The year was 2015. During our semi-annual visit to California, we decided to follow in our 2014 footsteps and set of on another great American road trip! Our first destination was the incomparable Yosemite National Park. We had just started trail running a few months earlier. So this time, we really knew how to play with a national park. The verdict for this one? Absolutely awesome.
Mt. Dana
To start, we drove from near sea-level in the Bay Area up to Tioga Pass at over 3000 meters. Just as in Death Valley National Park the previous year, even the drive was spectacular!
But the drive was just the beginning of our Yosemite National Park adventures. We arrived in the late afternoon – but it was summer, and there was more than enough time for a mission! This was one of our first mountain missions: we had our sights firmly set on the peak of Mt. Dana.
There is no official trailhead for this peak. A quick look at google maps reveals a serious lack of trails associated with this mountain! However, a park ranger had assured us that we could indeed climb this peak, and that if we were serious, we could do it before dusk.
Serious indeed, we jumped at the chance to get our explore on in the park on our very first day there. This would be our first peak in the Sierra Nevada, and a cool foray to the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park – and to its second highest summit!
Although we’d initially planned to run up the mountain, it wasn’t easy. The elevation was obvious as soon as we got out of our adventure-mobile and stood in the thin air at the top of the pass. We thought picking out the trail might be tough, but that turned out to be simple.
A well-worn use trail led us first through meadows, below groves of massive trees and beside a few little lakes. Higher up, beyond the vegetation, stone cairns marked the way through the scree towards the summit.
We reached the peak after a hard, breathless hike. The views, which had been excellent from the start, turned stupendous. To the east, we could see sparkling sapphire waves on Mono Lake. Looking west, we had a birds-eye view of the rugged peaks and deep green forests characterizing this pretty park!
I felt slightly dizzy from the altitude – or perhaps the stunning, 360 degree vista! Even so, we stopped to celebrate this peak with sandwiches and a snuggle.
Then we turned tail and headed down the way we’d come up, making the most of the long afternoon light. The going was, of course, much easier going down, so we did run a little in the end!
It wasn’t easy to leave – but Mt. Dana had been a lucky, last-minute addition to our trip. Not to mention, a perfect peak to start our Yosemite adventure time with!
Cloud’s Rest
Following a beautiful sunset at Lembert Dome and a sleepover in Tuolumne Meadows, we were ready for a second adventure! We’d heard so much about one special hike that combines some of the park’s best scenery with relative solitude. So we set off, full of eager anticipation, onto the Cloud’s Rest Trail!
This was another instant classic. First, the trail wound around a lake, and then into a forest that was alive with animals. There were active squirrels in the branches of trees, and lazy lizards sunning themselves on trail-side boulders.
There were only a few other hikers on this trail. It was hard to believe that we had this little slice of Yosemite paradise all to ourselves! But we did, and it was a brilliant day to enjoy it.
The sky overhead was a fathomless blue, dotted here and there with cottony cloud shapes. It was warm without being hot. A perfect day for a pretty hike!
As we climbed, more and more of the park was revealed. We were walking straight towards Half Dome, and it soon came into dramatic focus. Cloud’s Rest is actually the best place in Yosemite National Park to appreciate the unique geology of Half Dome!
And Half Dome isn’t the only feature to be seen. There are sweeping views, especially to the north! The steep, rocky-sided mountains and thick forests would be beautiful on any day – but our day was not an average day.
Much to our sadness, a forest fire raged during our visit. Smoke made the air grey and hazy, and we could see it rising up from distant forest. We even saw a special airplane fly in to drop a fire retardant on it.
Although we felt concerned about the park, we were determined to enjoy our time in it. And with that in mind, we stopped at the peak and lingered for hours. We took off our shirts and ate sandwiches, making friends with other hikers who joined us up on the rocky top of Cloud’s Rest.
Our perspective was awesome from there. Although Cloud’s Rest is just over 3000 meters, it is extremely prominent. We could see for miles and miles, and every direction was awe-inspiring. Yosemite National Park’s world-famous natural beauty was on display this fine fall day, and Cloud’s Rest was the perfect place to be to enjoy it.
In fact, this goes down in history as one of my favorite peaks ever. We weren’t in a hurry to leave, so we did a good long sit. We soaked up the sun and those unforgettable views, and were present in a place that is itself a gift.
Heading to Yosemite National Park? Yes – lucky you! Want to hike? If you want alternatives (or additions!) to the Half Dome hike, check these out! Cloud’s Rest is a 23 kilometer round-trip and a world-class adventure. Mt. Dana is an 8 kilometer out-and-back featuring a rustic, quiet trail and a very high peak! Happy trails, today or someday!
Want to see more of the national parks of the US? Look no further: it’s all right here.
