Backpacking Yosemite's High Sierra

I had planned this trip for months. My first attempt at a permit was denied, simply because the Sunrise and Cathedral trailheads are so popular. So, instead of a three day trip, I made it a four day trip and just started at a trailhead further away. Then I waited the long months once that permit was approved, only to sit agonized as the snow pack was twice as heavy this year and refusing to melt. Normally these trails are open by the end of June. Here we were, end of July, and I was not certain it would be safe. I don't have the skills to backpack in the snow with a covered trail. I went back and forth for two weeks switching my route, coming up with back up plans. Only to go back to my original plan, on the encouragement of a couple rangers, who believed that the snow would finally be mostly melted. And it worked out! Here's our route and plan:

Day #1: Get up at 4:45am, drive to Yosemite, pick up permits at Big Oak Flat station by 10am, drive to Tuolumne Meadows, eat sandwiches and leave one car at Cathedral trailhead (our trail exit). Drive to May Lake to Snow Creek trailhead, park second car, and hit the trail. Backpack 4.6mi down trail to Mt. Watkins and then climb about 1mi off trail UP Mt. Watkins off trail. Camp on peak.

Day #2: Backpack down Mt. Watkins back to trail, and continue on to Olmsted Point, then Tenaya Lake, then up the Sunrise trailhead to the Cloud's Rest Junction. Total mileage about 9mi for the day.

Day #3: Summit Cloud's Rest without packs (9mi roundtrip hike from campsite). Retrieve packs, trek another 3.4mi over Sunrise Mountains to north of Sunrise High Sierra Camp.

Day #4: Final day- trek 6.6 miles with packs to Cathedral Trailhead, plus a 1mi roundtrip hike to/from Lower Cathedral Lake. Drive home.

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Trip Length: 3 days
Blog Entries: 4
Photos: 123
Words: 5992

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Blog Entries

Date	Blog Title	Location
July 22nd 2017	Sunset on Mt. Watkins	North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park
July 23rd 2017	Late Night Lightning	North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park
July 24th 2017	Summiting Cloud's Rest	North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park
July 25th 2017	Cathedral Lakes	North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park