braindump

May Lake and Mt Hoffman

I’m sitting here at May Lake, listening to the thunder nearby and hoping the rain stays away (not the least so it doesn’t get my iPhone (on which I’m typing this) wet). The road to the trailhead was closed, I started late, and hiking has been slowed by banks of snow to cross, so I’ve decided against attempting Mt Hoffman, which had been the plan.

The lake itself is just thawing, and while it’s overcast, it’s still a very pretty sight.

Well, it’s starting to rain, so I’ll head back down now.

(Meanwhile, back at the village, the author continues to write…)

Snow and clouds on the Sierra Nevada

The day started with a drive north up highway 395, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. There was still snow on the peaks, as well as a healthy amount of cloud. Tioga Pass was open as expected, but there was still plenty of snow around. Tioga Road was spectacular, and I had to resist the temptation to stop every few minutes for a photo. (I took them out the window while driving as I’ve done before.) After passing Tenaya Lake and Olmstead Point (and stopping at each), I reached the May Lake road, and after stashing my food in the bear locker there, began my hike.

Having reached May Lake, there was a couple there that had camped overnight, and we got talking. They’d hiked up from Yosemite Valley a couple of nights before, and were just setting off back down. We hiked back down to my car, stopping for about 10 minutes when it started raining very heavily, which turned into hail. After sheltering from the weather, we reached the car, and they decided to accept my offer of a lift back to the valley and their car.

We passed several waterfalls (Bridalveil, Horsetail, Yosemite), and the flow was good in all of them. My previous few trips here were all in low flow seasons, so it’s good to see the falls perform again.

Home sweet home in Curry Village

The weather has cleared up a little, and it’s much warmer at the lower elevation, so it’s quite pleasant as I wait for my pizza. My canvas tent cabin at Curry Village is as far as possible from the shower block, but nowhere near the section they have closed due to the risk of rockfall (which I hope will reassure my mother).

It’s good to be back in Yosemite. Half Dome tomorrow?