Stuck in Paradise
The High Sierra of Yosemite
When telling people about my trip, I was often asked what my top destination was. Besides climbing Rainier, my immediate answer was Yosemite. Having lived on the east coast my entire life, Yosemite had embodied everything I envisioned in the American west. And, as an aspiring climber, the history and significance of Yosemite Valley in the climbing world elevated the park to legendary status in my head. I had a sneaking feeling that I would be sorely disappointed by the park, as many people seem to claim online. I couldn’t be further from the truth.
My first day in Yosemite started with the classic Tunnel View sunrise. Watching the sun rise over the valley immediately proved that Yosemite was everything I had dreamed of, and so much more. Once it was up, I spent the rest of the day getting the lay of the land. I drove around, did some smaller hikes, passed time in the meadows in front of El Cap trying my best to spot any climbers on the wall, and just soaked in the fact that I had finally made it to Yosemite. My main event in would be starting the next morning.
The Tunnel View sunrise is a magical experience
After sleeping in a bit the next morning, I headed into the park again to grab my wilderness permit to begin my 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip. I would be starting at the Rafferty Creek trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows and ending at the Happy Isles trailhead down in the valley. Of course, I made sure to pick up a Half Dome permit too. I began my trek with high hopes. I hadn’t backpacked since last fall, and getting to do it in Yosemite as my first trip of the year was something special. Thankfully, the route I chose was long, but mostly downhill. The actual backpacking portion would only have me do 28 miles and 3.600 feet of gain over three days, with an out and back to Half Dome being an extra 7 miles and 2,800 feet. I originally planned a longer, more challenging route. but had to make a diversion. You’ll see why.
The first half of day 1 went beautifully. It felt good to have a weighted pack again (call me weird I really don’t care), and to just take it slow instead of trying to beat the sun to get back to the car. I ran into a few people also enjoying the scenery, and we talked. One couple was wearing a head-net, which I thought was weird. I hadn’t seen a single mosquito all morning! They told me that the mosquitoes where they stayed the night before were the worst they’d ever seen, and when I told them I didn’t have a head-net, they immediately gave me one and refused to take it back. It was at this point I began to get a tiny bit worried that this wouldn’t be the idyllic trek I had planned out in my head. And holy fucking shit, was I in for a fun night.
The Yosemite backcountry is worth getting out of the valley for.
As I continued my journey, gaining more elevation, I noticed that there was a slightly above average amount of mosquitoes around me. ‘No big deal,’ I thought. I’ve dealt with bugs before. It wasn’t until I stopped to take a break in the first meadow I came across where the truth about my situation was revealed. As soon as the pack came off, they began their assault. It was gradual, but before I knew it I was damn near covered by the largest gathering of mosquitoes I had ever seen. I killed 10, and 15 more appeared out of thin air. And the sound. My god, the sound. The level of anxiety I felt hearing them do Top Gun tower flybys of my inner eardrum was insane. So, I angrily donned the head-net, and kept moving, hoping to outclimb the mosquitoes. Anyone who hikes knows that bugs get better the higher you go, right? HAHAHAHA.
When I reached my planned campsite for the night, the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, I ran into two other groups, all wearing head-nets as well. I dropped my pack and began to setup camp, and the swarm damn near doubled. Everywhere I looked on my body they sat, feasting. I couldn’t handle it, and neither could anyone else. Everyone there agreed that this was unsustainable, and packed up their things. The other two groups were heading out to the same trailhead that I came in from. A very, very strong part of me wanted to follow them and just put a can on this bullshit trip. I wasn’t even enjoying it. But, be it my greatest strength or my greatest weakness, I am the most stubborn man on the planet. So I kept walking, picking another campsite another 7 miles away. In order to get there in time I would have to take a different route than before, but this route dropped me down 3,000 feet, so I didn’t hesitate.
Just 10 minutes from the next campsite, I ran into two park rangers who informed that it was still pretty bad in the camp. They suggested I just find a spot in the area I was in to avoid dropping down into the woods and getting swarmed again. So I did. Perched on a cliffside, all alone, I set up my camp to the backdrop of a beautiful sunset over the Yosemite backcountry. We fail to realize that the most beautiful moments are often part of some of the ugliest. The contrast between me having one of the worst days of my life and the scenery that many would kill to get to experience was, to put it lightly, touching, even if I didn’t think so at the time. After quickly making dinner and trying to enjoy the sunset in front of me, I crawled into my tent, and drifted off to sleep on the most uneven ground I could have possibly picked.
Although my situation was horrible, I was the only person who was able to fall asleep to this.
I arose the second day with a graveyard of dead mosquitoes around me. Everything hurt, I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and smelly. But, with no mosquitoes, I was a happy man. I took off, headed towards Little Yosemite Valley, where I would begin my climb up Half Dome from the following morning. In just a few hours, I dropped enough elevation where I was able to take my first mosquito-less break. Anyone in that forest would have thought I was dead. I stretched out on a rock, basking in the sun, and counted all my blessings. The torture was over! I dashed through the day, high on life, and made it to camp by 1 P.M. I had a nice relaxing evening in the woods, and went to sleep with a smile, ready for Half Dome the next day.
I woke at 5. I could barely sleep the night before, as excited as I was. I was out of camp by 5:30, with nothing but some water and a few granola bars. The weight reduction felt incredible, and I flew up to Subdome in great time. As I crested Subdome I was greeted with commanding views of the Valley as the low sun beamed through the mountains. It was incredible. There’s no replacement for watching the world come alive on a summer morning in the mountains. As Half Dome came into view, it was more intimidating than I thought it would be. But, again, I can’t take no for an answer. As such, the gloves went on, and up we went. If you have a fear of heights or exposure, do yourself a favor and do NOT do Half Dome. You will freeze up and be in everybody’s way. It’s really not bad, but it certainly doesn’t feel very safe when you’re on it.
The cable section on Half Dome.
Anyway, I made it up. Cool. Views were pretty good, but not better than others I’ve seen in the park. The photos from the top were pretty sick, however. Sitting on the diving board was a fun experience. Descending from Half Dome was significantly easier, but definitely scarier. Letting yourself fall and walking backwards with it is the only way to avoid slipping or overexerting your arms. Passing others is… sketchy to say the least, but definitely doable. The best part of climbing Half Dome is telling everyone on the way down that you climbed Half Dome. You get to fist bump all of them and encourage them, telling them any tricks you learned. It filled my heart with joy. I took it slow back at camp, taking a quick nap before packing everything up and heading back down the Mist Trail to the valley. After spending 3 days in the Yosemite backcountry, the barrage of tourists you have to fight through to get down makes you appreciate the peacefulness of backpacking so much more. Passing a group of teenagers wearing Balenciaga while you smell downright terrifying is an experience to be remembered, however.
It’s not all fun and games, though. Back at the trailhead, I had another problem to solve. My route was a point to point, meaning my car was roughly 30 miles away. I had to get back, and I wanted to get back now. Another night on the dirt somehow didn’t sound that appealing. So, after wandering around Yosemite Valley in search of a burrito and cold water, I started asking around to see who would give me a ride almost an hour and a half away. Unsurprisingly, most people hadn’t even heard of the place I was going. It was looking like I would be sleeping on the ground yet again. After almost 3 hours of searching, I met Alex. Alex had the same exact water bottle as me, similarly covered with stickers of National Parks that he had been to. After talking a little more, I realized we were on nearly the exact same journey. He was heading in the direction of my car to get Dominoes, so I was able to hitch a ride back just as the sun started to dip behind the trees.
Alex and I made plans the following morning to head to Camp 4, the usual climbers camp, to try and find some possible partners for climbing in the valley. We both had no experience or gear to lead a route with gear, but figured we could coax a more experienced climber into helping us out, or set up our own top rope route. While sitting and watching a duo make their way up the slipperiest feature I’ve ever seen, we met Mario and Tracy, who were setting up a top rope on some easier routes nearby to climb. So, we joined them, and found our new group for the day. After a day of me getting humbled struggling up easy Yosemite routes, we retired to their campsite for drinks and s’mores.
While the mountains have been the main point of this trip, I’ve found that I appreciate the moments spent with strangers just a little more. It’s pretty lonely out here most of time, but when you’re all laying on the pavement of a walkway in Yosemite at 1 AM staring at the stars, you feel a connection that’s beautiful because it’s fleeting. I knew I’d be leaving in the morning and probably wouldn’t see these guys again, so I wanted to enjoy every last second. So we stayed there, cold and uncomfortable, underneath the blanket of the sky, just living.vWe only have so much time on this Earth, why not enjoy it?
With that, my time in Yosemite comes to an end. It’s been a crazy few days, and one of the most memorable experiences of the trip so far. Now we shift our sights to Mt. Shasta, where I can dust off my crampons and get on some snow for the first time in months. Will update soon y’all :)
My horrible attempt at astrophotography.
