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| Backpack | 22.50 Miles |
4,500 AEG |
| | Backpack | 22.50 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 4,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | The second leg of our trip started on Saturday morning at the Backpackers Campground in Yosemite Valley. We broke camp and then made a stop at the general store and then headed back to the high country. The plan was to hike to the Ten Lakes Basin and camp near one of the lakes. We would hike out on Sunday and start the return to Phoenix.
The Ten Lakes Trail is roughly 6.5 miles long and gains 2,000 ft. I started a little bit earlier than everyone else and took my time heading in. I stopped a few times to admire the views of Mount Hoffman and Tuolumne Peak to the east. I want to visit both summits someday. I continued hiking and was met by Kyle near the Half Moon Meadow. From here the trail gains 500+ feet over the next half mile as it climbs to Ten Lakes Pass. Once Kyle and I were up there we took a break and waited for Larry & Chumley to catch up. Liz and Claire were taking their time and would meet us at the lake. The views to the north are just draw dropping! There are so many peaks and so much to explore!
After the pass the trail drops roughly 600 ft into the Ten Lakes Basin. The views on this side are just spectacular. Each lake slowly comes into view and the Grand Canyon of Tuolumne River looms to the north. That is another hike I want to do someday. We continued on and eventually reached one of the lakes at the bottom of the trail. Chumley left us and found a sweet site on the east side of the lake. We made our way over there and set up camp. The girls were less than an hour behind us and joined us at camp.
After getting camp settled, Chumley and I went over to the north side of the lake to have a look around. There is a steep drainage that drops over 3,500 ft into the Tuolumne River. The drop looks non-technical but it was impossible to tell from our viewpoint. After a few minutes we walked over to the east to check out another lake. Again it was just breathtaking! From there we dropped back into camp and spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other’s company over numerous libations!
We woke on our last day and wanted to do some exploring while the girls slept in. Kyle, Chumley and I made a counter clockwise loop that took us by four more lakes. Each one had its own charm as it was nestled in by granite walls. We were at roughly 9,000 ft elevation and there was still some snow near the peaks. I really enjoyed this exploration. We covered over four miles and did some very easy off-trail.
We returned to camp around 11am and finished tearing down camp. From there our group started the hike out. After we got back to the Ten Lakes Pass, Chumley, Larry and I dropped our packs and separated our bear canisters and then walked the mile plus to Grant Lakes. There was an upper lake but Larry and I were spent so we turned around while Chumley made a quick trip to the upper lake. The rest of the hike out was uneventful. We all met back up at the trailhead and then packed up and started the drive home.
I really enjoyed the Ten Lakes area. These lakes are stunning as they are surrounded by granite. This might have been my favorite part of the trip!
Thanks Chumley for putting all of this together and for doing 95% of the driving! It was a great group and Yosemite only gets better with each return visit. I’m already thinking about next summer! The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River is calling. |
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