The panorama trail, by most accounts, is one of the premier hiking trails in the world. Starting at about 8200 feet on Glacier Point in Yosemite, it drops several thousand feet in elevation before reaching Yosemite Valley some 8 or so miles later. On June 2, 2005 I started out on that trail, just wanting to hike to the top of Illillouette Fal... but Mother Nature had other ideas!