Super fun day! I drove in early and easily snagged a parking spot at Swinging Bridge picnic area (a good place for mid-run vehicle access). Passed a few hikers on the way up the Yosemite Falls trail and even had the place to myself at the overlook. Going down was slow, as expected, with all the rocks and people coming uphill. I resupplied at the truck and started up the other side of the valley. Love the 4-mile trail, wide and shady and with wonderful views of where I had been earlier.
At the top I added on the out-and-back to Glacier Point (worth it!) and then tried unsuccessfully to find an open bathroom (not worth it). The final downhill went faster than expected and then I was back at the bridge one last time. Really enjoyed the big climbing effort and constant incredible views.
Both of my tracking devices (glad I had 2) had issues in the valley. The InReach Mini didn't start recording until near Upper Falls, first time I've had that happen. It finally "woke up" and recorded until the end. The RunKeeper app on my phone recorded the first half plus the Glacier Point ascent but froze up on the way down. The tracks overlap and thankfully include the entire route between them. It's good to have a backup plan sometimes.
Thank you Josh for this wonderful route! I'm guessing it might become popular in these parts.