Our Mount Dana hike indicated that we might need more mileage under our feet before heading into the backcountry.
A year ago June, when our Massachusetts friends Jim and Nadine were here in CA for adventures, we saw that they had a pretty good Yosemite guidebook called “Yosemite, The Complete Guide” by James Kaiser. We got one, had it with us, and picked out Cloud’s Rest for our second hike. Kaiser gets pretty excited about Cloud’s Rest: “savvy Yosemite connoisseurs know that 9,926-foot Cloud’s Rest offers better views in a shorter distance with mercifully fewer crowds” – compared to the Half Dome hike. Hmm, 14.4 miles rt, 2,200 feet up – OK, kind of harsh but we’ll bite.
Up early at camp in the Mono Basin, drive to the Sunrise TH, do what we can to bearproof the truck (which consists of cleaning up the interior of the front; the campah is so stuffed with good food it’s hopeless), grab our packs and we’re off. Pleasant morning, nice and cool, somewhere before the first switchbacks two different pairs of hikers blew by us like we were standing still.
Oh well, we’re happy for them and too mature to be competitive at this point in our lives.
Later, on the switchback climb, when we passed both groups and never saw them again until after we had been on top of Cloud’s Rest for some time, there was absolutely no high fiving or fist bumping between Carol and I, as it’s not nice to gloat over passing younger hikers that don’t know how to pace themselves – right?
Miles and miles of hiking through the trees. Let me branch a little on trees – I love trees, I completely appreciate all the good things they do for us, the animals, the earth, but I do not love hiking through the trees as I want to be able to see something around me besides another damn tree. Must be why I have such an affinity for the desert and alpine environments. As for that “better views in a shorter distance” thing – according to the guidebook writer – seriously, dude, 7 miles of hiking through the trees on the way to Cloud’s Rest compared to climbing up the Mist Trail past Vernal Fall and mighty Nevada Fall on the way to Half Dome – I don’t think so. In fairness, the views from Cloud’s Rest are worth the (long, long) trip.
Finally we spotted Cloud’s Rest (through the trees) and began the last climb up toward the top. Breaking out of the trees (finally!), the views are indeed awesome. On our right, far below, it the entire expanse of Tenaya Canyon and the glacially carved apron dropping down to the canyon is breathtaking. Ahead, we can see Half Dome (and the cables and the mobs climbing the cables) and Yosemite Valley.
I’ve never been anywhere in Yosemite where I could see so much of Yosemite.
We had lunch, took pictures of everything we could take pictures of, had a nice chat with a few folks including a Kiwi that we insulted by asking if he was an Aussie (chill, dude, at least we didn’t ask if you were a Brit – not that there’s anything wrong with being a Brit, but they are touchy about being misidentified…).
More folks arriving, time to leave.
Heading down the hill, hot and dusty, Carol says “thanks for getting us up early!” – yeah. At this point, we start noticing the sad faces headed up the hill in the sun – why do people dress in black, wear mountain boots (for winter mountaineering, sure, for a casual hike, no) and start late? Speaking of clothing, a few people made a comment about my sunsuit, including my hat – I said “You must not have had your first skin cancer biopsy yet” which pretty much seemed to get the point across quickly.
It was a long, long way back, but eventually we made it. I kept myself going by dreaming of how that cold beer was going to taste and how the alcohol was going to numb the pain. Pain – my knee was happy; my back was not. We’re going to have to figure that one out before strapping on a backpack…
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