And one of the loveliest hikes we've done in the snow is into Wawona....where there are very few people, and the trees are even more amazingby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hi Ulysses Your comment reminded me of the time I climbed up to Benson Pass (which must be about 20 miles from the nearest trailhead) and coming up the other side at exactly the same time was a woman about my age. "Hi there!" I greeted her. "Where did you start today?" She was noticeably cool in her response, and ambiguous as well: :"Oh back there a ways....by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yes...in our cse the situation was complicated by the fact that my wife hikes more slowly than I do....and I wasn't about to speed ahead at that point. So in fact I hiked SLOWER so that I could stay closer to her. She appreciated that! But if it had been me alone, I would have pikced up the pace and dropped they guy like a bum off a freight train!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Colin Fletcher, the author of "A Walk Through Time," "The 1,000 Mile Summer," and "The Complete Walker," loved to hike solo. He treasured his quite moments alone with nature. But he also made comment about his paradoxical meetings with other solo hikers. Those other hikers would frequently stop him and want to chat for hours about how wonderful it was to hikeby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
And this one of Crown Lake, (just outside the park, just after an afternoon shower)by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One of my favorite photos of Yosemite, from Dewey Point on a rainy day:by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There we were, settled in comfortably at idyllic Rutherford Lake high on the approach to Fernandez Pass, and resting after a brief rainshower had encouraged us to race up the last half-mile of the trail and set up our tent. After the sprinkles had disappeared, I set to rigging my fly rod, while my wife napped peacefully in the tent--a scene of domestic bliss in the Sierra. Suddenly, loudby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
No worries. I am always happy to learn. And I do think you are right--that these vary from year to year and season to season depending on conditions.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great stuff. Thanks for posting this. One more to add to our list!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As usual, I stand corrected...although there wasn't much beach at Nelson two weeks ago. Just meadow to the edge of the lake, and more mosquitoes than you would think possible.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yep--thanks Bill. I've corrected that caption, plus a couple of others. And I LOVE your photo of the same old tree! I do hope to get to Hemlock Crossing at some point...lots of places, not so much time. And yes. Benson Lake came to mind...Barney is more dirt than sand...but not many others!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
LOL---great stories, AT! If anyone ever asked me where to camp, I am not sure I would be able to keep a straight face while directing them to a spot well down the trail!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just back from a wonderful five day trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. We started at the Granite Creek trailhead and hiked up past Cora Lakes (a bit overused, for our taste) and then on to Sadler Lake the first night. While the first half of htis trail was dull (a climb up to The Niche and then more ambling through the forest to Cora Lakes) the second half of this hike was delicious--along tby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Or these: Leighton: Karl's Kole Wood Gem Deer Bucks What did we miss?by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yep--I took a group of kids on this back when I was working as a guide at a camp in that area back in the 1970's. Route from Youngs Lakes is pretty darn obviious, and a bunch of the kids made it to the summit. Another group stayed in the snowfield below and had a snowball fight.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So where was the photographer when he captured this shot of Chick-on sunning himself on an erratic?by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Somehow, I don't have a shot from Tuolumne Meadows....but here is Unicorn Peak from Lake Elizabeth. You can see the general shape... and here is one from near the top of Lembert Dome... Those are the Echo Peaks behind Unicorn to the right...by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I agree Bill--although it's a bit amusing hearing them talk about how remote that area is....when there are lots of footprints ahead of them in the snow....and at one point as they begin to climb out of Echo Canyon you can clearly see the use trail below them...they are, after all, on a few miles in, despite the dramatic narration. I guess that's all part of the TV ethic... But this is SO mby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Not sure exactly where this was taken from---is there something specifically called Echo Ridge? Or did you just climb up out of TM towards Echo Peaks? At any rate, I think you'll find that 2,3 and 4 are all part of the same ridge, 4 the Cockscomb, and then 3 is Unicorn Peak...and 2 is just the north buttress of Unicorn Peak. Just the other side of 2 & 3 is Elizabeth Lake... 5 is theby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Now that schools in california open in mid-August, campsites seem to be pretty easy to get in Yosemite. We found last year that we could get a FCFS site at Tuolumne Meadows on a Tuesday in late August at about noon.....pretty amazing when you think about it!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wonder how much of this kind of thing has been inspired over the last few years by Andy Goldsworthy? I seem to see more and more elaborate constructions etc these days. sigh.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As per the post by Almost There, I think there is a substantive difference between crossing Tioga Road and waltzing around Yosemite Valley. And that difference would be of interest to the rangers issuing the permit.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ha! Some of the people on our cruise also went whale watching and saw the bubble feeding....and were told that their guide had only seen it once before in fifteen years! Still--it's a good story. We did see breaching and flukes from the ship itself, as we were sailing out of Ketchikan...by balzaccom - General Discussion
Check with the rangers when you enter the park. There is a parking area just outside of the park on the Big Oak Flat Road....it's on the right as you enter.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Head up the Tuolumne from the TM campground and you will find pool after pool...many with beaches, many with large granite sun bathing benches. And some without other people.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotesteelcup The way I overheard a ranger at the permit station in the valley explain it, you can cross a road and re-enter via another trailhead but the second you get in a bus or car, or buy a hot dog, your wilderness experience ends and so does your permit. Nice! But by this explanation, you COULD hike down Snow Creek....across the Pack trail on the East side of Tenaya Creek to Happy Iby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Not completely forget, but on our last trip, my wife walked into camp from the woods on the last day and said: "You know, we are almost out of toilet paper..." Ahem. That's in her pack....and she cut it a little close this time!by balzaccom - General Discussion
Thanks Bill. I should have known....by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I hope this hasn't been covered before---I did a search for isberg, Cora, mcClure, Sadler and Joe Crane...and came up pretty empty. So I am interested in a hike in this area, and wonderful if anyone has been there and can offer any suggestions or routes? Right now considering going out of Granite Creek to Cora and the Sadler Lakes...Over Isberg and Post Peak Passes, and then down back througby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
9400 feet north of the San Joaquin.... And add our names to those who almost never make a fire. Once in the last five years. And that one was premade, set in a used fire ring on a huge granite slab at about 7,000 feet on a ridge overlooking a lake. And yeah, I stayed up an extra hour making sure the da*n thing was out. sigh.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion