(15.5 miles—6 hours)
The old Buck Camp Trail connects Yosemite with the favorite hunting grounds of the Chowchilla Tribe. It traverses a beautifully wooded country but offers no startling scenic effects.
From Glacier Point we follow the road southwestward about six miles to a junction, where our trail branches to the left. Bearing southward we cross a small stream and traverse a rather flat lodgepole pine forest, finally fording Bridalveil Creek. Just beyond, and at a distance of about two miles from the road, the Ostrander Lake Trail (Trail Trip 20) turns to the left. We continue southward, crossing a tributary of Bridalveil Creek and gradually mounting the slope beyond. As the trail turns southeast along the flat ridge, the wooded canyon of Alder Creek is seen to the west. Two miles further on an almost imperceptible pass is traversed. Just beyond is the source of one of the northern tributaries to Chilnualna Creek. This we follow for about two miles to the main stream, where are good camp sites and abundant forage. Fishing is fair but the trout are small. One mile further is the main Chilnualna Falls Trail. Westward one and a half miles is the Chilnualna Ranger Station, with good camp sites in the vicinity, and a half mile further is the top of Chilnualna Falls. The trail eastward leads to Grouse Lake (two miles), Crescent Lake (three and a half miles) and Johnson Lake (four and a half miles).
TRAIL TRIP 22
GLACIER POINT TO JOHNSON LAKE via THE BUENA VISTA TRAIL
(16 miles—7 hours)
This is a good new trail and is the most direct route between Glacier Point and the excellent fishing lakes of the southern part of the park. The one-way trip is an easy day's journey from Glacier Point. For those walking from Yosemite there are good camp sites and excellent fishing en route at Buena Vista and Royal Arch Lakes.
From Glacier Point we follow the main Vernal-Nevada Falls Trail about two miles. Just east of Illilouette Ridge we take the right branch and continue southeastward up the canyon of the Illilouette. About three miles takes us to another trail junction. To the west is Mono Meadow, about one and a half miles distant, and to the northeast, crossing Illilouette Creek, are the Merced Pass Trail (Trail Trip 23) and the cut-off trail to the rim of Panorama Cliff.
Our trail continues up Illilouette Creek, finally crossing a low "hog back" and turning south up Buena Vista Creek. In a glacial cirque at its head is Buena Vista Lake (Alt. 9200). The south, or upper side is backed by a rugged rock bluff from which huge boulders have fallen into the water, making an excellent place from which to fish. The lake was stocked with eastern brook trout in 1892, 1908 and 1919, and with rainbow trout in 1892. It is one of the park's best and most accessible fishing lakes. Surrounded by open parks of timber, it offers many beautiful camp sites, especially near the outlet. Forage is fair downstream from the lake but is rather scarce early in the season. Ostrander Lake is four miles northeast and can be reached by foot. There are no blazes or monuments to mark the route.