Twenty years ago this month, I first set foot in the Ansel Adams Wilderness just west of the ski town Mammoth, CA. It was my first ever backpacking trip, and I resisted it like bad medicine - thought it would be too much work. Walking up steep mountains, sucking in thin air, carrying everything you need on your back...who needs that? Little did I know, I would be totally taken with this particular part of the world and that a lifetime of epic backpacking adventures was about to begin. I loved it.
My buddy Chris and I wanted to get out of town and into the wilderness, and since we had an entire week I suggested going to the Sierras. It has been probably 10 years since I've been, and even longer to my favorite Ansel Adams Wilderness. I knew that hiking from Mammoth to Yosemite was a popular trek, so we decided on that. Leaving his car on the Yosemite Valley floor, we took a bus/taxi/shuttle over to Mammoth and walked back all the way back. Several 11,000+ ft mountain passes later, we arrived back where we started under the watchful gaze of Half Dome.
I hadn't done a multiple day, long, difficult backpacking trip in years - and this was Chris's first ever trip! Everything went according to plan - I gotta say, we were total studs.
If you want to see more pictures, you can visit my Flickr page.
We arrived on the glorious Yosemite Valley floor only to be completely annoyed by the hoards of ice-cream licking tourists. We got outta there as fast as possible...
A familiar sight - the beginning of the trail in Agnew Meadows.
Ahhh - the High Trail approaching the Minarets, Mt Banner and Mt Ritter.
Campsite at 1000 Island Lake under Mt Banner - can you say "stunning"?!
Headed out the next morning in gale-force winds to go up and over Donohue Pass at 11,056 ft.
I love this photo of Chris coming up over the pass because of the view - look at those mountain peaks behind him...they go forever!
View from the pass towards our next destination - the bucolic Lyell Valley in Yosemite National Park.
Looking back at Donohue Pass from the banks of the trout-filled Lyell River.
After a night in the valley, we headed right back up to 11,000 ft.
The dry Sierra forests at treeline are simply amazing and look like no other place.
Chris, back in the high altitudes...
Alpine lake and meadow at 10,300 ft.
Takin in the sights on the 10,500 meadowy plateau.
More mountain peaks going on forever and ever...
Vogelsang Peak
From Vogelsang it was all downhill - 11,000 ft to 4,000 ft on the Yosemite Valley floor. The steep downhill trails were punctuated by all sorts of little meadows and more trout-filled streams.
More mountains appearing.
Getting down in elevation also means you get into the big forests.
Gorgeous Merced Lake against the granite walls that are a signature of Yosemite.
Classic Yosemite scene.
The back of Half Dome - we're getting close to the car!
Vernal Falls, a Yosemite landmark.
One. Mile. To. Go.
A different view of the Yosemite Valley.
On the long drive home (we took 395 all the way to Bend, OR!), we gambled in Reno, ate lunch at a muy authentico taco truck, and had dinner and celebratory beverages at Timberline Lodge!
Dusk on Mt Hood, just outside of Timberline Lodge.
