The road to Glacier Point is usually closed in the winter do to snow and the only way up is to hike. However, since it has been a dry winter with little snow since November, we got the chance to drive up to see it. Luckily for me we did not have to hike up because if we did I wouldn’t have got to take these awesome sunset shots to share with you all.

The ranger stationed at the top of Glacier Point said that “the view was even more animated than normal and that it was something in the winter air that makes it look nothing like it does in the warmer months.” Whatever that something was it made the sunset paint the landscape with a plethora of warm hues that were stunning. The unique lighting brought flocks of professional photographers up to outlook and I had to endure a territory war to get my tripod set up in “the good spot”. I probably looked ridiculous with my spot staked out like a gold claim, my bag, cooler, backpack, and girlfriend being repurposed as post markers. In addition to the competition moving in on my claim, we had to fend off rabid wild animals, otherwise known as unsupervised children, who threatened to knock over my setup that I had arranged within my territory.

We easily spent more than two hours just watching and photographing how the sunset changed our view. It was so amazing that even the below freezing temperatures and fear of driving down the winding road in the dark couldn’t pull us away.

Feel free to leave a comment, reach me by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Twitter @kreunj or by adding me to your myCampmate “mate” list! If you'd like to see the private trip of all the places I went on my trip to Yosemite just add me to your mate list and I'll add you to the trip! 

-Jordan

Listen up all you backpackers, hikers , campers, and outdoor enthusiasts!

myCampmate has a great new product to make your time in the great outdoors safer, healthier, and easier and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you!

It's called the PurifiCup! It is a super portable, easy to use, water purifier that is not only perfect for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, but is also a necessity for any emergency preparation kit. PurifiCup uses nano-silver technology that delivers the cleanest, PH safe water without the bad taste of traditional charcoal water filters. It’s easy to set up and easy to use, requires no pumping or special water bladders and is small enough to fit in any backpack, car, or survival kit. Check out our CEO and all around fearless leader, Tyler Campbell, demo the product below.

If you have Purificup fever like we do, be sure to keep your eyes open on Twitter @mycampmate and the myCampmate Facebook page for information about our contest to win your very own!  You know you want one!!

For more information on the science that makes Purificup make such clean, great tasting water, click HERE.

There are big things happening over here at myCampmate and we can't wait to share all of it with you guys!  Our amazing staff has been working hard to find some great new outdoor gear and products to let you know about and give away.  Be on the lookout for upcoming blogs letting you know about all this great stuff and for upcoming Twitter and Facebook contests. 

We are also excited about working with some awesome bloggers and having them guest blog about some awesome tips and products they love to use when they head outdoors.  Be sure to check back often as our main blog content will be changing often!

Double check that you have "liked" our Facebook page and have followed us on Twitter so you can keep up to date with news, blogs and contests!  

Remember to keep pinning and start planning those spring and summer vacations!

If there is anything you would love to hear about let me know!  I'm always looking for amazing places to visit and tips to share with our community.  You can This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , leave a comment or reach me on Twitter @techristian!

-Theresa

As a day trip, we decided to head to Mariposa Grove! The rangers in the visitors center had told us that not only is it the largest grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite Park but it is also THE one to see if you are in the park for only a few days.  Mariposa Grove is about a two hour drive from Yosemite Village but the drive is beautiful and half the journey anyway. It offers a spectacular view of the park from Tunnel View and will take you through some of the fire scarred portions of the park that are now going through a natural rebirth.

We found the Tunnel View Overlook while driving from our camp in Yosemite Valley to Mariposa Grove. It is just off Highway 41 right before the Wawona tunnel. The Tunnel View offers a sweeping view of the Yosemite Valley, El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right and Half Dome in the center. However, even during the off peak winter visitor season, we found that there was no place to park and decided to venture on through the Wawona Tunnel.  On the other side we found plenty of room to turn off and take in the equally impressive view.

 Once we got to Mariposa Grove, we took one of the maps and decided to hike up the paved and relatively easy trails to Grizzly Giant, which is one of many Giant Sequoia trees found in The Grove. There are also many more trees to see along the path that winds around towering Sequoias and over fallen ones.  There are different informational plaques that are easy to walk pass...But DON'T DO IT!!! These plaques are not only informative but short and easy to read. The Grizzly Giant is very imposing and a perfect place to take a picture.  The base of the tree looks like a door and we had a fun time trying to decide whether or not cookie making elves or Sasquatch live inside! (wink, wink)

As nice as the walk up was, we found that walking back down the road was even more enjoyable.  We were able to walk right up to the trees and really take in their size at our own pace, without getting in the way of those behind us. From a photographer's stand point I liked it better because I could stop and set up a tripod at the base of a Sequoia and get get shots looking right up the tree. Our enjoyable, laid back hike up to Grizzly Giant took us about an hour and a half from when we left the car to when we got back to the car. This gave us plenty of time to drive back in time to see the sunset up on Glacier Point. (spoiler: Glacier Point pictures coming next week!)

I'll say it again...I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment, reach me by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Twitter @kreunj or by adding me to your myCampmate "mate" list! If you'd like to see the private trip of all the places I went on my trip to Yosemite just add me to your mate list and I'll add you to the trip! Can't wait to share Glacier Point with you next week!

-Jordan