EASTERN SIERRAS----AGAIN

Well we decided that if we stayed home too long we would get bored, so we took off again. Once again we’re in the Eastern Sierras, one of our favorite places. We haven’t done any fishing on this trip, spending most of our time hiking mostly to places we haven’t been to.

We started out early in the morning to miss the traffic in Riverside and San Bernardino and after hitting US 395, smoke started coming out of the left front wheel. Not hot brakes, but a burning rubber smell. We stopped in Victorville at the Ford dealer, who got us right in. They found nothing wrong and suggested that I must have been braking hard. Well, I wasn’t and knowing we weren’t going to get anywhere with them, we headed back out on the road. Hey, it’s a new truck and if in burns up Ford will just be buying me another.

We made it to Lee Vining without any further trouble and set up camp at Lower Lee Vining Creek Campground, a forest service camp. Located just outside on Yosemite, it is a perfect spot for exploring the Yosemite high country. Armed with my Senior Parks Pass, camping was half price and entry to Yosemite will be free, if I don’t take into account that I pay taxes.

Each morning we got up early and headed into the park for hikes around the Tuolumne Meadows area. The park is pretty crowded this time of year, but we found by hiking early, and more than a mile away from Tuolumne Meadows, we saw very few people. Anyway we hit some really nice trails, all of which were new for us.

Pothole Dome and the Tuolumne River were first up for a short hike to get acclimated to the elevation. We saw nobody on this hike until the very end on our way back to the trail head.

CATHIE ON POTHOLE DOME

DEER IN THE RIVER

YOSEMITE NATIVE

Next up was Elizabeth Lake at 4.5 miles round trip, another acclimation hike. Wins the award for a lake shaped most like a jigsaw puzzle piece. Pretty lake set in a bowl ringed by trees and up against great granite promontories that rise steeply from lake’s edge. Once again we only saw a few people, but there were plenty of mosquitoes to keep us company.

ELIZABETH LAKE

Not wanting to waste any time hanging around camp, the next day we were back in the park for a hike to North Dome. North Dome is across the Yosemite Valley from Half Dome and is most easily reached from Tioga Road. After a 4.4 mile walk in the woods you are rewarded with a spectacular view across the valley to Half Dome. Also included at no extra charge are views of Clouds Rest and the valley it self. If you look carefully you can also spy Indian Arch, the only arch in the park.

CHECKING OUT THE VIEW

INDIAN ARCH, WE OPTED TO VEIW IT FROM HERE

Now that I had gotten the kinks out, the next day I left Cathie in camp and headed out to Glen Aulin and the Tuolumne Falls. There is a High Sierra Camp at Glen Aulin where you can reserve a bunk in one of the tent cabins. For an extra bit of cash, your meals will be provided. Most people hike the 6+ miles to the camp, stay a night or two and hike back out. In the alternative you can also hike to a series of camps located in the Parks high country. I got an early start and the first time I saw another person was when I arrived at Glen Aulin. In the first couple of miles the trail touches the Tuolumne River on several occasions as it flows through Tuolumne Meadows. Then the river leaves the meadows and begins it’s decent towards Glen Aulin and later the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. At first it’s sedate, but gradually gets more rambunctious as it descends over layers of granite culminating in a series of cascades over the Tuolumne Falls. If you ever get to do this hike, do it. It’s really beautiful, and not too crowded early in the morning.

ON THE WAY TO GLEN AULIN

RIVER VIEW

UPPER FALLS

GLEN AULIN HIGH SIERRA CAMP

YOURS TRULY AT LOWER FALLS

I always try to learn something new in our travels and this trip is no exception. Of course if I think it’s something that might of interest to the reader of my humble blog, I would be remiss if I didn’t pass it along. I have finally been able to answer the age old question:

“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

WHY YES, HE SURE DOES

Stay tuned for the second installment of our educational trip to the Sierras.