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For as much as you hear about the Yosemite National Park Trails, nothing can prepare you for what you'll see here. While the views from the valley floor are unbelievable, the heat and crowds you'll face feel claustrophobic at times.

We found refuge by driving up to Glacier Point. Thirty miles away from Yosemite Valley (and 3,200 feet above), Glacier Point offers the most specacular views of Half Dome as well as views of the 2,425 foot drop of Yosemite Falls and many other peaks of the High Sierras.

The best way to loose the crowds entirely is to go for a hike. We chose to hike out to Taft Point, located near Glacier Point. The trails are in excellent condition, but don't even think about mountain biking here, unless you're one of the Sedona 5.

While the trail is rated as easy, Taft Point is not for the acrophobic. The very last section skirts a series of fissures that drop 3,000 feet to the valley floor below. The highlight is walking to within inches of edge of Taft Point (yes there is a railing), and looking over the edge.

As a reminder of how dangerous Mother Nature can be, the following day a piece of granite the size of three football fields fell off the side of Glacier Point killing at least one and injuring dozens of others. The rock slide created hurricane force winds that blew trees across the river below.