Mileage: Approx 20.5 miles from Happy Isles TH (22 miles from Curry Village)
Elevation: 9926’
Gain/Loss: 5,821’
They say: Strenuous
We say: Surely.
What it is: We were told that this is the best hike in Yosemite. We were told it beats North Dome, Half Dome and any other dome in Yosemite. We were told that the summit of Clouds Rest is a spiritual experience to any hiker who ventures there. We soon found that each of these claims, even the lofty latter, were true as truth can be. This hike starts at Happy Isles and follows the JMT (or the steeper Mist Trail off-shoot) up past Vernal and Nevada Falls, through Little Yosemite Valley, past the trail to the Half Dome cables, up and up until you reach the rocky, airy, magical summit of Clouds Rest. This mountain deserves all the praise in the world – the views here can be rivaled by none. As the Sherpa and I stood at the top, we remarked, quite assertively, that this could officially be the best view on earth. We very well could’ve seen the most beautiful scenic vista on the face of the planet, that fine September afternoon. The hike up is not one to be taken lightly. We started around 9am, lazily taking coffee down in Curry Village…eating a cheese Danish…around 2 miles from the summit, at a quick 2.5 mph clip, we regretted our casual approach to such a long hike. The 2 mile push to the summit is probably as bad as it gets, but well worth the reward up top. We spent nearly an hour at the summit –which goes down as the longest time we have spent at the top of any mountain. We soaked up the views of the valley, the Cathedral Range, the Hetch Hetchy and Tuolumne backcountry.We didn’t want to leave. As we headed back down the trail, I dragged my feet, staring back into the valley I almost physically felt myself attempting to hold onto this image tightly…the way down is easy as the trail is soft and well maintained, but it felt long and sad…as we realized we left a bit of our hearts back at 9926 feet.
Please DO: This hike. It will change your life. Please – do it.
Please DON’T: Start at 9am. Give yourself time. Channel John Muir…
What you need to bring: A camera. This is the most important thing you could remember on this hike.
What you want to bring: Your usual hiking gear as well. And something special to share at the top.
How to get there: Start at Happy Isles TH and follow the signs!
0 comments:
Post a Comment