From Yosemite we take the road past Camp Curry to Happy Isles Bridge. Here we turn to the right on the main Glacier Point Trail and follow Trail Trip 1 as far as the trail junction at the top of the Nevada Falls zigzags. At this point we turn left, rising rather abruptly about 200 feet and then following up the north bank of the Merced river. About a half mile takes us to a junction where the Little Yosemite Trail (Trail Trip 13) continues on up the Little Yosemite Valley. Our trail turns to the left uphill and mounts by switchbacks thru a dense stand of pine, fir and cedar. A climb of 1000 feet in one and a half miles takes us to the junction where the Half Dome Trail (Trail Trip 14) turns to the left. Our trail turns right along a gently inclined bench and in one-half mile again branches. To the right is the Sunrise Trail (Trail Trip 8). By taking this trail and branching north on the cut-off route about two miles further, some distance can be saved by those who do not wish to visit Clouds Rest.
The main trail, which turns to the left, should be followed. It continues the climb towards the northeast. About half a mile westward are the two Quarter Domes (Alt. 8160 and 8276). At an altitude of 8200 we pass a spring. Above this the trail rises sharply by zigzags to the base of the Pinnacles (Alt. 9451). A climb of a few hundred feet along their east flank takes us near the summit of Clouds Rest (Alt. 9924). A short branch trail up the steep and rocky slope leads to the crest, from which is a vast view in all directions. This is the highest of the Yosemite Valley summits.
We descend again to the trail, which turns northeast and follows along the canyon rim, keeping generally just east of the crest. In two miles the cut-off trail from Little Yosemite joins from the right. After gradually bearing to the left, now on the Tenaya Canyon slope, we pass a small lake at the right of the trail. The lake contains no fish, but upstream one mile is Mildred Lake (Alt. 9600), in which are some very large trout.
Traversing Forsyth Pass, the picturesque trail now descends 1000 feet in the next two and a half miles over rough granite to the rocky meadows just below Lake Tenaya (Alt. 8141). This large, deep glacial lake is beautifully surrounded by granite crags and domes. Its Indian name, Py-we-ack, meant "lake of the glistening rocks," referring to the glacier-polished granite at its upper end. The lake and the peak to the east were renamed "Tenaya" when the last remnant of Chief Tenaya's Yosemite Tribe was captured here by the Mariposa Battalion on June 5, 1851. There is here good camping, and pasturage seems abundant, but horses do not like it and should therefore be hobbled to prevent straying. The lake was stocked with Loch Leven trout in 1911 and with rainbow, eastern brook, black spotted and steelhead in 1917, 1918 and 1919, but fishing is only fair. Crossing the meadows at the outlet our trail joins the Tioga Road, which follows the western margin of the lake to the Tenaya Lake Lodge, about one and a half miles distant, where good accommodations will be found. The road continues up the canyon to Tuolumne Meadows seven and a half miles distant, and to Mono Lake.
From Tenaya Lake to Mirror Lake are two trails, which unite after about two and a half miles. The first of these starts from the road just beyond the sharp bend about one and a quarter miles from the lake and bears southwest thru the forest. The other, which is far more scenic, crosses the meadow and park-like forest below the lake, passing a beautiful little unnamed lake where good camp sites and horse-feed will be found, but no fishing. Beyond this is a gradual 300-foot ascent along an open ridge. Below is the deep chasm of the inaccessible and little known Tenaya Canyon. The unbroken granite abutments of Clouds Rest sweep down almost 4000 feet. After each snowstorm these cliffs shed avalanche after avalanche. At about two and a half miles from Tenaya Lake the less scenic trail from the Tioga Road joins from the right. Descending southwest thru timber the trail passes Hidden Lake (Alt. 8400—picturesque but no fishing) which is to the left of the trail but invisible without making a detour. About two miles further is Tenmile Meadow (Alt. 8400) on a small tributary of Tenaya Creek. This is a good place to noon. There is here fine horse-feed, also good camp sites, but no fishing.
An abrupt climb of 650 feet now takes us over a spur ridge and to the source of the east branch of Snow Creek. There is here a small meadow at the left of the trail, where good horse-feed and camp sites will be found. A 1500-foot descent by zigzags thru scattered timber takes us down a side canyon to Snow Creek, across which is a foot-log. About 300 yards beyond the crossing, the North Dome Trail (Trail Trip 4) turns northwest and follows up the west branch of Snow Creek. We turn left, passing thru a beautiful forest of Jeffrey pine, lodgepole pine and fir. Fishing is fair, but the trout are small. About one mile below the crossing we suddenly emerge at the rim of the canyon between Mt. Watkins (Alt. 8235) at the left and Basket Dome (Alt. 7602) at the right. The following abrupt descent of 2500 feet by 108 switchbacks takes us to the bottom of Tenaya Canyon. Turning downstream our trail enters a dense forest of oaks, laurel, pine and cedar. One mile of almost level path takes us to Mirror Lake, where we skirt the west shore to the end of the road. Yosemite is three miles distant by road.
TRAIL TRIP 6
YOSEMITE TO TENAYA LAKE via MIRROR LAKE AND RETURN via FORSYTH PASS AND CLOUDS REST
Reverse of Trail Trip 5