![[Yosemite]](/images/yosemiteicon.png)
Our route in a nutshell:
Day 1: Tuolumne Meadows --> Bernice Lake.
Day 2: Hung out/explored around Bernice Lake and Gallison Lake.
Day 3: Bernice Lake --> Big unnamed dome NW of Echo Valley.
Day 4: Unnamed dome --> Base of Clouds Rest
Day 5: Day hike to Half Dome and Sunrise Lakes.
Day 6: Day hike to Clouds Rest loop, then moved camp to LYV.
Day 7: LYV to Valley “Victory March”, burgers and showers immediately ensued.
In a word: Awesome.
In many words, it surpassed my wildest expectations. I had done a lot of planning, cause I don’t like surprises, but despite all the trip reports, advice, and pictures I’d seen, I was blown away by the grandure, beauty, and stillness of the backcountry. I was also delighted with the many signs of life - from rushing creeks, to sneeky marmots. I was planning to do Red Peak, but one in our group got very sick on day one (probably pushed a little too hard, and the altitude may have gotten to him) so we decided to tone it back a bit. Still, I couldn’t have asked for a better trip and we still managed to pack it with lots of fun stuff.
The week elaborated:
Day 0 we got our permit and bear cans in the valley, saw the sights, then drove up and camped in the bp campground in TM to begin the acclimation process. On the way up, made a quick stop at Olmstead Point to see the view from the ‘backdoor’ of the valley – stunning! It was weird to feel the 20 degree temp difference between the valley and TM. It was very weird to take a walk from the campsite to the bathroom and be out of breath! Adjusting to the altitude aint no joke!
Day 1 we saw a vague outline of a bear in the morning mists in the bp campground. The hike to Vogelsang HSC (via Rafferty Creek) was enjoyable with stunning views back towards TM and forwards towards Vog. peak. To put it positively, the mosquitoes were a constant aid to keep us pushing forward. Loved the little pond and stream just S of the HSC. Everything was feeling like springtime with all kinds of different wildflowers in bloom all over the place. Had fun making snow angles and lobbing snowballs at each other in a nearby patch both above and below Vog. lake. A welcome coolness in the hot noon sun. We hit a nice thunderstorm (complete with 3/8” hail) just as we were descending from Vog. pass to Lewis Creek Canyon. That was a wild ride I will never forget! Had dinner in the canyon, then decided to hike up to Bernice lake in the twilight.
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Day 2 we chilled at Bernice. Probably my favorite place the entire trip. It had it all: incredible campsites, incredible views, and lots to explore nearby. Saw only 4 people the whole time up there. Checked out Gallison lake, and watched a thunderstorm pass through the next range over. Enjoyed a quick (5.7 seconds) refreshing dip in Bernice. Yikes, that’s cold water! Also, still felt the effects of the altitude – I’d stand up after putting something in my pack and get dizzy. Mosquitoes were present, but not too bad if there was a breeze or if you didn’t mind not resting outside your tent. I couldn’t believe it – they would just come right up to you – not afraid, or anything.
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Day 3 we had a long descent down the Lewis Creek, down to Merced lake, and then a little bit of ‘up’ out of the Merced River canyon to some unnamed moon-like dome in between Lost Valley and Echo Valley. Found another amazing campsite there beside a dried-up pool. Saw no one once we left Echo Valley.
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Day 4 we had a leisure day of hiking down to the JMT and found a secluded campsite in what looked like a popular campground between Half Dome and Clouds Rest. Had lots of close bear encounters here, and it was cool to see ‘little’ cinnamon colored bears, as well as big black colored bears failing to get into our caches. BTW: yelling, raising of arms, and whistles didn’t scare them away. But they seemed to detest the clanging of pots and pans. Took a quick side trip to Moraine Dome for the bird’s eye views.
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Day 5 we had an easy hike to Half Dome from our basecamp just 2 miles away. Half Dome is spectacular in both the views offered, and the experience of climbing it. Traversing the sub-dome, using the cables, and walking around on the summit are all so very unique and thrilling that I can see why it’s a popular attraction. Tried out the prow, king’s chair (which is actually quite comfortable), and had lunch in a secluded spot on the south face looking down at Glacier Point. We were back at basecamp by 1pm, and were able to avoid the worst of the crowds. Some relaxed the day away, while others decided to explore as far up as Sunrise lakes and back.
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Day 6 we hiked to Clouds Rest and down the other side for another ~8 mile loop back to basecamp. This was a long exhausting climb from the South side! Not as spectacular of an experience as Half Dome, but offered superior views of the valley, and the narrow pathway at the top was exhilarating. Better than 360o views, because there’s so little ground that you’re standing on you can see all around below you. Probably saw only 6 people on the entire trail, which made me feel like Yosemite was all mine. When we got back to base camp, we packed it out to LYV for our final night. With lots of bear activity at our basecamp for two days in a row, we thought for sure we’d have sightings down in LYV, but nope. I was actually dreading camping in LYV because of the 'tent city' feel. But it was, in fact, very fun. We discovered that the Merced River which flows nearby is an awesome place to swim (not nearly as cold as Bernice Lake!), and found a nice flat rock for all five of us to lay out and sun on. That was the icing on the cake. Took a stroll down to Nevada Falls to catch the last rays of the sun hitting Liberty Cap. Only a handful of people there at that hour, so it was nice and quiet (except for the rushing falls). Back at camp, most people were quiet and in bags by sundown, so it didn't feel like an urban dwelling.
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Day 7 was our ‘victory march’ down to the valley. We enjoyed the views on the mist trail (which goes without saying) but we especially enjoyed the contrast between our smelly dirty selves and the squeaky clean day-hikers coming up in hoards from the valley. Our scrapes, smells, and stories were our badges of honor. And it was fun to stop and talk to people interested in where we came from, and to encourage those who had a week’s journey (or more) in front of them. For that matter, everyone we met in the backcountry was kind and eager to swap stories. The Rangers were friendly too (we met one almost every day, surprisingly). Hit the valley floor by 10am. Dropped off our bear cans and grabbed a burger in Yosemite Village – which I think are supplied straight from heaven. Then grabbed a glorious shower in Curry Village, and got outta there to catch a flight home.
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If I could carve out the time, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Even with the friendly mosquitoes.
