Sierra High Camps - Five Lakes in Five days

Introduction

After too many years to remember, we won the Yosemite High Camps lottery.  Having been closed since 2019, the NPS opened the camps, or at least some of them, this summer.  We were given Tuolumne, May lake, and Sunrise - a three day loop instead of the six days in the before times.  Not wanting to miss the opportunity, we signed up, shifting our planned pilgrimage in Norway by a couple of weeks to make room.

As it takes me a while to acclimatize to the high elevation, we booked an extra day at the Tuolumne Lodge before our official hikes started.

Five Hikes in Five Days

Dog Lake

We reached the Tuolumne Lodge, a grouping of canvas tent-cabins on concrete slabs near the Tuolumne river, just before noon, having transited the Yosemite park entry kiosk with almost no wait.  Since checkin wasn't until 4:00pm, we walked the short distance to the Dog Lake trailhead to begin our acclimatization,

stopping to unload our food and toiletries, as required, in one of the battered bear boxes.  Starting at 8600' with a stiff uphill, I was huffing and puffing from the get-go.

There were plenty of wild flowers and mushrooms along the path.  The view of the lake from where we stopped to eat lunch.

The hike was only 4.5 miles (which included a stop at the ranger station to ask about buses) with 830' of elevation gain, but felt much harder.

Gaylor Lakes

For our second hike, after as restful a night as one can expect in a creaky tent-cabin, we drove to the Gaylor trailhead, right at the eastern entrance to the park.  At 9950', it is the highest trailhead in Yosemite.

We passed occasional mushrooms

and many wildflowers. We saw 3 marmits, a pika, and several squirrels, none of whom posed long enough for a photo.

Walking along Middle Gaylor lake.

View looking back at the Gaylor basin, at our lunch spot near the old silver mine at the top of the ridge.  I stopped to play in the snow pile at the back of upper Gaylor lake.

We walked to and peered over the Pacific Crest, at 10,800' before heading back.  Similar to Dog Lake, the hike was just over 4 miles, but with 1300' of elevation gain, mostly around 10,000', it was a difficult hike.

May Lake

The usual high camps route goes from Tuolumne to Glen Aulin before heading to May Lake.  When we signed up, Glen Aulin was closed (although its open now).  Attempting the usual two-day hike in one day, at elevation, without enough high altitude prep, seemed foolish. I decided instead to start at the Murphy Creek trailhead by Lake Tenaya, and walk to May Lake from there,  at 6.7mi and 1460' a more reasonable one day walk.  So we need to catch the Tuolumne Shuttle to take us the 7ish miles along Tioga road to the trailhead.

The NPS website claims the shuttle is "tentatively" running, starting July 3rd.  We stopped at the ranger station - they were pretty sure the shuttle was running, starting about 8:00 am.

Fortunately, the schedule was posted at the Tuolumne snack bar

although the staff member on duty assured us the posted schedule (every 20 min from 7-7) was wrong:  there was only one bus, it left when it left, about once per hour.  If we were at the bus stop by 7:50 am, he was pretty sure we'd be able to catch the first one at 8:00 am.  The bus runs until the driver gets tired, or there isn't anyone to pick up.

With breakfast starting at 7, and a bus to catch before 8, we had everything ready to go - taking our backpacks with us to breakfast to facilitate a quick exit.  We had a lovely chat with the other folks at our table until our food arrived at 7:38.  We wolfed it down, and scampered to the bus stop to find the bus waiting for us.  The bus left promptly at 7:54 am.  The driver, who wasn't any more confident of the schedule than we were, dropped us off right at Murphy creek, almost a 1/2 mile closer than the "official" stop.

Flowers along the way

Fascinating pattern of horizontal lines on the rocks, recording an old lake level at various times in the past.  Very art-deco.

Mt. Hoffman at dawn, reflected in May Lake.

May Lake dining hall and campfire spot.  

Sunrise Lakes

Start of the steep uphill on the Cloud's Rest Trail

Lower Sunrise Lake: we sat on the granite slab and soaked our feet in the cool water.

(To be completed)

9mi, 1830'

Cathedral Lake

View of the Meadow leaving Sunrise Camp

Our last day of hiking is from the Sunrise High Camp, along the JMT (John Muir Trail) back to the Dog Lake parking lot, where our car has been waiting for us.  The hikers we ate breakfast with assured us the last bus left no later than 2:00 pm.  The thought of catching the bus at the Visitor center, saving our feet the last 2.5 miles, seemed quite appealing, especially since we'd be facing the long drive home as soon as we reached the car.

So we booked it, getting to the Visitor parking lot shortly past 1:30.  After panicking for a few minutes unable to locate the bus stop, the truck emptying out the port-a-potties took off and there it was.  We got on the last bus at 1:53pm, where we were dropped off right at the car!

Views along the trail were spectacular

Ducks at Cathedral lake, where we soaked our feet.

8.5 miles 900' up / 1700' down

Summary

Route of our hikes.