![[Yosemite]](/images/yosemiteicon.png)
My only dissappointment is that I did not see a bear. Otherwise, the trip was incredible. I will send pictures shortly, but to review, I did the following:
Slept in the Crane's Flat parking lot on Saturday night (18th)
Sunday - left TM for Ireland Lake but did not make it due to altitude sickness. For those that have never experienced it - it is no joke. I am a seasoned hiker and I found my self climbing up to ireland lake disoriented and moving at a pace of a half a mile per hour. I almost passed out. We had to camp a couple miles below Ireland Lake.
Monday - we headed past Eveyln Lake to Vogelslang, we were originally going to bernice lake but my other hiking partner got sick at 10,000 feet. I find it interesting that I got sick at 9,000 but was fine the next day and he was fine up until 10,000. Anyways, we ended up staying at Emerick lake which we loved. My one comment, however, is that when approaching the lake from Volgelslang you do not want to attempt to hike the left side of the lake near the mountain. There is a a massive boulder field that we traversed. Not fun with full packs. We stayed on the other side of the lake and had a great time and took some great pictures of the sunset against the mountain with the moon in the background (forthcoming).
Tuesday - We avoided the trail and decended the dried up river from Emerick lake until we go to the marked trail. I would recommend this route to anyone. It is very scenic and it saves time. We pushed through Merced Lake and saw trout jumping up waterfalls attempting to migrate to the lake. I had a fishing licence and equipment but did not hae time to fish the whole week. As a fly fisherman this was very difficult to pass by. Maybe next trip is just a fishing trip. We planned to stay at the small pond on the high trail, but IMO the water source there was pretty bad. We pushed on to the intersection of the high trail and the JMT. We camped two nights there and had a great time.
Wed - day hiked up to half dome - for those who have viewed the cable pictures on the internet but have not seen the cable approach in person - i have one comment: It is steep! i spent the morning watching the expressions on hiker's faces change when the came up to the false summit and realized what they were facing. That said it is all doable and the top is amazing. It is hard to believe some maniac did a half gainer from the top into the valley. I saw a lot of people coming up from the valley that were not prepared for such a hike. I saw one guy carrying a half a bottle of water....that is right he attempted to hike 17 miles with one twelve ounce bottle of water. I doubt he made it. I also saw about a half dozen people fail to make the climb. I guess it is not for everyone. I saw one lady go bearfoot. OUCH!
Thurs - Hiked up the JMT to Cathedral Lake. I loved the campsite at Cathedral Lake but I have to tell you - I hated the trail getting there. Very steep, very dry and very boring. Not a big fan. For those interested there is no water at Sunrise HC and no water source for about a 6 mile stretch.
Friday - I was ready to get out of the woods and hiked out to TM store by 10:00am - grabbed lunch - enjoyed the double cheesburger and headed back to San Fran for a evening flight.
After doing this loop IMO you have to go clockwise - I believe the views are better and the terrain is more easily managed. I can't image hiking up to Vogelslang from Merced Lake. Then again the hike up the JMT to Cathedral Lakes was no picnic. I had one guy on the trail tell me I was going the wrong way! (not a morale booster).
For those still planning on going out, you will not see many people in the Vogelslang area. Half-Dome is what it is and I think you will see people no matter what. We climbed on Wed and there were over 100 people.
All in all, the best trip we have ever taken. We do a big trip like this every two years. We will probably consider North Cascades, Wind River Range, Beartooth, or Yellowstone for the next trip, but I feel like I will have to temper my expectations after this trip. Yosemite is forest that you can run through (good footing, clear views, spaced trees). You can see everything and the terrain is very managable. As NH resident who frequently hikes in the white mountains I have to say that you western types have it easy. That said, my advice to all planning a trip, you should spend at least one day acclimating your body to the altitude.
Thanks again!
Jim
