September 15th Cold Canyon to Tuolomne Meadows

Woke up this morning with ice in my water bottle, but the deep chill didn't stop there. The first hour on the trail felt like I was in a meat locker, especially when passing through meadows. The yellow grasses covered in hoarfrost were a testament to how low the temperature was. I guess they call this Cold Canyon for a reason. The great freeze was slowly dispersed as the sun rose above the canyon walls and cast its warming rays over the land. I knew I had arrived at Glen Aulin when I saw people again. About six miles out from Tuolomne Meadows, this has to be one of the most popular day hikes in Yosemite National Park. It's not to strenuous, relatively flat, and the scenery is sublime. A good portion of the trail follows the Tuolomne River, which at the height of the year's snow melt must put up a deafening crescendo at Tuolmne Falls, White Cascade and the falls at Glen Aulin. Unfortunately, in mid-September the water flow was minimal. Upon reaching Tuolomne Meadows, I took advantage of the picnic table outside Parsons Memorial Lodge to eat lunch and then a small walk around the area, reading all the informative signs. Took a sip at Soda Springs, which must be a complete mystery as the sign said that park geologists couldn't figure out why a carbonated spring even existed at that spot. Things that make you go hmmmm. The first stop along Highway 120 was the visitors center because I wanted to get a reliable weather update for the next five to ten days. Followed a path from there back to the huge campground, which has hundreds of campsites. The one I was looking for was specifically designated for backpackers. which was on a small rise above the main camp. At 5 dollars a night, it was a bargain, although it was the only campsite I paid for during the entire trip. With the tent set up and everything situated, it was time to satisfy my hunger. A 10 dollar burger, fries and drink combo was not a bargain, but its the price you pay at concessions in a national park. Stopped by the shop to buy some high calorie goodies for later on and then placed a call to my sister to let her know I'd made it safely to Yosemite. I spent the rest of the afternoon planning my assault on the next stage of the hike, the most challenging part of the High Sierras. I felt a certain sense of trepidation regarding the climbs up to passes and the attempt to summit Whitney. I've experienced altitude sickness before and hope it won't be a problem this time round. Certainly I must be acclimatized by now and I'm sure I'm in hiking shape. Still, stranger things have happened. The evening was completed with a visit to the fireside chat given by one of the park rangers. I got a front row seat to be close to the warmth of the flames. The ranger started out by teaching us a few simple songs. Oh how I wished she hadn't done that. Those simple tunes were still dancing around my head when I was in the desert sections of SoCal. Argh! Anyway, the meat of her presentation was how climate change was effecting Yosemite National Park. Judging by the questions she got after her presentation, it is still a divisive issue. Some choosing to believe that it's just a part of a natural cycle and man's activities are having no effect whatsoever. In the glow of the dying embers, the presentation ended. Being an extremely dark night, I carefully walked back to my tent and crawled into my warm sleeping bag. Before nodding off to sleep, I read a few articles from USA Today under the light of my headlamp.

Pack Train Near Glen Aulin

In Yosemite National Park

Sublime Tuolomne

12 Miles