ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
My father and I had planned on backpacking around Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park this weekend. But due to 100+ degree temperatures at lower elevations and the active Rodgers Fire just east of Hetch Hetchy degrading air quality, we both agreed to not backpack this weekend. Instead, we would just go day hiking around Tuolumne Meadows at higher elevations and camp outside the eastern gate of the park.
We hiked to Upper Cathedral Lake, a stunning landscape surrounded by wide expanses of granite. Dad said he was feeling "so so" a few days before the trip, but he met me in the park anyway. He did not look good when I met him in Tuolumne Meadows. He was low on energy, his sinuses were messed up and he had developed a minor cough. He was really dragging on the two major climbs of this hike, but his willpower to see the lake with me overcame his health. The morning after we camped, his condition slightly worsened, so he made the decision to go home. We didn't get the trip we wanted, but I still enjoyed his company on this hike and in the campsite. A few days afterwards, I learned that he tested negative for anything serious, and that he just has a bad cold. I still feel fine.
But about the lake. I walked all the way around this body of water and scrambled up granite slopes to get different viewpoints. This lake, along with Cathedral Peak, is paradise. There was plenty of shade, even with the numerous hikers and backpackers enjoying the view, and the water was perfect for swimming. Someday I'd like to go backpacking here so I can see how the light changes throughout the day, and how the peak looks at sunrise and sunset.
We hiked to Upper Cathedral Lake, a stunning landscape surrounded by wide expanses of granite. Dad said he was feeling "so so" a few days before the trip, but he met me in the park anyway. He did not look good when I met him in Tuolumne Meadows. He was low on energy, his sinuses were messed up and he had developed a minor cough. He was really dragging on the two major climbs of this hike, but his willpower to see the lake with me overcame his health. The morning after we camped, his condition slightly worsened, so he made the decision to go home. We didn't get the trip we wanted, but I still enjoyed his company on this hike and in the campsite. A few days afterwards, I learned that he tested negative for anything serious, and that he just has a bad cold. I still feel fine.
But about the lake. I walked all the way around this body of water and scrambled up granite slopes to get different viewpoints. This lake, along with Cathedral Peak, is paradise. There was plenty of shade, even with the numerous hikers and backpackers enjoying the view, and the water was perfect for swimming. Someday I'd like to go backpacking here so I can see how the light changes throughout the day, and how the peak looks at sunrise and sunset.
