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Plan ahead, start early for the trek to Glacier Point

Pancakes at 5 in the morning? I thought to myself as I filled the camp coffee pot and fired up the stove.

Every scout knows the importance of a hearty meal and I did my homework, so eating right and hiking early before the day’s heat were the way to go as we put our plan to summit Glacier Point into action.

Four Mile Trail starts on the valley floor far below Sentinel Rock and begins a gradual climb on a well-trav-

KEVIN PARKER HITTHE TRAIL

eled trail through dense brush and trees. On a cool morning with hiking poles in hand and 4 liters of water in my pack, I was feeling good keeping pace with my mates on much younger legs.

The trail makes a few turns and then follows a neat cut into the hillside, with the views and sounds of Yosemite Falls rewarding you early in the hike. We counted every switchback on this trail, and the first nine were merely a warmup. As you continue into Yosemite Valley and increase elevation toward Union Point, the severity and steepness of the climb begins to show itself.

The next section of trail puts you into a rhythm and your legs to the test as the switchbacks continue past a well-deserved short detour to Union Point. Each right turn brought the entire valley into view, and each left turn had me wondering how many people it took to chisel, move and stack all of these trail rocks, walls and steps.

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