Central
California Donner
Pass to Walker
Pass 505 miles
Echo
Lake to Tuolumne Meadows Sunday
13th September Our next section of the hike at 155 miles to Tuolumne
Meadows was to be one of the longest between resupplies and, with
the reputation of consisting of lots of steep climbs, we made sure
we had plenty of food for fuel to keep us going for the estimated
seven days hike. Sam, the owner of the Sunset Lodge where we stayed
kindly gave us a lift from South Lake Tahoe back up to the trail at
Echo Lake. Here we left a note for Hikin Mike as we hoped to meet
up with him along the trail.
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| Martina
by mountain cedar trees |
Frog
Lake sunset |
We
sped off southwards from Echo Lake a bit late at 11am over rolling
hills and granite outcrops to camp with an excellent sunset at Frog
Lake. We hiked 17 miles that day and were aware we would have to average
a bit more than 20 miles per day for the next 6 days to meet Eric
and Gordon as agreed at Tuolumne Meadows. Next day we met a northbound
PCT hiker, Alison, who we
had last seen way back in Wrightwood in Southern California. Then
she had been with her partner Richard who had since stopped hiking
and Alison was continuing on (bravely we thought) solo.
We
met up with Hikin Mike near Eagle Creek and enjoyed an excellent and
varied day hiking south at and above the tree line with stunted cedars,
fine mountains and sparkly lakes to be seen.
Mike
left us at Sonora road pass to attend a wedding, after which we climbed
up on to the ridge crest where
we collected some 'grainy' water from a snow patch right on the
ridge.
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Evening hiking on the crest
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Our
hiking rate was increasing again and we managed 26 miles the next
day to put us back on target for our Tuolumne Meadows rendezvous.
At Dorothy Lake we met some rangers on horseback out looking for an
escapee horse that had been lost by a tourist! Unfortunately we couldn't
help them. The route crossed a few deep canyon like valleys giving
us lots of ascent and descent but the sweeps of granite slabs and
walls and the wilderness feel made up for it easily. Our hiking was
going well in this scenic area and with 10 miles to Tuolumne we saw
Eric hiking out to greet us.
Gordon
appeared as well at the waterfalls of Glen Aulin- his tendon had recovered
sufficiently to be able to hike out for a 14 mile round trip to here.
After a cool dip in the pool below the waterfall we made the final
seven miles to the road at Tuolumne Meadows in style and the four
of us had a celebratory huge Mexican meal in the nearby town of Lee
Vining that evening.
Next,
we join with the John Muir Trail past Yosemite National Park.....
