Yosemite Pics

It's been a while since the trip, but since we recently uploaded the photos onto Leslie's computer, I thought I would post a few of them here.

The Yosemite high country was spectacular while we were there: great weather (75 during the day), few crowds, and an abundance of beautiful views. Whit and I did the Ten Lakes-to-May Lake trip, which is about a 22 miler. While the vertical climb is signficant, the real work is in climbing up and down the numerous peaks and valleys along the way. We left from the Ten Lakes trail head around 5:30 on Friday night, and after 6 miles of climbing, dropped down into the Ten Lakes valley around 8:30pm, picking our way through the rocks by moonlight. The next day was serious: 17 miles of vertical rises and drops through the peaks around Tuolomne Peak, all the way up to May Lake. We stopped for a late, late lunch around one of our favorite spots, Raisin Lake. Ultimately, we made into the May Lake campsite right at 6:30 as they were ringing the dinner bell for the last night of the season.

Whit and I camped up on the May Lake ridge and were up just in time to see the sunrise Sunday morning. We picked our way down the hill to the May Lake trailhead and caught a ride from some good folks back to our car at the Ten Lakes trailhead.

What a great trip. Can't wait to get back there.

Yosemite or Bust

This weekend, Whit and I are headed up to Yosemite for some hiking in the High Country. Whit and I pulled this trip off last year around this time, so hopefully it's becoming a tradition.

Last year, we were in Yosemite for the third weekend in September, with the idea that we'd camp at our old stomping ground, May Lake. We did not plan for the fact that a random snowstorm would pass through the park and put a dusting of snow all over the campground. The hiking conditions were obviously nice and cool, but lacking any meaningful camping supplies for those conditions, we bailed from staying the night there. That weekend, Yosemite was also shutting down all of the concessions along Tioga Pass Road, including the Tuolummne Meadows tent cabins, the Ranger Station, and the general store. So we ended up driving outside of the park, hitting the hot springs near Mammonth Lakes, and heading to June Lake, where we stayed in an old motel with more than its fair share of Tibetan prayer flags decorating the front entrance. Definitely fun, but not the backpacking weekend we had planned.

This year, it's backpacking or bust. The current plan is drive up Friday stay at May Lake for the night, then to do the Ten Lakes trail.