Dates: October 4-7, 2012
Location: Yosemite NP
Trailhead: Cathedral Lakes
Temperature: Low 20s to low 60s
October 4 – After putting in a full day at the office, Mark and his brother Rick arrived at my home to begin an autumn adventure in Yosemite National Park. We had dinner at a restaurant in Oakdale where the poor waitress was clueless about Rick’s request for a glass of Zinfandel. She brought out white zin and then two other white wines before getting it right. Rick got two glasses on the house and slept well that night. We continued up CA 120 and pulled off to sleep. Our plan was to camp in the National Forest outside the park on Thursday evening and make our way to the permit station early in the morning.
October 5 – We got up around 6:30 and enjoyed the scenic drive to Tuolumne Meadows. Our timing was ideal as we arrived at the permit station just as it was opening. The air was brisk and I could feel fall coming on with a chill in my bones. After passed the inquisition by the Ranger we were handed our permit and drove to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead to enjoy some breakfast and begin our hike. The plan was to hike to Budd Lake where we would meet up with Jacob who was driving up the same morning. The trail to Budd Lake was easy to spot off of the main trail. The climb was gentle but enough to remind my lungs that I was at 9k feet. We quickly approached the east side of Cathedral Peak and enjoyed a group of four climbers tackling the eastern face. Shortly after we reached Budd Lake, enjoyed some lunch and waited for Jacob to arrive. Jacob arrived right on cue and we continued by climbing around Echo Peak towards Echo Lake and Matthes Lake. The group discussed staying high and traveling east to Matthes Lake or dropping down to Echo Lake and taking the more conservative route to reach Matthes Lake. Since we only had a few hours of daylight left, we agreed to take the conservative route. This decision also afforded us the opportunity to check out Echo Lake up close. We passed Echo Lake and climbed into the slot to the east that contained Matthes Lake. We found a nice spot to toss out bivies and tarps for the night. After setting up, Rick and I did some fishing in the lake while Jacob photographed an amazing sunset on Matthes Crest. There is something special about the sunsets in fall that seem to make them that much more colorful and radiant. Rick hooked one fish with a traditional fly rod while I struck out with my Tenkara (and limited skill). After a quick dinner and chat we retired to the warmth our quilts and bags. Although it dropped into the low 20s, we all stayed warm in our various setups.
October 6 – Jacob and I woke up with the sunrise sometime around 6:30. Marc and Rick are early risers and had already packed up. As we cooked breakfast, we had a hard time keeping the water in our bottles and reservoirs from freezing solid. The thought of tea or coffee was about the only thing that kept me from crawling back into my quilt and waiting for the sun to warm my bones. Once the sun rose over the peaks, it warmed quickly and we were able to de-ice our joints and get in motion. We hadn’t decided what our plan for the rest of the trip would entail. After tossing out various ideas, the group agreed to travel to Nelson Lake and on to Reymann Lake where we would spend the night. The trip to Nelson Lake gave us all an opportunity to practice our route-finding. After a few rock scrambles and taking directions from “Captin Wrong-way” (Rick) we made it to Nelson Lake. The group enjoyed a leisurely lunch and headed northeast towards Reymann Lake. Although it was only a little after noon, we decided to stop at Reymann Lake for the day. On a solo trip I might have pressed on to cover more miles and see more of the area but I was appreciative of the opportunity to slow down and enjoy an amazing spot with excellent company. The afternoon was spent fishing, talking, cleaning up, snacking, setting up for the nights sleep and napping. Marc, Jacob and I ate dinner while Rick fished the lake hard. His efforts were rewards with a small brookie after more than an hour of fishing. The sunset on the lake and surrounding peaks was one of the most stunning I can remember.
October 7 – We got up the next morning and hiked east towards the Rafferty Creek trail. We quickly reached the trail and found the walk back to Tuolumne Meadows a bit anticlimactic after two days of cross-country travel. My mind could shut off and my feet only had to follow the warn down trail and piles of horse manure back to the trailhead. We reached the car and cruised down the hill to meet at Priest Grade Road for post hike meal and beer.
Mission accomplished. We were all pleased to beat the first winter storm and get in a memorable late season trip in Yosemite. It is a great time to visit the park since the crowds have disappeared and the park facilities have mostly shut down. Marc, Jacob and Rick were all great company and pleasure to hike with. This was my first trip through the east side of the Cathedral Range and I would recommend it as a good introductory cross-country trip. I look forward to Marc and Jacob's photos…
