If yesterday was “big canyon day”, today was lake, pond, mud and mosquito day!  We had to hike in headnets almost all day, and put on full raingear to protect us from the starving hordes of mossies every time we took a break, but yahoo, we passed the 1,000 mile mark, and we made it out of Yosemite!

Getting up was hard– our clothes were still wet from last night’s late ford, and we hadn’t slept well because the mosquitoes didn’t go to bed last night.  Usually they do, and we can sleep in peace even without a net tent.  Not last night!  And as soon as we started to get up, hungry mosquitoes pounced on us as fast as they could. But the long climb up to Macomb Pass took care of any shivers, the wildflowers were lovely, and we were amused by the fact that PCT’s scenic lakeshore route by Wilma Lake was actually underwater, in the lake. (We had to bushwhack another route).

Again, a comment on Yosemite trails.  We early season hikers hardly ever get to use them!  They are either so muddy and wet that we have to make our own trail, or so rough and rocky that it’s slow going–or even (as this morning) completely underwater!  I think that the folks who plan trail routes ought to come up into the mountains this time of year and take a look at the conditions! 

There was a long, viewless uphill-through-forest section of the PCT, enlivened somewhat by the good-size nearby creek that occasionally went into cascades and falls that were quite impressive.  We also started leapfrogging with some other hikers (some of them were slower–we caught up with Uri, Jaybird and Alex–and some were faster–they caught up with us!)  We stopped for lunch in Grace Meadow, and enjoyed the lovely view there. 

Then came a slog up to Dorothy Lake on a rough, steep trail, but hooray!  At the lake, the WIND was blowing.  No mosquitoes! When we finished the walk around the lake and the  final climb to the top of Dorothy Lake Pass  (which is the exit from Yosemite) we were standing in the snow by the almost-buried sign at the Yosemite border, cheering and yelling “Throw the bear cans in the lake!” when Jaybird came along and wondered what was going on.

“We’re so done with Yosemite!” we told him. Then we hiked happily along the nice, smooth dirt trail… till it disappeared into the snow, and we were back to hunting for the trail.  Sigh. But eventually we located it again and made it all the way down to Walker Meadow, where at last we got to put up the net tent and sleep in peace! (We put up the tarp, too–it was getting cloudy)   The alpenglow on the mountains across the way as we were setting up camp amid swarms of mosquitoes was very beautiful, though.  It feels so good to know we’ve reached the 1,000 mile mark, and there’s only one more big pass to go!

Walk to Rauros:  Trees begin thinning on either side of the river

Tags: Dorothy Lake, Malcomb Pass, Wilma Lake, Yosemite