Clouds Rest

According to Jeffrey Schaffer, Clouds Rest is the largest granite face in Yosemite, and an amazingly beautiful one at that, with its undulating contours and pale exfoliating layers—but it suffers the inattention that comes with having the world's most famous hunk of granite as a next-door neighbor. Oh well, the smaller number of hikers who take the "easier" trip to the top of Clouds Rest from Tenaya Lake are rewarded with views that surpass Half Dome's—in part because they include a good profile of Half Dome! (See lower right of second photo.)

Unfortunately for hikers, clouds don't just come to Clouds Rest for repose, but often engage in loud and violent revelries that put measly exposed humans at risk. So our own rest was cut short and we scurried back down, showers and booming thunder following us all the way.