Re: Cathedral to Echo and beyond Route?

Hi there, tried searching but only found vague references to an easy XC route from the Cathedral Lakes area to Echo. I'll be in TM in September for a week trip with my wife. Last year we explored Lyell Canyon and this year I want to head out TM, and heading down and looping back up Fletcher Creek. Anyway, I'm looking to fill in my first few days out of TM. I'd like an easy first night at Cathedral Lakes, and from there I really want to hit Echo, but am not 100% on how to get there. Once there, best way out back to a marked trail? I've got the Nat Geo map but I'm not up for full orienteering since it's been a while since I earned that merit badge...

Don't really need any ornaments. Just follow Cathedral Fork of Echo Crk... from Cathedral Pass...
past Echo Lake... and keep following it... and you'll run into the trail to Echo Valley...

There's a use trail that has developed in the last 5 years or so... it's on the east side of the creek.

You may find some useful maps and whatnot here:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,39233,39233#msg-39233

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Ok thanks I'll check that out.

As chick-on says, just follow the creek below Echo Lake for approximately one mile. If you are about 150'-200' from the stream you will run right into the Echo Creek trail exactly where it makes a sharp 90 degree turn to the south.

For first time do that... imho. Then you can work your way to more intense stuff.
That route is very simple. For me... when we did a backpacktrip on trail many years
ago we were camped at the bend that tomdisco mentions... well.. just above it...
and had this crazy goal of touching every named lake. So I simply followed the creek
up and ... wow... wow... wow... when the woods opened up and Matthes and Echo
hit me... it was so amazing that had to go back to where we camped and get the
wife ... "honey, you HAVE to come see this".
Of course if you look at a map you can see that it's fairly trivial to get to (Echo Lake)
via Cathedral Pass. So much so went there when Tioga was open really late.
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,50166,50166#msg-50166

Anywho. Be safe and have fun

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Here's what you have to look forward to at Echo Lake.

What's the worst that could happen?? I'll give the creek route a try. Thanks all.