Yosemite update

Have a trip planned there in mid October. Trying to decide if I should cancel or not. Will the air conditions be good enough to hike? Air quality Index was 245 today

The third is the cancellation date for the place we’re staying there. So gonna wait till then to make a decision. Any outdoor/hiking ideas for southern Cali?

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Have a trip planned there in mid October.

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Will be fine by then.

I’m staying at evergreen lodge on oct 18-21. I’m hopeful but also making separate plans other places that have low cancelation fees.

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Is it possible for a fire to burn for five or six weeks?

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id assume but have no idea.

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Won't the fires eventually run out of fuel?

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the Forrest this fire is burning in doesn’t stop any where close.

So can I assume that FatClemanza means you're not into hiking? If hiking IS your thing, check out Yosemite Hikes for recommendations. In fact check it out anyway as it is a pretty good resource for all things Yosemite.

There are a few things I'll point out (although you may already know these things).

1. There is no shuttle bus service in Yosemite this year. You can easily walk from the Lodge to Yosemite Falls. You'll need to drive and park to see other Valley Floor sights. During normal times parking can be a problem, but I'm not sure what the situation will be these days (or in October). Talk to the concierge and find out what to do. There is parking at Bridalveil Fall. I believe parking at The Ahwahnee is restricted to guests (as is the restaurant this year). There is parking at Sentinel Bridge (nice view of Half Dome and the Merced River (best pictures at sunset) from the bridge, nice view of the Valley Floor looking towards Yosemite Falls, short walk to the Yosemite Chapel). There is parking relatively near Yosemite Village/Valley Visitor Center although I've never used it. To my knowledge there is no parking at Happy Isles, the starting point for the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall if you want to hike there. The closest parking would be at Curry Village (and that's not really all that close). I don't think there is parking around the (asphalt) path to Mirror Lake but there is parking (not sure if the lots will be open, no horseback riding this year) at the horse stables (which is closer to the Mirror Lake path than Curry Village parking is to Happy Isles). If bike rentals are available this year (near Curry Village) that might be a way to get around the Valley Floor. The Lodge will need to advise you about all of this.

2. There will probably be some water flowing over a few of the waterfalls but it definitely won't be booming like in May or June.

3. Go to Glacier Point ASAP. The view of the valley from there is great (even without the falls going). The best viewing time is mid to late afternoon, IMO, but ask the Lodge what the situation is. The road to Glacier Point will be closed for all of 2021 (and maybe longer, who knows) so this is your only chance for a good while. I've been to Yosemite once in October (late in the month) and wasn't able to go to Glacier Point because there had been snow at altitude. I also wasn't able to go my last time there in 2017 because of fires along the route. There is no telling what the situation will be when you're in Yosemite but I wouldn't miss a chance to visit Glacier Point.

4. Go to the Mariposa Grove ASAP (after talking to the Lodge staff). Looks like it is closed right now due to a fire advisory, maybe it will be open when you're there.

5. There is no gas in the Valley so fill up before you enter the park. If you're coming in on Highway 120 from the West, Groveland has gas. I think Buck Meadows (closer to the park entrance) does too but gas will definitely be more expensive both places than elsewhere in CA (and it's already more expensive everywhere in CA compared to Louisiana). If you're coming in from the East on Hwy 120, Lee Vining is your only choice. I don't know about the other entrance routes.

6. If you're entering/leaving by the Hwy 120 west entrance, want a bit of a thrill, and trust your brakes and driving, take the Old Priest Grade between Priest and Moccasin. That's the old 2-lane highway, dropoff is on your right going down. It is shorter than the (wider) new route and not nearly as curvy.

7. Hetch-Hetchy is worth a visit if you have time. That's a valley similar to Yosemite Valley but full of water as it was dammed ~100 years ago to provide water for San Francisco.

Here's a link to the National Park Services Yosemite website.
NPS Yosemite

Pressed for time right now but will try to give a better reply over the weekend. Hopefully others will see this too and give you more thoughts, especially with respect to various hikes.

I will say this though. As much as I would hate to miss Glacier Point, I would seriously consider bumping to May. I've been to Yosemite once in the Fall and it really is different (in a good way). The gold of the aspens really struck me. However, going in May should mean the shuttle service is running (a VERY big deal for getting around) plus the waterfalls will be great (even if this winter's snow isn't great). I've been once in the summer (end of June, first of July) when there were forest fires close enough to really smoke up the Valley. It didn't bother my breathing but you really noticed the haze when taking pictures.

Speaking of pictures, get your hands on The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye. He really gets into the time of day and best location to take pictures of the many sights. Amazon prices are bad right now ($30+, I paid $10 or $12 for my copies), check eBay. I also like the app Coming Light to tell me Blue Hour, Golden Hour, etc. info.

@alphamicro

Thanks a ton for the advice. Bookmarked your post.

Headed out that way for a trip with the Mrs. to Napa and SF and was able to convince her that Yosemite for 2 days could be cool.

FatClem just references the character in The Godfather. I actually love hiking - best trip of my life was spent solo hiking around the south island of New Zealand.

The Mrs. isn't into hiking though and with such a short window, I'm thinking we should do as many short activities as we can. Still formulating my general plan of attack: what I think we can squeeze in and where I want to be during sunrise/sunset for best views/pictures.
Would like to check out Taft Point, Tunnel View or Valley View, maybe a valley/meadow walk and more.

Really into photography and have got some decent landscape shots from Rocky Mountain Natl Park, Yellowstone, along with Australia and New Zealand on my office wall that I'd like to add Yosemite to.

These wine country fires are probably going to force a cancellation