Yosemite National Park - famous around the world, but quite inaccessible due to insane popularity and cost.  Additional issue is distance; it's not like I can wake up in the morning, pack up and go as I do in Banff.  For years I've been scratching my head how to best tackle the problem.  Finally I decided to use "shoulder season strategy" - with little luck I could enjoy Indian summer with less crowds and affordable prices.

I got lucky.

Panorama below with iconic Half Dome in the Middle taken on spectacular highline traverse linking Glacier Point and John Muir Trail above Nevada Falls explains best why

Panorama TrailHighline Traverse from Glacier Point to John Muir Trail above Nevada Falls

Setting a base in West Yosemite, no more than 25min drive from the Valley on Wavona Road, worked really well.  AirBnB Condo, while still not cheap, was reasonable.  Weather was outstanding and I had full week of extensive hiking I always wanted to do. Tioga Road was the biggest gamble;  it gets closed after first big Pacific Snow Storm, but it remained open.   Cathedral lakes were spectacular, but view from Clouds Rest I hiked on last day stole the show. Rarely seen angle of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley filled with haze from Prescribed Burn was surreal.  This was magical spot and one of best viewpoints I've ever seen:

Clouds RestWesterly Aerial Panorama to smoke obscured Yosemite Valley from Parks Prescribed Burns. Half dome center showing not commonly seen side

Sometimes famous places are overhyped, but Yosemite lived up to the billing.  I could have easily spent a month, not a week, and as I was driving away after checking out next trip was already on my mind.  If you want to see more photos please visit Yosemite Gallery on Travel portion of the Site.  It is not too big at the moment but it will only grow when I find time to properly process all the photos.