In terms of getting to the peaks, it hasn’t been my most prolific year, particularly with regard to the Sierra peaks.  I managed to complete the NH 4000 footers, but my attempts on Shasta, Ritter, and White got denied again and again.  With the wedding coming up, I didn’t know if I would be able to make this trip with Jan, but Chari encouraged me to go (what a woman!). Jan had a commitment on Sunday, so I worked a few extra hours to take Friday off with him. Throughout the week I kept reading about some severe weather coming through the area.  The day before, NOAA still couldn’t quite decide what we were in for. Tuolumne was in the center of three different forecasts. In Yosemite Valley, it looked like a beautiful Indian summer day. On the other side of the Sierra Crest, NOAA predicted cold temperatures and high winds.  In the northern Sierra, they were expecting rather cool temperatures, with snow elevations down to 6000 ft. Hmmmm.

We drove up to Harden Flat, staying there rather than taking a chance of poor sleep in colder temperatures.  On Friday morning we traversed the park to the Tuolumne Wilderness Lodge.  Both Jan and I were surprised to find a very full ranger’s office at the first minute it was opened; looks like everyone was getting their last hurrah.  While I waited in line for a permit, a ranger on the phone asked if anyone was headed up Lyell Canyon.  Yep, two of us. Seven more permits remained, and all of them went to some other station on the phone. Glad I was in line!

By 9:30, Jan and I were headed down the trail from the Dog Lake trailhead, crossing the Dana and Lyell forks of the Tuolumne.  Lyell had a nice pair of bridges on the rocks, but they were marred by the concrete abutments that seemed out of place.  The next four or five miles were pleasant: nearly level going as we walked upriver, with a wide grassy canyon floor to our left. We had plenty to see looking across at Mammoth Mtn and the Kuna Crest, and I didn’t get tired of it as we made our way along. We reached the trail that headed toward Vogelsang and immediately began to gain elevation. All the while, starting at Lyell Canyon, a steady breeze blew. It wasn’t windy, but it was certainly a steady breeze. For most of the hiking, I kept my wind shell, hat, and gloves on.  Only as we gained elevation did I shed the hat and gloves.  About 700 ft below Lake Ireland, we stopped to discuss our plans.  Jan was in favor of camping where we were, out of the wind in a pretty, grassy, forested area. I wanted to go up to the lake, not wanting to tack on an extra 700 ft to tomorrow, as well as 3 or 4 more miles.  I didn’t push my opinion too hard, though.  I told Jan I knew I could accomplish my goals for the next day, but it probably meant separating from him around Parsons and reuniting below Vogelsang.  After I dozed off lying down on the tufts of grass, Jan reluctantly decided to advance to Ireland, wishing we knew what the wind and tree situation was like up there.

As we hiked further along the trail toward the pass between Lyell and Fletcher Lake, the wind picked up noticeably.  I hoped it was just the natural increase in speed as wind nears a pass on the ridges.  Just 200 ft below the pass we started on the trail for Lake Ireland (the sign says 3 miles.  Not a chance, more like 1.5). At first we stayed in the trees, but as we lost the trees the air began to howl. The wind was coming over my right shoulder, seemingly over the low ridge to the west of us.  The ridge got quite a bit taller farther on, eventually becoming Parsons Peak over Lake Ireland.  I hope that the Lake would be in a lovely protected bowl, and we would have no trouble at all. The wind did not let up. By the time I came of a low crest and sighted Lake Ireland, I could see whitecaps and even spray as the wind whipped across. Well, forget that. I started to head down stream, prepared to descend the entire 700 ft back to our previous location if necessary. Jan saw my track and started to do the same. He wanted to take shelter in the first tree he found, but I convinced him to move a little closer to the drainage where there were multiple spots hidden behind trees and rocks, and the sites were level!  We found one windswept tree over some rocks that allowed us to sneak our two tents up under the stiff boughs.  Finally we had some shelter.  After getting whipped all the way across to the lake, the calm was welcome relief.

We set about getting more clothes on and trying to figure out dinner contraptions. It was a little early, but it was already cold enough that we didn’t want to sit around in the open very long. I tried to sit in the sun for a little extra warmth, but both the wind and the sun were in the west, and it was impossible to get one without the other.  With dinner out of the way we started to make for bed, even though it was barely 7:00.  I already had on my thermal pants and hiking pants, T-shirt, thermal shirt, wind shell, down jacket, hat and gloves. I wasn’t hot.  My one-man tent was still mostly new to me, this trip being the first time I’d used it on trail. I was a little nervous about air moving through the walls, which were mostly mesh, but the fly was staked down nearly to the ground, so I appeared to be ok.  I slid down into my bag, warming my legs but leaving the upper body out. Already I was bored, and I had nearly brought a book with me, too. All I had was the Yosemite High Country Map, so I pulled it out and began to peruse the trails and peaks.  Unfortunately, I’ve been a map geek for a while, so I already knew most of what I saw there!  To pass the time, I planned a few more trips around Clark/Red/Grey/Triple Divide Peaks, Florence Peak, Lyell/Maclure, and a few more.  I would have been able to plan more with just a little more information to the east. Clouds had moved in north of us, making lovely scenery over Conness, and now the clouds started to move down toward us. As I laid down to stare at the walls of my tent with plenty of twilight still left, clouds had taken over the sky above.

I woke up several times in the night and had to leave the tent.  The winds died away as night fell, and the clouds kept us warm in the first part of the night. Later, the clouds moved off completely to reveal the night sky, but it got colder and colder.  When I tried to sleep on my side, there wasn’t enough down on my back, so it got cold and uncomfortable.  I tried to sleep on my back, keeping the mummy bag cinched to my nose, but the early hours of morning dragged on.  That was my penalty for going to sleep so early!

We didn’t leave the warmth of our bags until we confirmed that the sun was coming down the ridge above us. By the time my oatmeal was ready I walked the 40 ft over to the sunlight, impatient for it to come to me.  When a peeled the fly off my tent frame, a spray of frost blew into the nippy air.  Well, at least the condensation would be easy to manage!

With our packs full up again, Jan and I crossed the outlet of Lake Ireland and refilled our water. Now, we only had 1400 ft of gain up to Parsons. The route was clear from our camp: we moved up a shallow gully to the plateau, circle around the plateau and head up the slope. Jan wanted to traverse closer to the south ridge, while I switchbacked my way through the boulders and talus.  I found the going to be easy, but I was carrying a full pack rather high into the elevation.  In fact, Parsons would be the highest I has ever taken a full pack, edging the year’s trip to Shepherd Pass by 150 ft.  I reached the summit ridge at the south, lower bump and gazed over the other side. Whoa.  That was a steep, steep drop-off, and the ridge to Simmons was similarly wild, with spines dropping to the valley below. I waited up for Jan before walking over to the north side of the ridge, the summit of Parsons. The plateau to Vogelsang Pass stretched before us, and the skies were clear all around. Views extended well beyond Conness to Matterhorn and Tower.  We saw the back side of Half Dome, the tips of Cathedral, and only sharp eyes could make out Matthes Crest due to the low contrast with surrounding rock.  Over Simmons peeked Lyell and Maclure, but Jan and I argued for some time on the location of Lyell. Jan has climbed it before, but I was certain of what I was reading on the map, so we were equally convinced. Not far down down the north ridge we found a cairn marking the Mariposa county highpoint, the goal for our trip. Although a hiker had found a summit register only a few weeks ago, we could see no trace of it. We continued on for Vogelsang Pass, over the plateau, across the drainages, and wrapping around the ridge to the pass.

At the pass, Jan continued on to Vogelsang camp and on down the Rafferty trail.  I dropped my pack, pocketed a bar and drank the last of my water.  Vogelsang Peak was only 800 ft up, so I didn’t need much. The ascent was quick and easy, with some gratuitous 3rd class moves at the top. I could have gone around them, but why?  The views were similar to Parsons, but still solid views that made it easy to see why the peak is so often visited by the campers in Vogelsang.  I didn’t stay long, knowing the long hike out remained.  I bounded back to my pack, swung it back on, and rocketed downtrail. I didn’t let up until I came to Vogelsang camp, dismantled for the winter. Jan said there was a water tap here, but I couldn’t find it and figured it was taken down for the winter, too.  I got water and doctored my feet a little, knowing I had over 6 miles remaining between the car and me.

Back on trail, I pushed the pace as hard as I could, wanting to catch up with Jan and try to whittle down how late we would be returning to the Bay that night.  As I cruised over the dusty trail, the best view was of Vogelsang and Fletcher Peaks behind me, but not much up ahead.  I paid attention to the trail work that had been done to prevent erosion, knowing that one of my newest co-workers had probably had a hand in it during his college summers. I caught Jan about 2 miles from Tuolumne Pass and we hiked together for a short bit.  Jan encouraged me to go on ahead, and after a few pauses I just wanted to finish the thing.  I don’t look forward to hiking the Rafferty trail again.  At least Lyell has a flat valley and some mountains to gaze upon.  This was in and out of the trees and there wasn’t much in the way of ridges or domes to see anyway. I rolled out to the car, retrieved our food from the bear boxes and settled in to wait for Jan.  He wasn’t that far behind me, and we were soon off to find some shakes from the Sno White.

Another county high point in the books, and only my 8th Sierra peak of the year, after summitting 19 last year and 23 the year before. Well, hopefully it’s only a blip in the progress!  With the wedding coming up in a few weeks, this may be the last trip into the high country, but I enjoyed standing on the crests above the lakes, with crisp, blue skies all around.

               --msw