TRAIL TRIP 11
YOSEMITE TO HETCH HETCHY via YOSEMITE CREEK, HARDEN LAKE AND SMITH MEADOW
(31 miles—12 hours)
From Yosemite to Hetch Hetchy is a long one-day trail trip. The following route is not especially scenic, traversing as it does the rather flat forested plateau west of Yosemite Creek. The country north of the Tioga Road is heavily grazed. Feed is sometimes scarce on this account, and the numerous cattle trails are often confusing. Near Hetch Hetchy the railroad has obliterated about three miles of trail, making it necessary to follow the railroad grade. Further changes may be expected as the work in Hetch Hetchy advances.
From Yosemite we follow Trail Trip 3 to the trail junction near the top of Yosemite Falls zigzags. Here we continue straight ahead up the west bank of Yosemite Creek, passing beneath a beautiful forest of Jeffrey pine, white and red fir, lodgepole pine and scattered western white pine. At about a quarter mile (four miles from Yosemite) a trail branches left to Eagle Peak (Trail Trip 9). In tracing the following few miles up Yosemite Creek we often cross pavements of glaciated granite where will be found some magnificent specimens of mountain juniper. Note also the potholes in the creek bed. At three and three-quarters miles from the Eagle Peak Trail Junction the Ten Lakes Trail (Trail Trip 10) turns northeast, following up the main stream. Our trail turns left and parallels the west branch of Yosemite Creek, two and a half miles to the Tioga Road, which we now follow northwestward for five miles, passing several meadows in which are good horse-feed and camp sites. One of the largest of these meadows is White Wolf. The small stream south of the road is the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Tuolumne River. There is here fair fishing but the trout are small.
At a point where the road curves to the southwest, the Harden Lake Trail branches to the right. About one mile northward is a trail junction where the Hetch Hetchy Trail turns westward and the Harden Lake and Pate Valley Trail turns eastward. Harden Lake (Alt. 7575) is but a few steps distant but invisible from the Hetch Hetchy Trail. It is small and contains no trout, but offers an attractive campsite among the meadows and park-like forests.
From Harden Lake we turn westward and for six miles ride thru unbroken forest to Smith Meadow on Cottonwood Creek. Here the Smith Peak Trail turns northeast. The 1200 foot climb in two miles to Smith Peak (Alt. 7835) is well worth a side trip, as it offers a superb panorama. The north slope drops precipitously 4200 feet to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.
At Smith Meadow another trail follows down Cottonwood Creek and leads to Hog Ranch, seven miles distant. Our trail turns northeast and in five miles descends to the San Francisco Railroad grade, which it intersects about halfway between Hog Ranch and Hetch Hetchy. Since the trail has here been obliterated it is necessary to follow the railroad grade which, with pack animals, is rather dangerous on account of the possible meeting with a train. Two miles northward at the end of the railroad is the city camp and offices, and a short distance beyond, the dam-site. From here a good road descends to the floor of Hetch Hetchy, about one mile distant.
TRAIL TRIP 12