Visitors 48
Modified 30-Apr-20
Created 16-Oct-11
0 photos
This gallery is from the trail -- and off trail. "Views of Half Dome" shows some specific views, down Tenaya Canyon to the southwest. The remaining galleries document our day near Matthes Lake.
We hiked from Tenaya Lake (8149 feet elevation) up towards Clouds' Rest and the Sunrise High Sierra Camp -- south. At middle Sunrise Lake we left the trail. We sat out the first of several hailstorms under a granite boulder, coming down a draw, looking for Mildred Lake. By evening, we found ourselves on the shoulder of Tenaya Peak, which Kenji had climbed with his son, earlier this year. Wonderful sunset, more rain & hail! The next day we hiked across the saddle between Tresidder Peak and Columbia Finger -- more great views! Along the John Muir Trail for a short while, then down towards Echo Lake, below Echo Peaks. Around Matthes Crest, to Mathes Lake. (The next photo galleries are around Matthes Lake, where we spent 2 nights.) We left Matthes Lake intending to camp one more night -- but increasing bad weather and threats of more convinced us to press on, past Nelson & Reymann Lakes, over a shoulder near 11,000 feet, through a field of giant granite boulders, and down Rafferty Creek from its headwaters. We arrived back at the Tuolumne Meadows Campground after dark, hitched a ride to our car, and drove home. A rewarding and exhausting day. Unfortunately, I put away my cameras during the downpour and thus have no images from some of the spectacular parts of the trip: boulders, headwaters, hail, and fog. The last images here are from along Rafferty Creek, showing the new snow dusting Mount Dana.