Papa pointing out how lazy some of us have become about writing reports and the whole facebook thing helped get me motivated to put this together. I hope you guys enjoy it.
I've been meaning to write up a trip report on this backpacking trip and I just noticed that it was exactly six months ago today that we started out from Agnew Meadow on our way to the Yosemite Valley. You won't see a lot of pictures of fish or me fishing on this trip because we started on a Sunday and finished the following Saturday. We hiked everyday for a total of 58mls in 7 day which isn't a lot for many hikers but it left me happy just kicking back in the evening rather than fishing.
Saturday afternoon we left Vince and Tania at a friends cabin in Mammoth while three of us drove to Yosemite Valley to leave my Sequoia and catch the shuttle bus back to Mammoth. On our way to the Valley we had seen that a fire had started north of Grant Lake and worried about road closures but kept going so our car would be waiting for us when we reached the valley the following week. Once on the bus in the YV the driver said that it was going to be a race to beat the road closures. When we reached Tuolumne Meadows the dispatch radio was saying that the road was closed with sporadic escorting. We got lucky and made it back Mammoth to spend the night before our Sunday morning start.
Sunday Aug 16th we started out on my 55th birthday from Agnew Meadow on the high trail headed north. The high trail has beautiful views of the valley above the San Joaquin river.
That night we camped near the Rush Creek foot bridge above Gem lake. Monday morning we started up the trail past Waugh Lake to rejoin the JMT.
Our group as we were starting out, Tania, Vince, Debbie, Myself, and Marshal.
Vince as we passed Waugh lake.
I hadn't felt well all morning and by noon I was done in and couldn't go any further. We made camp for the rest of the day and I felt much better in the morning. The place we camped had opportunities for some great pictures though.
Tuesday morning we got an early start for Donohue Pass. Looking back going up the pass
From the top of the pass, over 11,000ft. You can tell in the pictures that there was still smoke in the air.
South from Donohue Pass.
Looking north as we start down to Tuolumne Meadows.
We had planned to hike all the way to the Tuolumne backpacker camp but because it was closed to kill the fleas we stopped and camped along the river 4mls out in the legal area. It was a beautiful place to camp with some decent fishing and a couple of deer that just hung around camp for the evening.
Wednesday morning we again started early and headed for the FS permit office. We needed to go there because rather than everyone carrying a weeks worth of food we had dropped a re-supply bucket there when we had taken the Sequoia to YV. After picking up or food we went and had burgers before catching the bus to Tenaya Lake. From Tenaya Lake we had planned to hike the trail a couple miles to the bottom of the canyon and camp at the creek coming down from Sunrise Lakes. The problem turned out to be that because of the drought the creek was dry and we were forced to keep going up the hill to Sunrise Lakes. We hadn't planned on the extra miles and everyone was pretty beat up and out of water by the time we got to Sunrise Lakes.
Sunrise Lake 9166
Thursdays goal was to hike over Clouds Rest and down the trail to camp at the Sunrise Creek JMT junction. None of us had been to Clouds Rest before and we were all hopong that it was everything we had heard and it was. Who wouldn't love narrow mountain top ridges with 2,000ft drops on both sides? It was awesome!!
That rocky mountain edge in the distance to the right is Clouds Rest.
From the top of CR.
The trail down from CR was a long butt day but I got a few pictures worth sharing along the way.
We finally made camp Thursday evening after a very long day. The good part was that we would be staying here two nights. The goal for Friday morning was to leave camp set up and hike down to Half Dome and climb it. We had been here before but Tania did not go up and had regretted it ever since. That was kind of the point of all of us coming this way again. I hiked as far as the subdome and decided that I already had my pictures taken at the top so I stayed behind and took a few pictures of the others going up before I took a nap and waited for them to come back down.
A few more pictures from Saturday as we made the trek down to the Yosemite Valley.
A pack train that passed us near Nevada Falls
Not much water going over Nevada Falls, also Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap.
As some of you can probably tell we took the JMT down from Nevada Falls so there aren't a bunch more pictures along the Merced River, no Emerald Pool or Vernal fall. We had never been that way and figured it was time. Once we got to Yosemite Valley we went and got the truck, took showers, ate and went back to the condo in Mammoth for dinner and a good nights sleep before heading home and back to reality. Another great trek with some of my closest friends through some of the worlds most beautiful scenery. Life is good!!
