(32.25 miles--2-day trip)
Owing to the stupendous mountain scenery and the charming diversity of
meadows and forests thru which this trail passes, it deserves to be
ranked among the most scenic of Yosemite Trails. Two days should be
taken for the trip. Excellent accommodations will be found at Tenaya
Lake Lodge, but reservations should be made in advance from Yosemite.
From Yosemite we take the road past ~Camp Curry~ to ~Happy Isles
Bridge~. Here we turn to the right on the main ~Glacier Point Trail~
and follow Trail Trip 1 as far as the trail junction at the top of the
~Nevada Falls~ zigzags. At this point we turn left, rising rather
abruptly about 200 feet and then following up the north bank of the
Merced river. About a half mile takes us to a junction where the
~Little Yosemite Trail~ (Trail Trip 13) continues on up the ~Little
Yosemite Valley~. Our trail turns to the left uphill and mounts by
switchbacks thru a dense stand of pine, fir and cedar. A climb of 1000
feet in one and a half miles takes us to the junction where the ~Half
Dome Trail~ (Trail Trip 14) turns to the left. Our trail turns right
along a gently inclined bench and in one-half mile again branches. To
the right is the ~Sunrise Trail~ (Trail Trip 8). By taking this trail
and branching north on the cut-off route about two miles further, some
distance can be saved by those who do not wish to visit Clouds Rest.
The main trail, which turns to the left, should be followed. It
continues the climb towards the northeast. About half a mile westward
are the two ~Quarter Domes~ (Alt. 8160 and 8276). At an altitude of
8200 we pass a spring. Above this the trail rises sharply by zigzags
to the base of the ~Pinnacles~ (Alt. 9451). A climb of a few hundred
feet along their east flank takes us near the summit of ~Clouds Rest~
(Alt. 9924). A short branch trail up the steep and rocky slope leads
to the crest, from which is a vast view in all directions. This is the
highest of the Yosemite Valley summits.
We descend again to the trail, which turns northeast and follows along
the canyon rim, keeping generally just east of the crest. In two miles
the cut-off trail from Little Yosemite joins from the right. After
gradually bearing to the left, now on the Tenaya Canyon slope, we pass
a small lake at the right of the trail. The lake contains no fish, but
upstream one mile is ~Mildred Lake~ (Alt. 9600), in which are some
very large trout.
Traversing ~Forsyth Pass~, the picturesque trail now descends 1000
feet in the next two and a half miles over rough granite to the rocky
meadows just below ~Lake Tenaya~ (Alt. 8141). This large, deep glacial
lake is beautifully surrounded by granite crags and domes. Its Indian
name, Py-we-ack, meant "lake of the glistening rocks," referring to
the glacier-polished granite at its upper end. The lake and the peak
to the east were renamed "Tenaya" when the last remnant of Chief
Tenaya's Yosemite Tribe was captured here by the Mariposa Battalion on
June 5, 1851. There is here good camping, and pasturage seems
abundant, but horses do not like it and should therefore be hobbled to
prevent straying. The lake was stocked with Loch Leven trout in 1911
and with rainbow, eastern brook, black spotted and steelhead in 1917,
1918 and 1919, but fishing is only fair. Crossing the meadows at the
outlet our trail joins the ~Tioga Road~, which follows the western
margin of the lake to the ~Tenaya Lake Lodge~, about one and a half
miles distant, where good accommodations will be found. The road
continues up the canyon to ~Tuolumne Meadows~ seven and a half miles
distant, and to Mono Lake.
From Tenaya Lake to Mirror Lake are two trails, which unite after
about two and a half miles. The first of these starts from the road
just beyond the sharp bend about one and a quarter miles from the lake
and bears southwest thru the forest. The other, which is far more
scenic, crosses the meadow and park-like forest below the lake,
passing a beautiful little unnamed lake where good camp sites and
horse-feed will be found, but no fishing. Beyond this is a gradual
300-foot ascent along an open ridge. Below is the deep chasm of the
inaccessible and little known ~Tenaya Canyon~. The unbroken granite
abutments of ~Clouds Rest~ sweep down almost 4000 feet. After each
snowstorm these cliffs shed avalanche after avalanche. At about two
and a half miles from Tenaya Lake the less scenic trail from the Tioga
Road joins from the right. Descending southwest thru timber the trail
passes ~Hidden Lake~ (Alt. 8400--picturesque but no fishing) which is
to the left of the trail but invisible without making a detour. About
two miles further is ~Tenmile Meadow~ (Alt. 8400) on a small tributary
of ~Tenaya Creek~. This is a good place to noon. There is here fine
horse-feed, also good camp sites, but no fishing.
An abrupt climb of 650 feet now takes us over a spur ridge and to the
source of the east branch of ~Snow Creek~. There is here a small
meadow at the left of the trail, where good horse-feed and camp sites
will be found. A 1500-foot descent by zigzags thru scattered timber
takes us down a side canyon to ~Snow Creek~, across which is a
foot-log. About 300 yards beyond the crossing, the ~North Dome Trail~
(Trail Trip 4) turns northwest and follows up the west branch of Snow
Creek. We turn left, passing thru a beautiful forest of Jeffrey pine,
lodgepole pine and fir. Fishing is fair, but the trout are small.
About one mile below the crossing we suddenly emerge at the rim of the
canyon between ~Mt. Watkins~ (Alt. 8235) at the left and ~Basket Dome~
(Alt. 7602) at the right. The following abrupt descent of 2500 feet by
108 switchbacks takes us to the bottom of ~Tenaya Canyon~. Turning
downstream our trail enters a dense forest of oaks, laurel, pine and
cedar. One mile of almost level path takes us to ~Mirror Lake~, where
we skirt the west shore to the end of the road. Yosemite is three
miles distant by road.