Sierra Mulepacking, August 2011
Part III, Mulepacking with Kathie in Yosemite
Continuing the best-est birthday present I've ever had...
...or back to the interlude between mulepacking... or the first week, mulepacking with the Kentuckians in Ansel Adams Wilderness
After I picked up Kathie at Mammoth Yosemite Airport, dinner was sandwiches from Mammoth Lakes while we drove up and over Tioga Pass to Tuolumne Meadows,
where we stayed the night in a tent cabin all to ourselves at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge.
Next morning after a fine family-style breakfast at the lodge, we toodled around the corner to the Tuolumne Meadows Pack Station,
where we loaded up (well, the packers loaded us up), and we took off along Cathedral Ridge to Sunrise High Sierra Camp.
Below, our night's lodging against the ledge on which the camp sits. We shared with an older couple from our mulepacking group.
Here's the panorama we got just a few steps from our front door, looking east over the meadows.
This is the dining tent. Not at all fancy, we ate family-style each night.
We found out that chefs in the park vie for these camps, where they're all given the same supplies but complete lattitude on how to prepare the meals.
That probably explains the great meals we had throughout the trip.
I don't think the High Sierra Camps weren't chosen for their photographic potential. But in the Yosemite Sierra, views are never far away.
Here's sunset from the granite point above camp, looking southeast.
Next morning after breakfast - no real sunrise to photograph - we left for May Lake Camp, puffy clouds across the sky for a change.
Shortly we found ourselves heading down a steep, switchbacking, granite-stepped descent to Tenaya Lake.
Kathie's mule went on strike, so the packer asked Kathie to walk the last mile.
Later we learned that even the park rangers walk their horses down that stretch.
Kathie was very happy to get down to Tenaya Lake and take a break.
I say, are those clouds over the lake?
Finally we arrived at May Lake Camp, just as a sprinkle started. No thunder, and still a lot of blue sky. Photographers love that.
With the day's clouds and sprinkles, finally a chance for a spectacular Sierra sunset.
Just a minute's stroll brings you to a great dome-like ledge behind camp. This mid-afternoon shot gives you an idea of the potential.
So when my alarm went off, I left the dinner table (before dessert!) and climbed up for the best sunset of the entire trip!
Apparently the camp manager noticed my departure, because shortly after I left
he interrupted his camp history to bring the whole camp up the ledge to enjoy sunset while he finished up his talk.
And to top off a great evening, the camp manager even arranged a slice of berry pie for me afterwards. Mmmmm!
Then everyone went directly to bed, do not pass go, do not sit by the fire.
Next morning per the pattern, no point in sunrise down in the canyon, after breakfast we hit the trail for Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.
A few rainy drips kept the temperature perfect and the colors saturated - perfect to enjoy the wildflower gardens along the way.
After a long stretch of deep forest and bugs, we arrived at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp beside a roaring waterfall on the Tuolumne River.
This time we shared the tent with two pleasant, older women from San Francisco hiking a short loop.
The sun set exactly at the west end of the Tuolumne River canyon, but smoke from forest fires swallowed all color.
But after dark I played with long exposures. The light on these images comes from a few seconds of my LED headlamp, a wonderfully diffuse light.
Last morning. Last non-sunrise. Last drop of our plastic-bagged gear on the canvas tarp by the pack mules, ready to load.
Last family-style breakfast in a large but crowded, screen-walled tent cabin in the Yosemite wilderness.
Last good-bye to tent mates we'd just met.
Back to the interlude between mulepacking... or start over with mulepacking with the Kentuckians in Ansel Adams Wilderness.
All images and content Copyright © 2011 Michael Davis unless specified otherwise.
All rights reserved.
Last updated October 9, 2011.
.JPG "Kathie heads up the trail")
.JPG "Mike on the trail")
.JPG "Kathie at lunch break")
.JPG "Kathie and Mike at lunch break")
.JPG "We shared this tent cabin at Sunrise High Sierra Camp with another couple")
.JPG "Panorama from near our tent, looking over the meadows below Sunrise High Sierra Camp")
.JPG "Dining tent at Sunrise High Sierra Camp")
.jpg "Sunset from above Sunrise High Sierra Camp")
.jpg "Mike after sunset from above Sunrise High Sierra Camp")
.jpg "Cleanup after dinner as it grows dark")
.JPG "Kathie's ready to leave Sunrise High Sierra Camp")
.JPG "View down Tenaya Canyon towards Yosemite Valley, Half Dome in the background")
.JPG "Kathie relaxes during lunch break at Tenaya Lake")
.JPG "Tenaya Lake")
.JPG "May Lake High Sierra Camp")
.JPG "May Lake High Sierra Camp")
.JPG "May Lake, Mt Hoffman behind")
.JPG "Our tent, shared with a woman and her son")
.jpg "Looking east, Mt Conness in the distance")
.jpg "Looking east, a classic Sierra sunset begins...")
.jpg "Looking east, a classic Sierra sunset begins...")
.jpg "Classic Sierra sunset, Cathedral Peak on the left")
.jpg "classic Sierra sunset")
.jpg "Classic Sierra sunset, Cathedral Peak")
.jpg "Classic Sierra sunset, Mt Conness in lower left")
.jpg "Classic Sierra sunset")
.jpg "Classic Sierra sunset")
.jpg "Sunset brings up the entire camp after dinner, dessert in hand")
.jpg "After dessert and sunset, everyone's in bed, no one's by the fire")
.JPG "Wildflower garden switchbacking down the trail")
.JPG "Mike's preferred type of lunch spot - atop a big rock with a view")
.JPG "Last, short downhill stretch to the Tuolumne River at Glen Aulin camp")
.JPG "Glen Aulin camp panorama")
.jpg "Waterfall beside camp")
.jpg "Stars over the dining tent")
.JPG "Kathie as we approach a riverside lunch spot at the southwest corner of Tuolumne Meadows")
.jpg "Our travellin' gang")
.JPG "A momento shot, just the two of us")
.JPG "A momento shot")