Moments in Dirt and Ink

Yosemite National Park DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6  |  DAY 7  |  DAY 8 Green line for day 5. Click for interactive map Morning came and we needed another early start because it would be the longest day of the trip. We didn't get it because we were feeling the long day prior, if only a little bit. And anyway, it's all downhill. Morning on the upper unnamed lake by camp. The lower lakes and Triple Divide Peak and neighbor sporting a last piece of snow. We found our way to the trail to start the long day's downhill. The long downhill begins. We soon came to a junction that clearly told a tale that most people turn left. Petr already took much of that trail the prior year, so that was not the plan. We would be following the higher trail instead. While lesser traveled, it was still very clear and had plenty of footprints to tell of recent users. On a thin and well...

Yosemite National Park Sierra National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6  |  DAY 7  |  DAY 8 Yellow line for day 4. Click for interactive map It was noted that we had started at 8:13AM on each camped day so far and maybe we should try to get along a little bit earlier. So we did. Following the rough, then just faint, trail back to the main trail. We arrived at the junction at 8:13AM, which somehow didn't feel like actually getting started earlier. And then we proceeded up, dallying at every little new thing as two of us are apt to do. A look back at the pond and the somehow better hidden, though much larger, Breeze Lake. The rockfringe willowherb is not actually new. And the Shasta knotweed is new even if it does look a bit like beach knotweed. We arrived at the top of Fernandez Pass, the very edge of Yosemite National Park. I had noted a "Mon 133" marked...

Yosemite National Park DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6  |  DAY 7  |  DAY 8 Orange line for day 3. Click for interactive map We set off from Royal Arch Lake determined to get a little more miles under our feet than we'd been doing, with some talk of going all the way to Rutherford Lake. There was also some skepticism about committing to Fernandez Pass so late in the day. First, we had to wander a little further downhill before catching a new trail up and over an unnamed pass. Along the way, we encountered the first people since Buena Vista Lake. Getting a start on the day. There's no view going over this pass. /> A mule deer ponders if it is worth running off. Over the top, there were meadows with a few flowers and views.

Yosemite National Park DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3  |  DAY 4  |  DAY 5  |  DAY 6  |  DAY 7  |  DAY 8 Red line for day 2. Click for interactive map Yosemite bears are legendary, so the middle of the night sounds of one roaming up the creek were mildly concerning. It is true that most bear-at-night sounds are actually deer, but deer rarely roll rocks around with each step or two. It went right on past without checking out our camp, rolling rocks off into the distance. With morning, we found our bear cans undisturbed. Breakfast was had and we packed up and got moving. A view across the valley. The dead trees may be from the 2016 Lakes Fire. We saw several lesser used camps along the way, but none with obvious water access. While we were looking forward to checking out Buena Vista Lake, we had the few lesser puddles of the Chilnualna Lakes to check out on the way. There are three, but only the two sm...