Tuolume Meadows

My Dad, Hank and I drove from Portland to Reno, met Floyd and made our way down the 395 for a little early fall backpacking. We planned on taking seven days to go from Toulumne Meadows to the top of Half Dome and back via a circuitous route. With the exception of PM rain storms on our last two days we had absolutely perfect warm weather.

Unfortunately for my back, I couldn't pass up some of the peaks we were going by, so I packed a rope and rack for a little Sierra granite.




Floyd and Hank nearing the pass near Volgesang Camp. We went a couple extra miles the first day and camp lower down, at Emeric Lake.



We climbed the Cable Route on Half Dome from our Mud Lake camp (named in memory of the two water filters it killed). Strange to go from complete solitude off the beaten path to the hundred or so people we saw at Half Dome.



Here I am low on Tenaya Peak. I came in cross country from Upper Cathedral Lake joining the route a few pitches up and finished it solo in 15 minutes. The route is fantastic with good friction, great cracks and flakes to yard on. Views of the Cathedral Range all the way to the Ditch.



Here's the route I climbed on Tenaya Peak. Tenaya Lake is below.



Upper Cathedral Lake after one of our PM rain storms.