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Clouds Rest and Half Dome
21 images in this album on 3 pages.
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Long day hike from the Sunrise Trialhead to the tops of Clouds Rest and Half Dome
A more recent, later in the season hike of just Clouds Rest is here

I've climbed Half Dome once a year for the past 7-8 years and decided to tack this years trip onto my weekend plans. This is the third year I've done the trip from Sunrise rather than Happy Isles, as I find this route to be much more senic and less crowded than the trial from the Valley floor. It's a bit of workout- 26 or so miles with 7500ft of elevation gain, but the effort is more than worth it.

I usually do this hike in the fall, and thus I was dismayed to discover that in late June "Tenaya" is apparantly the Native American word for "lake with millions of mosquitos". The lower portions of the trail were blanketed with the bugs, who laughed at my DEET coating and made the early and late hours of the trip a miserable experience.

After having spent the night at the Tuolumne Meadows campground, I packed and made the short drive to the trailhead around 5:30. We're only a week off of the solstice and I used all 16 or so hours of daylight to complete the trip, getting to watch both the sunrise and sunset from the first ridge near the trailhead. Got back to the parking lot around 9pm and began the 4 hour drive back to Mountain View.

TL
Sunrise trailhead. Stashed my pack in one of the bear boxes before heading out.
BB
Sunrise trailhead. Stashed my pack in one of the bear boxes before heading out.
Viewed: 535 times.
06/29/2003 05:54 AM
TL
Not a good start to the day. The trail crosses Tenaya creek very shortly after the trailhead and the water level was above the stepping stones. I didn't want to start the trip with wet shoes, so I stopped to take them off and did the crossing barefoot. This effort was somewhat complicated by the sandy soil, lack of anyplace to sit, and the swarms of mosquitoes. Tenaya creek flows out of Tenaya lake about 100 feet upstream from here.
BB
Not a good start to the day. The trail crosses Tenaya creek very shortly after the trailhead and the water level was above the stepping stones. I didn't want to start the trip with wet shoes, so I stopped to take them off and did the crossing barefoot. This effort was somewhat complicated by the sandy soil, lack of anyplace to sit, and the swarms of mosquitoes. Tenaya creek flows out of Tenaya lake about 100 feet upstream from here.

Last comment 07/02/2003.
Viewed: 769 times.
06/29/2003 06:00 AM
TL
Over the first ridge near the junction of the Sunrise Lake trail.
BB
Over the first ridge near the junction of the Sunrise Lake trail.
Viewed: 631 times.
06/29/2003 07:30 AM
TL
Reliable stream in the valley where I usually stop for water (thus avoiding having to carry water for the first 4 miles)
BB
Reliable stream in the valley where I usually stop for water (thus avoiding having to carry water for the first 4 miles)
Viewed: 488 times.
06/29/2003 08:08 AM
TL
Up the ridge for a first view of Clouds Rest. For some reason, the USGS does not like apostrophes and thus there is not one in Clouds Rest.
BB
Up the ridge for a first view of Clouds Rest. For some reason, the USGS does not like apostrophes and thus there is not one in Clouds Rest.
Viewed: 608 times.
06/29/2003 08:50 AM
TL
View of Tenaya canyon and Lake Tenaya from Clouds Rest
BB
View of Tenaya canyon and Lake Tenaya from Clouds Rest
Viewed: 750 times.
06/29/2003 09:03 AM
TL
Clouds Rest summit with Half Dome in the distance to the right.
BB
Clouds Rest summit with Half Dome in the distance to the right.

Last comment 04/22/2007.
Viewed: 1731 times.
06/29/2003 09:16 AM
TL
Mount Dana (in the center, on the horizen) viewed from the Cloud's Rest summit.
BB
Mount Dana (in the center, on the horizen) viewed from the Cloud's Rest summit.

Viewed: 780 times.
06/29/2003 09:21 AM
TL
Half Dome from the Clouds Rest summit
BB
Half Dome from the Clouds Rest summit
Viewed: 1494 times.
06/29/2003 09:26 AM
   
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