The hike may also be a snow shoe trip or may be a kayak trip, but it will not be of our travels. If you wish to see our travel pictures visit us at:

http://www.gherryandmolly.blogspot.com

Friday, October 7, 2011

The end of up and the end of down

 

We left our camp on Rush Creek and started up Donahue Pass.

Day 10-1

The guides and the trail description speak of the pass as though it will be our hardest test.  It was over 11,000 feet high, but several of our other passes were just under 11,000 feet and a couple of hundred feet doesn’t make that much difference. In addition, we were already above 10,000 feet when we started this ascent, so it was really a pleasant walk. In less than two hours were in the high, high country.

Day 10-2

and a few minutes later there was no more up.  We had reached the summit of the pass

Day 10-3

 

 

Day 10-4

and it was all down hill from her. Down below you see Lyell Meadows, the Yosemite “high” country leading out to Tuolumne Meadows.

Day 10-6

We plunged over the crest

Day 10-7

went past Mt Lyell and its glaciers

Day 10-8

The trip down to the bottom of Lyell Canyon

Day 10-11

was very steep and I thought that it was more tiring than the trip up to Donahue Pass.  It certainly took a lot longer, but eventually we reached the canyon floor and the end of down. A scant twelve miles from the end of the trail.

Day 10-12

We set up camp in the valley, swatted our last mosquito

Day 12-2

and by noon the nest day we were hiking along the Tuolumne River

Day 12-4

and crossing the bridge to the land of cold beer, no more hiking boots, and an air conditioned van we could lay back in and enjoy the ride.

Day 12-3

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