Yosemite Visit - Tuolumne Meadows and High Country

Hi, all - no photos yet (I still do film and transfers take awhile), but I can tell you that my son and I had a fabulous time last week camping in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. We climbed up two great mountains - Mt. Hoffman (10,845 feet at the summit, 2,200' gain in 3 miles one-way) and Mt. Dana (13,057 feet at summit, 3,100' gain in 3 miles one-way) - and it was, especially with the latter peak, one of the great experiences of our lives. The views were beyond beautiful, it almost goes without saying, but the feeling of the wilderness spirit, the sense of one-ness with the big rocks and big mountains and the clear, brilliant blue mountain air is utterly indescribable. Both required what would normally be considered "offtrail" walking and scrambling, and a darned good workout, but nothing that should stop anyone from trying. I would recommend, to anyone with reasonable physical fitness and a day or two to test their mettle and a desire to know the land, that he/she ascend one or both of these challenging but accessible summits.

On both summits we saw marmots up close and personal, and on Dana the precious little pikas and sky pilots (almost gone by) and other lovely flowers provided company. Knowing that living things survive and even prosper in these climes gives one an unmatchable warm trust in Nature's ability to persist against the harshest conditions.

Always be cautious, of course, when the weather threatens with either snow or thunder, and watch your footing - both climbs features loose rocks and steep slopes. For Dana especially, give yourself a couple of nights sleeping and hiking at fairly high elevations (at least 8,000 feet) to minimize the risk of altitude sickness, and start as early in the morning as the daylight will allow. We started the Dana hike at 8 AM, and finished in 6 hours, including about an hour at the top and some dawdling along the way for photos and visiting with others, and a couple of hardy fellows with walking poles got up there in as little as two hours, but it can take longer, and you want to avoid coming down in the dark or in the afternoon storms that can brew up.

We also hiked the *relatively* easy Gaylor-Granite Lakes Trail (4-5 miles RT depending on route), the quickest and most rewarding way to obtain among the finest high-country experiences that the Northern Sierra has to offer; the Black Point Fissures down at Mono Lake (2.5-3 miles RT), which are like Utah slot canyons but in fascinating swirly red volcanic rock; and the Devil's Postpile trail to the postpile and gorgeous Rainbow Falls (4 miles between shuttle bus points), among other things. All of these walks have a lot of joy to offer, and the first two also feature easy offtrail rambling.

Highly recommended!

Special thanks to the good folks on ths list that responded to my questions two weeks ago about these very hikes - they were instrumental in helping us understand what we were in for, and finding the trailhead for Mt. Dana.
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Wilderness forever!
Bruce Jensen