OFF-TRAIL IN YOSEMITE

The next morning we broke camp and drove back up to the main park road. We drove to Olmstead Point, which is a popular overlook due to the spectacular views of Half Dome and Tenaya Lake. We started our hike there on the Snow Creek Trail. It may be possible to start this hike farther west on Tioga Pass Road, but I wasn’t sure about that route. Although longer, it looked like an easy route on the Snow Creek Trail and then over Mount Watkins.

Incredibly, I managed to get us lost right off the bat. First we lost the official trail in a maze of social paths leading to views from various outcrops. Then, in trying to correct our course, I completely misjudged our location and took us in the wrong direction. We eventually solved the riddle and got back on the trail, which stays close to Tioga Pass Road for the first mile or so.

The hike was pleasant after that little misadventure. We eventually left Tioga Pass Road behind and followed a ridge high above Tenaya Canyon. This ridge features nice views of Clouds Rest, and Christy was the first one to spot a huge waterfall in the canyon below. It is Pywiack Cascade on Tenaya Creek. It’s a waterfall I’d never even heard of, but it looks absolutely spectacular. Based on the topo map, I’d guess it is close to 1,000’ tall, although it isn’t vertical. We would get even better views of it later in the hike.

We followed the trail to a saddle below Mount Watkins. Here we encountered a beaten path heading up the ridge towards the summit. A fainter path leads in the opposite direction, back towards Tioga Pass Road. That would probably be the easiest access route, but I’m not sure where that trail meets the road.

An easy climb led to the summit. The views of Half Dome and Clouds Rest are great from there, but they actually get better on the ridge beyond. A long spine of smooth granite extends for at least a half mile or more. We descended to the last of the shade, which is provided by a few scrubby trees. Christy decided to stop there, while I continued on. I continued down the ridge, which narrowed and steepened.

We encountered two other groups on this ridge. The first was a family on their way back. They asked us if we had seen a guy that they had apparently lost during the hike in. We hadn’t. Hopefully they found him!

Farther down I ran into a small group eating lunch on the spine of the ridge. A few minutes later I was about to hop from one rock to another when I saw a guy ahead of me. He said, “I wouldn’t step there if I were you”. I somehow stopped my leap. I looked at him quizzically, before skirting around that rock. I looked under it, and saw a rattlesnake curled up in its shade. I had nearly jumped on the roof of his little house. That could’ve ended badly.

I chatted with the guy briefly. He was a local that does a lot of off-trail hiking in Yosemite. We were both eyeing up the spectacular waterfalls and swimming holes in Tenaya Canyon. He said his dream was to hike the length of the canyon. The canyon is surrounded by cliffs, and looks daunting. Those waterfalls look like paradise though. Maybe it is my dream now, too.

I did a little research on it after the trip. There is a canyoneering route from Tenaya Lake through Tenaya Canyon to Yosemite Valley. It takes strong hikers a full day. It requires an exposed, class IV descent of over 700’, followed by challenging scrambling and four mandatory rappels.

I continued down the ridge until it got very steep. I stopped there, as descending further looked difficult and pointless. I couldn’t imagine how the view could get any better.

I was wrong about that. I rejoined Christy and we hiked back up to the summit of Mount Watkins. After a short descent, Christy got a head start on the return hike while I explored out a spur ridge to the south. This one is shorter, but it leads to even more dramatic cliffs. I descended steeply until the footing got sketchy. That seemed like a great place to stop. I relaxed there for a bit and enjoyed the views of the cliffs all around me before heading back up.

It took a long time to catch up to Christy. I ran out of water shortly after starting back, as it was a hot, sunny day. I didn’t have a filter, but I filled up a Nalgene at a small stream. I found Christy a few minutes later. She was also out of water. She drank the creek water, and it didn’t kill her, so I guess it was ok. I made it back to the car without needing it. We didn’t have any cold water in the car, but we did have beer. That beer in the parking lot was quite refreshing after an incredible day of off-trail exploration.

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