I liked it so much I am going back!
Days/Nights - 3/2 Miles - 21 Elevation Gain - 2,287 Starting Elevation - 8,714 Ending Elevation - 8,714 Highest Elevation - 10,597 See AllTrails here
Overview:
This is a moderate 2-3 day hike that joins the Pacific Crest Trail for several miles, before climbing up an un-named peak beside Potter Point, after which you descend through an alpine meadow, passing Evelyn Lake, surrounded by peaks on the way to Vogelsang Backpackers Camp. At Vogelsang there is a junction that connects with other trails, but in my instance, I took the decline back to Tuolumne Meadows.
Day One:
Starting in Tuolumne Meadows this hike takes you down the Lyell Canyon, through which the Merced River flows. It is a steady flat hike with little gain and this is helpful if you haven't had a day to acclimatize. To your left is a granite wall with the highest peak being Kuna Peak at 13,003 feet. A spectacular sight. To your right is a series of undulating peaks at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet - ultimately these will have to be passed. Water is plentiful on this stretch of the trip and you are often steps away from the Merced River. The trail is well established and varies between soil and granite. For most of the way down the canyon it is the Pacific Crest Trail. We camped near the banks of the Merced at the Lyell Fork, where it either goes straight on the PCT down to Mt Whitney, or in our case where it climbs alongside Potter Point and Ireland Creek. Unfortunately days 1 and 2 were very smoky due to common wildfires, obscuring the views, but also making it very hard to breathe under exertion, with day 2 being brutal. (Photo's of day 1 below, keep scrolling for days 2 & 3).
Day Two:
Day 2 started with a grueling 3 mile hike alongside Ireland Creek and Potter Point. At elevation and with a pack on, in smoky air, it was joyless. Beautiful and silent, but hard You climb about 1,800 feet in those 3 miles to the summit, passing the trail to Ireland Lake almost near the top. We didn't pass a single hiker on this stretch. Once at the summit, you begin descending into a vast barren alpine meadow, that with the smoke making the sun glow orange, looked like Mars. It is another 3 miles towards Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, and for much of it the trail is visible miles ahead. Evelyn Lake stands to your left under an un-named majestic 11,500 peak, with Emelia Earhart and Parsons Peaks in the distance. It's a short climb up a small pass before reaching Fletcher Lake & Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, in the shadows of Vogelsang and Fletcher Peaks. (Photo's of day 2 below, keep scrolling for day 3)
Day Three:
Day 3 started with water refill at the banks of the bucolic Fletcher Lake. The smoke finally lifting, we were ready to make the final descent to Tuolumne Meadows - about a 7 mile hike, pretty much all down hill. The views were absolutely fantastic, and with a bright smokeless sky you could see clearly for miles. At one point I stopped and looked back - the views that direction were equally exquisite and gave Vogelsang and Fletcher peaks a whole new perspective. This may be my favorite hike in Yosemite EVEN obscured by smoke, so I have scheduled a second trip in September 2022, with the hope I might get to see it in all its glory!
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