TRAIL TRIP 16
GLACIER POINT TO SENTINEL DOME
(Round trip, 2 miles in 2 hours)
The short excursion from Glacier Point to the summit of Sentinel Dome is well worth while. The round trip can easily be made afoot in two hours and many hikers include it in their "Glacier Point" day.
From the hotel we follow the Chinquapin Road about a quarter of a mile. Just beyond a spring at the left of the road, the trail turns to the right and climbs abruptly beneath the firs and pines. Gradually the forest becomes more open and park-like, and the firs are replaced by hardy Jeffrey pines. During the last quarter mile of the ascent we pass over weathered granite which has exfoliated in slabs near the top. At the rounded summit is a gnarled and wind-blown Jeffrey pine—probably the most photographed tree in the park. To the east is an exceptionally fine panorama of the High Sierra.
In returning to Glacier Point we follow the trail to the south, intersecting the road about 300 yards away. Here we turn left, noting the soft decomposing granite which seems particularly susceptible to weather conditions. The distance beyond to the hotel is one and a half miles.
TRAIL TRIP 17
GLACIER POINT TO FORT MONROE via POHONO TRAIL
Reverse of Trail Trip 18