My hiking buddy Tom Christensen & I made a two-week backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park at the end of July.  We made a sort-of loop, beginning at Dana Meadows (just west of Tioga Pass) and eventually exiting on the Rafferty Creek trail to Tuolumne Meadows. 

Photos are all by me, except those labeled "Photo by Tom", which Tom took.

Day 1 campsite, just over Parker Pass (Elev. 11,080') at about 11,000' elevation.  Snowbanks, rain showers and low clouds/fog made it feel like late spring rather than mid-summer.

From my log: Sunday, July 20.  6 miles today.

Tough day uphill over Parker Pass (11,100').  Had breakfast at Nicely's in LeeVining - stack of 3 pancakes, could not eat it all.  Order short stack next time.

Into camp about 3:30PM - beat.  Hope tomorrow is a bit better.  In bed 7:30PM.  Really bushed.

From my log: Monday, July 21- miles today 5?

Tom rousted me out at 6AM - had a pretty good night and arose feeling pretty good.  Away at 7:45AM

Long uphill slog on scree.  Clouds and fog blowing in and out lent a really eerie feeling.  Topped out at Koip Peak Pass at 12,250' at 11AM.  Pretty good time for me, though I had to stop at every switchback.  Interesting that I had no problem with breathing - just could not make my legs work.

Met some folks on the way who said "the Rangers say this is the toughest pass in Yosemite".  It may be tough, but it's not in Yosemite National Park.  We exited the park at Parker Pass yesterday and are now in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.  This pass is, however, the highest pass in the Sierra that does NOT go over the Sierra Crest.

Descending from Koip Peak Pass toward Alger Lakes.

From my log: Tuesday, July 22.  6+ miles today.

4:30PM- In camp just below Waugh Lake, along Rush Creek but up on the hill aways to catch the breeze and discourage the mosquitos.  I have my headnet pulled down over my ears and neck and that seems to help a lot.

Moleskin keeps working loose & has to be reapplied.  Difficult to cut cleanly with a knife.  Need to get the scissors out of the first-aid kit next time.

Pack still feels very heavy & is difficult for me to put on and off.  Think putting the sleeping bag on the bottom might make a difference & I will try that tomorrow.

6:30PM Dinner over and the mozzies are out in force!  In bed 7:15PM.

Tom the "Cous-cous" king!  He ate nothing but cous-cous boiled up in boulion for lunch the entire trip.  Swore he loved it, but complained every day that he could not get the amount of water right.

Waugh Lake (actually a reservoir).

Mega-mosquitos at both ends of the lake, but strangly not in the middle.

Photo by Tom

From my log: Thursday, July 24.  5 miles today.

    4:45PM in camp about 1/4 mile up the north side of Maclure creek.  Got in about 3:30PM after "wasting" lots of time talking to other hikers, of which we have seen lots today since we joined the John Muir/Pacific Crest trail on the other side of Donohue pass.  Several groups of 2 & 3 headed for Mt. Whitney - JMT travellers.

   Not sure what we will do tomorrow - I would like to lay-over here and climb up to Maclure lakes, but we need to leave time for (probably) two days to Vogelsang on Sunday, mid-day hopefully.

   Donohue pass was not bad - broke camp at 9AM and were on top at 11AM.  Trail down the west side in bad shape in places.

   Had lunch in tree-shade at timberline, half-way down from pass to "Lyell Base Camp".

    I have a nice lounging rock tonight: best seat of the trip so far.  Sitting on a ledge on my foam pad and leaning back agains my jacket for padding.  Seat could be a little higher off the ground, and much fewer mosquitos would be nice!  Actually, fewer mozzies here than last night.  In bed 8:00PM. 

Photo by Tom (but my camera)

(Above) Lower Maclure Lakes;  Simmons Peak on the right, unnamed peak on the left.

(Below) Panorama of North Maclure Creek drainage.  Kuna Crest on the horizon.

Solar clothes dryer, pine-scented fabric softener.

Beautiful, stark, open country!  Saw no one else all day and spent a lot of time just looking, looking.

Tom led us back to camp down the ridge; looked w-a-y too cliffy to me on the map, but it worked just fine and saved us a mile or so.  Back in camp about 3:30PM for a sponge bath, clean clothes, and laundry.

Looking forward to "Happy Hour": a martini, and a big dinner after a skimpy lunch.

Dinner was great.  In bed 7:45PM.  Mosquitos livid.

From my log: Saturday, July 26.  6+ miles today.

Away from Maclure Creek camp at 8:30AM - earlier than usual.  Down switchbacks to Lyell Canyon floor, then 4 miles north to the junction with the Ireland Creek trail, where we stopped for a leisurely lunch.

Hiking with Tom is a different experience for me.  He talks to everyone we meet and almost always they respond to his open friendliness.  I envy his ability.

Camped tonight at the top of the Ireland Creek grade, just where the trail diverts away from the creek.  Appears to be many campsites in the area, though it did not look promising from the topo map.  We are south of the trail between the creek and a small tributary, just at the base of Potter Point.  Got here about 3:30PM.

Much smoke in the air tonight -  the first we have noticed.  Hope it clears off, but looks grim to the west.  There were many fires burning in northern California earlier in the month and many are still raging.

On to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp tomorrow and our food drop.  Just when packs are down to a much more pleasant weight.

Putting my sleeping bag on the bottom of my pack has been a big improvement, even though it lowers the center of gravity.  I can now grab the  frame at the top cross-bar. which is a big help getting it on and off.

In bed: 7:45PM.

From my log: Sunday, July 27.  7 miles today.

Up and over the ridge to Evelyn Lake; on the trail about 9AM.  Lunch beyond Evelyn at a nice overlook of upper Rafferty Creek and the Cathedral Range.

No problem picking up our food drop, though they would not pack our cardboard shipping boxes back out.  We determined to carry the cardboard & burn it (illegal to burn "trash") at the first legal elevation (no fires above 9600').

Crossed Vogelsang Pass (10,480') and now camped along Lewis Creek, below  Gallison Lake, in trees and granite.  I looked for, but did not find, the spot my family and I camped in in 1986 - but it must be close by.

Big dinner tonight - tasted good.  Put on clean clothes but did not get a chance to wash the ones I took off, nor me.  Should be an easy day tomorrow up to Gallison Lake, then an early camp and probably a lay-over day with day-hikes on Tuesday.

In bed late! 8:00PM.  Much smoke in the air - hope it clears tomorrow.

Vogelsang HSC above, where we picked up a week's worth of food carried in for us by pack train.

    When we first started planning this trip last winter, I discovered the possibility of hiring the packer to resupply us on the Delaware North Corporation  (Yosemite's main concessionair) website.  There was not a lot of information, but a telephone number to call.. which I did.

    There is apparently no-one at DNC that knows anything about their packer services until the summer season actually begins when they will give you the phone number of the pack station itself. 

    The website said "$3.00 per pound for freight".  When I finally got a hold of a real "packer-person" he told me the price was now $4.oo per pound.  When we actually delivered our week's worth of food to the pack station in Tuolumne Meadows the price had gone up again to $5.oo per pound!  However, nobody had bothered to reprogram their computer so we actually were charged the $4 rate.  On top of that I think their scale was "light".. the weight they charged us for was quite a bit less than we expected.  

Tom admires Vogelsang Peak, beyond Gallison Lake.

Vogelsang Pass (10,480') is in the notch to the right.

From my log: Monday, July 28.  2 miles today.

    Moved camp up the Lewis Creek drainage, past Gallison Lake to a spot in trees at 10,500'.  Tom thinks the tarns just below camp are Bernice Lake, I disagree, saying Bernice is furthur down the canyon.  He is off to look over the edge of the cirque we are in to prove it one way or the other.

    I stayed in camp to do laundry and loaf.  Expect Tom back about 1PM for a late lunch and discussion of what to do next.

    Smoke is building up in the west, so we will probably not go for any summits today!

    We are in a beautiful cirque containing Gallison lake and with grand views in every direction.  I was surprised at the relative pristineness of the area... very little evidence of other use beyond a few fire-ring scars.

From my log: Tuesday, July 29. 3+? miles.

Up at 7AM and away by 9AM for a day-hike around the cirque.  We followed Lewis Creek up from the Gallison Lake inlet to a small lake at the head....

(Left) Note my state-of-the-art daypack.

Photo by Tom

... Back in camp after a lot of tiring talus and bolder-hopping.  Tom retired for a nap & I had a bath and put on clean clothes.  It was tough to then smear on layers of sunscreen & bug dope!

Campsite at Evelyn Lake.  (Morning)

Evelyn Lake from our campsite.  (Evening)

(Left) Ireland Lake  from the ridgetop between Evelyn & Ireland lakes.

(Below)  Petrified marmot

(Above)  Townsley Lake.  Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is located below the lake, around the corner to the left.

This "micro-bear" was thwarted by Tom's bear can.   (The only "bear" problem we had).

...last clean clothes tonight- feels really good.

 In bed 8:00PM.  Coyote serenade!

From my log:  Friday August 1.  5 miles today.

Broke camp at 9:00AM and proceeded to follow the Evelyn Lake outlet stream cross-country downhill.    More rocks and cliffs than I expected on this trailless route, but still much better than the dusty, crowded Rafferty Creek trail.  Ended at a 20' free waterfall "pour-off" where this drainage joins the Rafferty Creek drainage.  We started up Rafferty Creek trail after having lunch in a ruined campsite (but with a great view of the falls).  We needed to get further up the canyon to get out of the no-camping zone...

...Now in camp (3:00PM).  Tents up & water hauled from the "creek" 50 yards away.

    We are in trees for a change - real forest as opposed to clumps of windswept firs.  No view to speak of, but we can just see the trail thru the trees, past the creek, and have watched a couple of pack trains pass.

Speaking of creeks, I cannot remember seeing so much moss and algae in the water.  The water here is really warm & "green" looking - barely flowing.  Makes me glad I have treatment for it (especially with all the people and horses upstream)...

...Shared a last martini with Tom, using the last 2 olives (looking a bit battered).  After a full hour of "happy-hour" (amazing how far you can stretch a single martini) I primed my stove with a few drops of left-over alcohol.  Tom was amazed to see me actually light the stuff we had just been drinking (albeit diluted 4:1 with water).  I fulfilled a long time desire to "drink and burn from the same bottle".

Now 7:45PM - in bed.  Up at 6:30 tomorrow (our last day) for showers & dinner at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, then start north for home.

From my log: Saturday, August 2.  5 miles today.

Up around 6:30AM and away at 8.  Trail beaten and dusty. 

Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station at  10:30AM.  Needed a jump-start for Tom's truck, and after learning that the Lodge no longer provides showers for non-guests, we cancelled dinner plans and decided to head for home.

Epilog:  A great trip!  Two weeks in the Sierras, mostly above timberline, is hard to beat.

Thanks to Tom for being willing to hike in "geezer mode" (about 1/2 as fast as he likes to travel, and daily mileage of only 1/3 his usual).  We did cover over 70 miles and crossed 5 major Sierra passes, one of them twice, and all of them over 10,000' in elevation.

The REAL adventure was getting home, but that's another story!