Backpacking Trip Report / Route Description
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 1 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 2 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 3 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 4 - 6-28-08
Quick Facts
Area - Yosemite National Park, California.
Route - Cathedral Lakes trailhead to Yosemite
Valley.
Distance - 47.2 miles
Date - 6-28-08 thru 7-1-08.
4 days, 10 people
Points of interest along the way
Cathedral Lakes
Sunrise High Sierra Camp
Merced River
Little Yosemite
Valley
Clouds Rest
Half Dome
Mist Trail
Nevada Falls
Vernal Falls
General Comments
There were 10 of us on this trip which made for a
lot of fun. Traveling with a group of friends is always very
enjoyable.
We left Las Vegas Friday night (6-27-08) and drove to the
Obsidian Flat camp ground a few miles from the park. Then got up
Saturday morning to drive to Yosemite where we could prepare for and
start the pack trip. We started from the Cathedral Lakes
trailhead.
When we got off the trail in Yosemite Valley we
spent an additional night in the back packers camp ground. The
next morning we took a tour bus back to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead to
pick up our vehicles then drive home.
Giving trail names seems to be almost impossible.
All sources I have looked at for trail names list none. Most refer
to the hike named by the destination rather than the trail name.
It would appear there are not trail names for a lot of the area.
Maps
Overview map of the entire route for the Yosemite 4 day back pack trip.
Click for the High Resolution version of the map.
Right click and select "Save Picture As" to save the high res version.
Map zoomed to cover the section of the park covered on day 1.
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Map zoomed to cover the section of the park covered on day 2.
Click for the High Resolution version of the map.
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Map zoomed to cover the section of the park covered on day 3.
Click for the High Resolution version of the map.
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Map zoomed to cover the section of the park covered on day 4.
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GPS Waypoint Information
Cathedral Lakes
Trailhead - - - - tCathedralLks
N37 52.403 W119 22.960 (WGS 84):
Cathedral Lakes Trailhead.
Junction to Lower Cathedral Lake - - - - jCathedraLkLwr
N37 50.893 W119 24.889 (WGS 84):
Junction to Lower Cathedral Lake.
Lower Cathedral Lake - - - - sCathedraLkLwr
N37 50.692 W119 25.332 (WGS 84):
Good view of the Lower Cathedral Lake from it's edge here.
Sunrise High Sierra Camp - - - - lSunriseCmp
N37 47.733 W119 25.946 (WGS 84):
Sunrise High Sierra Camp.
Junction toward Merced Lake - - - - jToMercedLk1
N37 48.182 W119 25.811 (WGS 84):
Junction about a mile north of Sunrise High Sierra Camp for the
trail toward Merced Lake.
Trail Junction closest to Merced Lake - - - - jToMercdLk-LYV
N37 44.795 W119 26.186 (WGS 84):
Junction to Merced Lake on the way to Little Yosemite Valley
along the Merced River.
Little Yosemite Valley camp area - - - - lLitleYosVlyCp
N37 43.951 W119 30.912 (WGS 84):
Little Yosemite Valley camp area.
Clouds Rest, 9934 ft - - - - pCloudsRest
N37 46.071 W119 29.354 (WGS 84):
Clouds Rest, 9934 ft.
Half Dome, 8825 ft - - - - pHalfDome
N37 44.767 W119 31.986 (WGS 84):
Half Dome, 8825 ft.
Top of Nevada Falls - - - - sNevadaFalls
N37 43.485 W119 31.984 (WGS 84):
Top of Nevada Falls.
Top of Vernal Falls - - - - sVernalFalls
N37 43.639 W119 32.607 (WGS 84):
Top of Vernal Falls.
Trailhead for the Mist Trail. - - - - tMistTrail
N37 43.944 W119 33.458 (WGS 84):
Trailhead for the Mist Trail.
Details
Saturday 6-28-08 - 10.1 Miles
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 1 - 6-28-08
Start - Cathedral Lakes Trailhead
Along the way - We took a side trip to Cathedral Lake.
Lots of mosquitoes but I highly recommend it for the views.
End - Sunrise High Sierra Camp.
When we got to Yosemite, we stopped at the back country desk to
sign in on the permits Bob got for us. We also got our bear
containers. Then drove a few miles south to the Cathedral
Lakes trailhead where we left the cars to start our trip.
We left the trailhead at 11:06am. The trail was mostly up
hill at the start so we all spread out into our natural paces.
I got to the junction for the Lower Cathedral Lakes and waited
for more of the group to show up. As people started
trickling in we decided to leave our packs there and go take the
short hike to the Lower Cathedral lake to take in the views.
We went in shifts so there were people watching our packs.
The views of the meadows and the lake down there made it well
worth it. but we did not want to stay long since there
were mass amounts of mosquitoes. This was our first clue
about how bad it could get with mosquitoes.
After snacking and at the junction we were off on the main trail
again. We passed by the Upper Cathedral Lake and had good
view of Cathedral Peak as well. As we hiked we found
ourselves alternating between wide open scenic meadow to more
wooded mountainous feeling areas.
Each time we went through a meadow we were greeted with lots and
lots of mosquitoes. Anyone going into the area we covered
on our first day should bring along mosquito nets. We were
using various bug repellants and found them only marginally
effective.
We got to the Sunrise High Sierra camp at 5:30pm and immediately
set up tents so we cold get in to get relief from the
mosquitoes. Later Bob and the others showed up and decided
they liked a different area of the camp and stayed there.
We started talking about them like they were the other tribe
like we were on Survivor.
Later we went over to where we could over look the meadow near
camp. We sat there for about 10 minutes or so watching 7
deer playing around the meadow getting water. The deer
kept shaking their heads a lot. We assumed they too were
bothered by the mosquitoes.
We found out from a ranger that the Sunrise High Sierra Camp was
number 2 on the list for the highest concentration of mosquitoes
in Yosemite.
After making dinner Todd called me over and asked it I would
like a bourbon and water. I told him yes. Then he
asked if I wanted it on ice. I told him yes thinking he
was just playing around. I had forgotten there was a large
patch of snow right behind him. He started scooping up
some snow and putting it in my cup. It was a nice touch.
We built a fire and enjoyed it for about an hour before bed.
Sunday 6-29-08 - 14.5 Miles
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 2 - 6-28-08
Start - Sunrise High Sierra Camp
Along the way - Bob and I took an alternate
trail to hike along the Merced River. WOW!
End - Little Yosemite Valley camp area.
We got up ate breakfast and started packing for the trail.
I was ready before everyone else and decided to
get moving. I did not want to sit around
camp and fight with mosquitoes. I talked
to Bob to confirm our route then left camp at
8:35am
I back tracked about a mile to the junction that
would take me over toward Merced Lake.
While crossing the meadow again I was swarmed by
even more mosquitoes. I had a lot of bug
repellant on, my hat n my head, sunglasses on,
bandana around my mouth and nose, long pants and
my jacket on. It was still annoying.
After I got to the junction and traveled a
little further the trail started climbing up a
large ridge line. The further I went up
the less mosquitoes there were. By the
time I got to the top of the ridge they were
almost completely gone.
On the other side of the ridge the trail started
back down to a valley following Cathedral Fork
and Echo Creek. Soon I was following water and
going through some meadows. It was nice to
see more snow on the mountains in the distance.
We had been seeing them most of the trip but I
started seeing more and more Corn Lillis in this
area.
I got the closest trail junction to Merced Lake
at 1:10pm and decided it was a good spot for
lunch. I had water to soak my feet in,
shade and a nice view all around. About 10
minutes later Bob caught up with me and we
finished lunch together. He told me the
rest of the group did not want to take the long
route we were taking and followed the John Muir
Trail toward Little Yosemite Valley instead.
After lunch we started back on the trail and
soon started following the Merced River.
There was a lot of water flowing in the river.
The falls created along the way were strong and
you could feel the power in the rumble even from
a distance. This section did not have the
many meadows along it but the scenery was
incredible with the big views of the valley and
the Merced River.
Shortly before reaching Little Yosemite Valley
we found our selves hiking through a very wooded
area. More so than other portions of the
trail we had been on. We got to Little
Yosemite Valley at 5:40pm and started looking
for the rest of our group tat had taken the
shorter route. Turns out a few of them had
only been there a few minutes and the rest were
still on the trail. It was nice to be
getting there around the same time even though
we took different routes.
After setting up camp we went to the river to
filter water. I took the time to take a
fast dip to wash up a little. The water so
cold I was not able to stay in it very long.
I did feel a lot better after washing up a
little though. Then it was off to camp to
eat and socialize for the evening.
Monday 6-30-08 - 10.8 Miles
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 3 - 6-28-08
Start - Little Yosemite Valley camp area
Along the way - Hiked up to the top of Clouds
Rest then back to camp. I think these are the best views
from a peak I have seen yet!!
End - Little Yosemite Valley camp area.
Never left camp as we only did a side excursion.
We got up ate breakfast and started on the trail to Clouds Rest at
7:55am. I was on Clouds rest at 10:20am
and had the whole peak to my self for about 10
minutes. I talked with a couple guys while
waiting for the rest of the group. When
everyone made it up we all ate lunch, took
pictures and sat around admiring the view.
A few of us took a nap as well. While there we were greeted with a couple marmots and a squirrel begging for food.
The views from the top of Clouds Rest were some
of the best views I have seen from a peak.
Normally there are a few good directions to look
from a peak with great views and the other
directions are ok. Clouds Rest had 360° of
awesome scenery. Tenaya Lake to the north,
The Merced River in the valley below with snow
capped mountains beyond to the east and south
east, and Half Dome above Tenyay and Yosemite
Valley to the South west. I liked the
views form Clouds Rest better than from Half
Dome.
When everyone was ready to go I decided to stay
for a while. I knew I would have plenty of
time to hang out around camp when I got back.
I decided to sit and enjoy the views from the
peak for a while. I was able to have the
whole peak to myself again for about 15 minutes
before I started back down at 2pm.
When I got back to camp, there were only a
couple people there. Those that did not go
to Clouds Rest were still on hikes. Todd
was still out fishing as well. Later that
evening we sat around eating and discussing what
we had done for the day.
Tuesday 7-1-08 - 11.8 Miles
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 4 - 6-28-08
Start - Little Yosemite Valley camp area
Along the way - Hiked to the top of Half Dome
then back to camp. Awesome views, but those cables were
definitely a highlight!
Then traveled the Mist trail and stopped at Nevada and Vernal
Falls for a swim. These falls are a must see, especially
Vernal Falls.
End - Yosemite Valley.
Back in the crowded tourist area.
We got up at 5am so we could get an early start. We were headed
to Half Dome and wanted to get there and be on
our way back down before the crowds started up
the cables. We left camp at 6:15am and
were at the bottom of the cables at 8:05am.
I was amazed to see how many gloves there were
at the bottom of the cables. People leave
gloves of almost every kind at the bottom after
they have come back down.
As I started up the cables I found my shoes did
not grip well. As the run got steeper I
needed to work my hands more and more to climb
up. It was a little un nerving just how
slippery they were. I had worn my work
shoes on this trip since they were the only
shoes I had with a lot of room for my toes.
I had hurt my pinky pretty bad a week or so
before the trip and needed the toe room. I
would recommend to any one going up to bring
shoes that have decent grip.
We were on the top of Half Dome a little before
8:30am. We took a lot of time to relax and
enjoy the sights. We took turns posing on
the diving board rock area for pictures with
Yosemite Valley below us. The marmots were
on Half Dome as well trying to beg for food.
They were not shy about getting into your pack
if you turned your back on them.
Half Dome has great views as well but not quite
as good as Clouds Rest. But going up the
cables to get there is a must so. It is a
pretty cool thing to check out.
We started back down at a little after 9:30am.
My feet had such little grip on the granite I
was able to ski down the cable area. I
grabbed a cable in each hand as guides then slid
on my feet from board to board on the way down.
By the time I got to the bottom I had figured
out how to move fast. We were happy to see
we were getting down just as a huge group of
people were on their way toward the cables ready
to go up.
Along the way back to camp we ran into someone
we had talked to at camp so I stopped to talk
for a few minutes. I ended the
conversation and caught up with the rest of the
group. When I got to them, they told me
all about the bear and cub they had just seen.
I missed the whole thing while talking. We
got back to camp at 11:42am and had lunch and
started packing up to head down to Yosemite
Valley via the Mist Trail. 5 of us had
gone to Half Dome so those tat did not go were
already gone on tier way down.
After packing I went to the river to filter
water and soak my feet while waiting for Barbie.
When she got there we sat at the river for a
while then headed down the Mist Trial at 1:30pm.
When we got to the junction to turn toward
Nevada Falls we ran into Bob. He joined us
on the rest of the hike out.
We took a short side trip to the top of Nevada
Falls. The Merced River we had been hiking
along flows through a section about 8 feet wide
as it goes over Nevada Falls. It is
amazing to see how much water is funneled
through such a tight section.
After Nevada Falls we continued down the Mist
Trail toward Vernal Falls. Just before
reaching Vernal Falls we stopped to take a swim
in an inviting section of the river. The
water was cold but it felt so good to swim in it
for a few minutes.
The trail offers some great views as it descends
from the top of Vernal Falls. The falls
creates a mist there constantly so the area is
covered in green vegetation. It looks like
something out of a story book. The huge
falls in the background, black rocks, lots of
green growing all over and a constant mist
giving rainbow colors in the sunlight all add up
to a story book look.
We continued down the trail from Vernal falls
and were at the Mist Trailhead at 5:06pm.
We took the shuttle to the Upper Pines Camp area
and walked to the backpackers camp to stay the
night. We wet to Curry village, took
showers and got some food then drank and
socialized. We went back to camp to get
sleep before our bus ride the next day to
Cathedral Lakes Trailhead to get our cars and
drive home.
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 1 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 2 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 3 - 6-28-08
Pictures from Yosemite National Park, Day 4 - 6-28-08
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