@
 
 ## Logistics
 
-- LK flies to Kansas City (flight details TBC); away from the group until Sep 27
+- 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
+- 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
+- **~11:30 AM** Enter via Big Oak Flat (Hwy 120); down into the Valley
-- **Late afternoon** Cook's Meadow Loop — 1 mile, flat, Half Dome framing, golden hour
+- **Midday** [Bridalveil Fall](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=37.71954,-119.64932) (5-min walk) → lunch in Yosemite Village
-- **Evening** Wawona check-in
+- **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

@@ -2,10 +2,29 @@
 
 **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
+- **Morning** Mariposa Grove — early, before the crowds; Grizzly Giant loop ~2 miles
-- **Midday** Mirror Lake — 2-mile paved loop via free shuttle
+- **Midday** Valley floor — anything not done Sep 22; lunch in the Village
-- **Late afternoon** Mariposa Grove
+- *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

@@ -1,14 +1,50 @@
 # 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)
+- **~12:30 PM** (Option B) / **~1:15 PM** (Option A) Giant Forest Museum — orientation, lunch from the cooler
-- **Late afternoon** Moro Rock
+- **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

@@ -12,12 +12,32 @@
 
 > Menu: [`parks_sights.md`](../parks_sights.md)
 
-- **Morning** Grant Grove & General Grant Tree
+- **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
-- **Midday** Kings Canyon Scenic Byway descent
+- **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
-- **Afternoon** Zumwalt Meadow → Road's End
+- **Early afternoon** Road's End — lunch by the river; short walk toward Muir Rock
-- Return to Miramonte for the final night
+- **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

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 ## 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) |

parks_sights.md

@@ -4,21 +4,27 @@
 
 ---
 
+## Before you go
+
+- **2026 nonresident fee:** from Jan 1, 2026, non-US residents pay a US$100 per-person surcharge at Yosemite and at Sequoia & Kings Canyon, on top of the vehicle entrance fee. Everyone in the car is a nonresident. A **US$250 nonresident annual pass** is meant to replace the surcharge — confirm on [nps.gov](https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fees.htm) whether one pass covers a full vehicle or is per person, and buy it before the Sep 22 entrance
+- **Yosemite entry reservation:** check [nps.gov/yose](https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm) for 2026 peak-hours rules; a Wawona in-park stay usually counts as the reservation
+- **Sunset ~6:55 PM** in both parks on these dates; drives back to the cabins are in the dark
+
 ## Yosemite (Sep 22–24)
 
 ### Valley
 
-- **Tunnel View** — classic panoramic first look into the valley
+- **Tunnel View** — classic valley panorama, on the Wawona road (Hwy 41); best light at sunset, so take it on the way out to the cabin
 - **Bridalveil Fall** — 5-min walk from the car, right near Tunnel View
 - **Valley View** — Merced River framing of the valley
 - **El Capitan** — view from the meadow below. *Note: Horsetail Fall firefall effect only happens in February; waterfall likely dry in September*
 - **Cook's Meadow Loop** — flat 1-mile walk, Half Dome framed over open meadow, great for golden hour photography
-- **Mirror Lake** — Half Dome reflection, early fall colour; water level typically low in late September
+- **Mirror Lake** — Half Dome reflection; ~2 miles out and back from the shuttle stop, 5-mile full loop. Usually dry or nearly so by late September
 - **Lower Yosemite Falls trail** — easy 1-mile paved loop, ~20-30 min, gets you right to the base
 
 ### Above the Valley
 
-- **Glacier Point** — best morning light on Half Dome, spectacular panoramic views
+- **Glacier Point** — Half Dome faces west, so it is backlit in the morning and glows at sunset. ~1 hr from the Valley, ~1 hr to Wawona; Washburn Point on the same road
 
 ### South (near Wawona)
 
@@ -37,14 +43,22 @@
 - **Congress Trail** — 2-mile paved loop through giant sequoias; better than just the Sherman stop
 - **Moro Rock** — granite dome, ~350 steps to a panoramic summit
 - **Big Trees Trail** — easy flat loop around a meadow
-- **Tunnel Log** — drive-through fallen sequoia
+- **Tunnel Log** — drive-through fallen sequoia, on the Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road
+- **Crescent Meadow** — end of the same road; 1-mile flat loop, Tharp's Log cabin, bears often graze here at dusk
 - **Tokopah Falls** — ~3.5-mile round-trip hike from Lodgepole
 - **Crystal Cave** — marble cave, guided tour only, tickets in advance. *Note: usually closes for the season in late Sep / early Oct — verify dates*
 
 ### Kings Canyon
 
 - **Grant Grove & General Grant Tree** — the "Nation's Christmas Tree", quieter than Sequoia
+- **Panoramic Point** — 2.5-mile side road from Grant Grove, short walk to a Sierra crest overlook
 - **Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy 180)** — dramatic descent into the canyon; walls glow in afternoon light
-- **Roaring River Falls** — short walk from the byway
+- **Roaring River Falls** — 5-min walk from the byway
+- **Grizzly Falls** — roadside stop on the byway, 20 min below Grant Grove
+- **Canyon View turnout** — just east of Cedar Grove; the U-shaped glacial canyon profile, 2-min stop
+- **Cedar Grove** — services at the canyon bottom: lodge, market, snack bar, toilets; seasonal, usually closed from around the end of September
+- **Boyden Cavern** — marble cave on the byway below Grant Grove, guided 45–60 min tour, concessioner-run; the cave fallback if Crystal Cave is closed
 - **Zumwalt Meadow** — short loop, canyon walls + river
 - **Road's End** — end of the byway, trailheads (~2 hrs each way from the cabin)
+- **Mist Falls** — from Road's End, 8 mi round trip, ~4 hrs; the canyon's signature day hike, falls modest in late September
+- **Big Baldy** — Generals Hwy between the Wye and Giant Forest; 4.5 mi round trip, ~2 hrs, ridge walk to a granite summit with views west