Yosemite High Sierra Camps Trip - August 2001 and an almost identical trip in 2006
About July 12th I looked at the yosemitepark.com website and
found that there were three consecutive days available at Glen Aulin, May Lake and Sunrise camps. I called the High
Sierra desk at 559-253-5674 and, following their instructions, left a message requesting reservations for August 14
through 16. On Monday, July 16th, I received a call that we had our reservations. I then called the regular
reservations number, 559-252-4848, and obtained a cabin at White Wolf for the 13th and at Curry Village in
Yosemite Valley for the 17th.
On the morning of August 13th, we left home and joined the commuters in the perennial traffic
congestion from San Rafael to the Richmond San Rafael Bridge and then down the 580 Freeway to Hayward.
There the highway turns East and goes over a ridge into the San Ramon Valley, past Livermore and over the Altamont
Pass with its hundreds
of windmills generating power. We merged onto 205 to pass Tracy, and then worked our way to Riverview and Oakdale
where we joined highway 120. We soon went up the Priest Grade, (8% grade), using the new road which is only a 6% grade,
and into Groveland. From here it was an easy but steady climb to the Crane Flat entrance station to Yosemite National
Park and then to White Wolf at about 8000 feet elevation. We arrived about 3 p.m., and after finding our tent cabin,
decided to take a walk to Lyman Lake, a little over two miles each way. Happily, the trail was almost level until only
a short distance from the lake, so we felt almost no altitude effects during our walk. The trail is through woods, mostly
red fir and lodgepole pine, until right at the lake the scene opens up to lakeshore and grassy meadow around part of the
lake. We returned to our tent cabin at about 5:30 and relaxed until our dinner reservation for 6:30. Following a generous
salad, I had south-west style chicken breast, and Helen had a portobello mushroom dish. We were seated outside on the deck
of the lodge and as dinner progressed the air temperature went lower and lower. By the time we finished our dinner coffee
we were shivering, so decided to go back to the tent cabin and warm up inside. I lit a fire in the small sheet metal stove
with its tall stove-pipe chimney and soon we were almost too warm. The tent cabins here at White Wolf are about 12 by 15
feet and contain two iron beds with lots of blankets and a duvet, a card table with two chairs, and the stove. A box of
wood, already split to the right size is provided, so all one has to do is to get the fire going. We had some scraps of
paper to use for starting the fire, so it all went very quickly. The wood is so dry at this time of year
that it starts burning very easily. It is easy to understand why forest fires start so readily during a hot, dry August.
On the 2006 trip we stayed at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge
Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - Glen Aulin Camp, 6 miles.
We both awakened about 6:30 a.m., and realized that the only reason we were warm was the covers of two blankets
and a down duvet over us. I thought about getting up for a while, and then steeling myself, quickly arose, put on a pair
of very cold shorts and a pullover sweater. I slipped into a pair of loafers to keep my feet off the cold floor, and then
again lit a fire in our little stove. Within 10 minutes the tent was warm and comfortable. Helen was now almost dressed,
but I still needed to shave and wash, so I picked up my toilet kit and a towel and walked quickly down to the men's
washroom. Fortunately, a heater is kept going all night in the washroom to prevent the water pipes from freezing, so
I was able to wash in comfort. Returning to the tent I found Helen also finished with washing, so we ate a snack breakfast
and repacked our backpacks. We put our packs back in the car, and were off by about 7:30 a.m.
The drive to Tuolumne Meadows was a delight. It takes only about 45 minutes if you drive straight through, but we
stopped several times to enjoy the view. At Olmsted Point, which is a vista point with a large parking lot, I took
several pictures down Tenaya Canyon of Half Dome, Cloud's Rest and across Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point. Turning
north, we got a beautiful view of Tenaya Lake. In a few days we would be hiking along the southern end of the lake on
our way from May Lake to Sunrise Camp. As we continued our drive, we passed the trailhead parking lots for both of
these camps. Continuing into Tuolumne Meadows, we passed the Cathedral Lake trailhead, and then parked at the Tuolumne
Meadows Store. We bought some cotton sleeping bag liners which we would need at the High Sierra Camps, and then went
into the snack bar for a mocha espresso. We both decided we needed the boost of a good cup of regular coffee. As we
drank our mochas, we checked out the free shuttle bus schedule, and found that the bus went all the way from Tuolumne
Meadows Lodge to Olmsted Point and back every half hour. This confirmed our plan which was to park our car near the
horse packer stables and the Glen Aulin trailhead. On our return, we would come out at the Cathedral Lakes trailhead,
and then take the shuttle bus back to within 100 yards of our car. The bus ride would cut 3 miles off the return trip.
We parked the car along the road to the stables, and carefully put all food and everything related to food into our
small ice chest and put it in one of the steel bear boxes that are provided by the park. It is illegal to leave any
foodstuffs, or anything that might attract a bear, such as perfume, deodorant, toothpaste, drinks, candy wrappers,
garbage, etc., in your car. By being very strict on this requirement, the incidence of bears breaking into cars has
been reduced by 60% in just two years.
We hefted our packs and noted that they didn't weigh very much. Helen's weighed about 22 pounds, and mine about 28
pounds. These weights are below the "easy-carry-load" described in the Elderhiker Handbook, (page 31), so we knew we
wouldn't have any problem carrying our packs. Since this is an Inn-to-Inn hike, we don't need to carry sleeping bags,
tent, food, (except lunch), or cooking equipment. We are going to sleep in tent cabins, and be served meals prepared
by the camp staff. What we do take is basically the clothing and toilet kit items noted in Table 5-1, (page 34), of
the Elderhiker Handbook.
We started down the trail at about 8:40 a.m. and first went to the soda springs that are near Parson Lodge. The natural
carbonated water tastes a little of iron, but is clear, cold, and actually quite refreshing. We always drink a cupful as a
sort of welcoming ritual, giving a toast of thankfulness that we are still able to be in this wonderful place. Next we
walked over to Parson Lodge, which is dedicated to an early pioneer family that once owned almost all of Tuolumne Meadows.
At some time years ago when the park was being established, the heirs sold a small parcel of the property to the Sierra
Club. The Club used the Lodge and surrounding area as a campground for many years, but not too long ago sold it to the
National Park. The lodge building is now used for educational programs offered by the National Park Service.
Leaving the Lodge we rejoined the trail to Glen Aulin Camp, following the Tuolumne River, which flows in a westerly
direction toward Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, (the water supply for San Francisco). Looking back at the Meadows, we could see
from Lembert Dome on the left to Unicorn Peak on the right, with the mountains near Tioga Pass in the center. Our trail
followed the gently sloping river valley for several miles. We began to wonder when we would begin the drop in elevation
to get to the camp, since we knew that Glen Aulin was 800 feet lower than Tuolumne Meadows. Soon breaking out of the
trees, we could see the canyon narrowing and dropping more steeply up ahead. We stopped for our lunch of salami, crackers,
nuts and fruit along the grassy bank of the river where we could rest our backs against a fallen tree trunk and enjoy the
view back toward the meadows.
Shouldering our packs again, we now followed closer to the river in a progressively narrowing canyon. The steepness led
to waterfalls and beautiful rapids where the water flowed over jumbles of rocks forming stairstep pools. The pools looked
inviting for a dunk, but the chill of the water kept us out. We bathed our feet in one of the pools, keeping our feet
submerged until the pain of the cold was unbearable; lifting our feet up until the pain subsided and then dunking them
again. After a few such treatments, we kept our feet out until they dried, restored them to our shoes and trudged on.
How refreshed we felt. The cold immersions cleans off all the trail dust, and seems to remove the tiredness from the calf
down.
Soon we crossed the river on a substantial bridge and began a steeper descent to the camp level. We passed the trail
junction to May Lake, which we would take the next day, and soon were at the bridge below Glen Aulin Falls. This fall is
the last of a cascade of falls ending in a large pool, about 200 by 400 feet. We crossed another bridge over Conness
Creek and entered the camp. We could see the office/dining tent on the left, a campfire circle on the right and the i
ndividual tent cabins stetching behind in a neat row. The friendly staff person welcomed us to the camp, offered some
lemonade or water and directed us to tent number one. The toilet and washrooms were very close by, which would be an
advantage if we had to get up during the night. Our obvious advanced age may have had something to do with our tent
assignment.
Dinner is served family style at tables for 8, and promptly at 6:30 p.m. The staff closes the office/dining room
tent at 5 p.m. so they are not bothered by the clients while they prepare the meal. At 6:30 on the dot, they open the
door and let us crowd in. We sat opposite a couple who looked about our age, and found they were even older, by six
months. They try to come to several of the camps every year. They, however, stay two nights at each camp, to our one
night each. A fine idea. Dinner on this evening was mixed salad, broiled halibut with vegetables and potatoes, and a
cake for dessert. No chance of going hungry. We were especially amazed at fresh cooked fish as a main course; we later
found that the camps are supplied almost every day, by mule train from the Meadows. The pack animals carry large cool
chests filled with fresh foods and covered with lots of ice to keep the food fresh. There was some half hearted discussion
about having a campfire later on, but we were tired enough to feel that going to bed was the best move. We noticed the
next morning that no campfire was built, so others made the same decision.
The morning was not as cold as at White Wolf, but still cold enough that I lit a fire in our little stove. We were
very comfortable in a few minutes, and finished dressing and repacking our gear in plenty of time for breakfast. This
meal is also served family style, and was plentiful with hot or cold cereal, scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, lots of
toasted bread a coffee cake, and all the coffee, tea or cocoa you could drink. It would be very easy to overeat; we
tried not to since this would slow us down on the trail.
Wednesday, August 15, to May Lake, 8 miles.
Glen Aulin Camp is at 7800 feet elevation and May Lake at 9270 so we had a 1470 foot climb ahead of us
We crossed the two bridges out of Glen Aulin Camp and followed along the trail heading south slowly going up a
long heavily timbered canyon. We had some views behind us to the canyon of the Tuolumne, but mostly we could only
see the canyon walls. We passed a small lake, and then, after about 4 miles, broke out of the forest to find we were
on a steeply sloping granite face, going up to the right and down all the way to Lake Tenaya on the left, far below us.
We were on the right edge of Tenaya Canyon and could see all the way to Yosemite Valley, with Clouds Rest and Half Dome
on the left and Glacier Point in the middle on the other side of the valley. Turning around and looking north we could
see from Mount Conness on the left to Tuolumne Meadows and the mountains surrounding it toward Tioga Pass. To the east was
the other side of the canyon several miles away and blocking our view of the many more mountains in eastern Yosemite.
This is without a doubt one of the most spectacular, and ruggedly beautiful places on earth.
We gained the top of a pass, and dropped down to a meadow and lake where some of the others heading our same direction
had stopped for lunch and a swim. We had lunch at the lake, and again soaked our tired feet; this time in much warmer
water than in the river now far behind us. We still had two miles to go, and could see the steep ridge barring our way.
There was nothing to do but forge ahead, dreaming about the glasses of lemonade and a hot shower that awaited us at camp.
Our go-forever-pace on steep uphills is easily likened to that of a snail or a tortoise. Plod, plod, plod. Ever upward,
but slow enough that we do not get breathless or a pounding heart. It was almost two hours for those last two miles, but
the effort was worth it. We still got into camp about 3 p.m. and had plenty of time to shower before dinner and to take
a short walk by the lake. May Lake has Mount Hoffman as a backdrop, rising several thousand feet above the lake, and
dominating the scene. Behind the tent cabins, a long ridge about 100 feet high and easily climbed affords a fine view
from Yosemite Valley on the right to Mount Conness on the left. This is a favorite place to go at sunset to watch the
alpenglow light up the mountains with a red-gold color against a darkening sky.
Tonight we had great raviolis for dinner, but again skipped the campfire, preferring more bed time for a good rest.
Today was a long one.
On the 2006 trip we stayed two nights at May Lake, in order to climb Mt. Hoffman, 10,800 feet, on the extra day.
Thursday, August 16, 2001 - To Sunrise Camp. 8 miles.
The hike from May Lake to Sunrise seems easy when you only look at the respective elevations. For May Lake, 9270 feet,
and for Sunrise. 9400 feet. The problem is that you go down to the south end of Tenaya Lake at 8149 feet, and then climb
back up again.
After the usual very enjoyable breakfast, with good food and good conversation, we headed out of the May Lake basin
and
dropped down fairly rapidly toward Tenaya Lake. We were in forest most of the time, but got views of our surroundings
once in a while. The trail dumped us onto the Tioga Road after about 3 miles, went across and then paralleled the road
down to the end of the lake where the Sunrise Trailhead was located. The trailhead parking lot was full of cars, and we
passed or were passed by many hikers also going to Sunrise Camp. We had seen from May Lake a steep ridge to the east of
Tenaya Lake that we knew we would have to surmount. After about a mile or so, we came to the bottom of the ridge and
started up. We could tell from the topographic maps that we had about 1500 feet to climb, and it felt like it on the
ground too. We slowly trudged our way up to the top of the ridge, taking about an hour and a half, and took a long lunch
stop at the top. Our perch was at the end of a ridge on the east side of Tenaya Canyon. From here, the canyon dropped
steeply into Yosemite Valley. We had Clouds Rest on our left, Half Dome directly in front of us and the Royal Arches on
our right. This view was probably the most spectacular of the trip, even more dramatic than the stupendous views of the
day before. We wished we could take flight and soar over the scene before us. The struggle up the ridge was tiring, and
it was very tempting to just relax and enjoy the view. However, we still had at least two miles to go, so with much
reluctance, we humped on our packs and started off again up the trail.
We worked our way back along the top of the ridge and then up to a saddle before the Sunrise Lakes. These lakes are
the epitome of a mountain lake scene. Crystal clear water taking on the blue of the sky; Granite outcroppings jutting
into the water, with trees and meadow land at the water's edge. All surrounded by high granite ridges, making the area
seem close and friendly. Beyond the lakes, and after a short pitch up another ridge, we dropped steeply down into the
camp.
Sunrise Camp is built on the rocks above the west side of Long Meadow. The camp gets full morning sun, hence its name.
It also has an early sunset, but the views to the east of the final glow of sunset on the mountains are gorgeous. We
checked in at the office/dining tent and found we were to share a large tent cabin with a grandmother/granddaughter
pair which we had seen many times on the trail. It was fun trading experiences with the grandmother, who comes up to
Sunrise every year. The granddaughter was holding up rather well, though she was the youngest in the camp, and pretty
much by herself, without anyone close to her age to talk to.
Dinner was again family style served at 6:30 sharp. Marvelous how a tough hike improves the apetite. Today's hike
proved to be the hardest of the trip, and an early bedtime was again called for.
Friday, August 18, 2001 - to Tuolunme Meadows, 8 miles.
Sunrise Camp was the highest elevation and the coldest camp of the trip. On waking, I could feel the bite in the air
in our tent. Shivering, I quickly dressed, put on a heavy sweater, and lit a fire in our stove at the far end of the tent
cabin. The other three occupants either were still asleep, or feigned sleep so they could wait until the tent was warm
before rising. I warmed myself before the stove for a few minutes, and then, with toilet kit and towel, headed for the
wash cabin. I crunched my way over the frosty ground and grass, mounted the stairs to the wash cabin and went inside. The
temperature was only marginally higher than that outside, so I really rushed the job. The sun was up over the far hills on
my return trip, so it was comfortable by the time I got back to our tent. My companions had had time to dress while I was
gone, so we could all repack our gear and get ready for breakfast. Promptly at 7:30 one of the kitchen crew pounded on the
iron triangle hanging outside the dining tent, calling us to assemble for breakfast. Another filling and interesting
experience. The menu is pretty much the same at all the camps, except here they baked some really good coffee cake, of
which I enjoyed several pieces.
After breakfast, we returned to our tent cabin and finished packing. It was now comfortably warm, so we could put away
our sweaters and jackets and wear our usual hiking garb of tee shirt and shorts. Leaving our tent cabin, we walked to
near the office/dining tent and then down a steeply sloping trail to the meadow below. There were many trails leading
off in several directions, and several small groups of hikers going off in several directions. Fortunately, the sun angle
told us which way was north, so the trail we should take was easy to determine. We headed up a gently sloping valley
between two granite ridges, walking amid many lodgepole pines twisted and distorted by the winter snows. The trees have
a hard time getting started here. Every few years an avalanche from the ridges will rumble into the valley, bending all
the trees at a right angle at the snow line. Many look like a giant Bansai. Or, perhaps Bansai are meant to look like
these trees.
In the distance we could see a sharp peak, which I thought was Cathedral Peak. As we got closer and eventually rounded
the base of the spire, I took another look at my map, and realized that we had just rounded Columbia Finger, at the end
of a ridge a little over 10,000 feet high. Now I could see Cathedral Peak up ahead at 10,940 feet. We dropped down to
Cathedral Lake at 9600 feet and then once past Cathedral Peak the last three miles were a downslope back to Tuolumne
Meadows at about 8600 feet. We arrived at the Cathedral Lake Trailhead, took off our packs and waited for the free
shuttle bus, which arrived in about ten minutes. The bus driver let us off at the Lembert Dome parking lot, which was
close to the stable parking area where I had left our car. I walked down the road about a quarter of a mile to the car,
retrieved our left overs from the bear box, and drove back to pick up Helen. Much elated by our complete success, we now
drove the very scenic route down to Yosemite Valley.
You can imagine our disappointment in finding that check-in time at Curry Village is 5 p.m., and they mean it! We
arrived about 4 p.m., and were expected to wait around until 5. The clerk suggested that we could use all the other f
acilities while we waited - like the swimmimg pool and the showers. We took advantage of the latter, going in to a large
locker room and shower complex. I felt like I was back in my old high school gym. Anyway, we used the time up, and got
very clean in the process. Finally checking in, and finding our tent cabin, we changed into more suitable attire (sport
coat and slacks for me, skirt and blouse for Helen), and then drove to the wonderful Ahwanee Hotel where we had made a
reservation for dinner. We had cocktails in their outdoor patio bar, and then wandered around the main rooms until time
for our reservation. They wouldn't take us early here either!
Dinner was a delightful experience. Good food and service. However, the main reason for going to the Ahwanee for a
meal is the dining room itself. The room is about 60 by 150 feet, with the high roof supported by large timbers. With
subdued lighting and candles on the tables, the effect is stunning. An appropriate end to a very enjoyable trip.
On the 2006 trip, we again stayed at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and had dinner there. We left for home the next
morning.
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