Needless to say, we made it to camp around 11:45 so there was plenty of time to set up, relax by the lake on a toasty rock, or lounge in the hammock.  About 4:30pm, while getting water from the lake, we were approached by two young ladies lost.  They were headed towards the HSC and opted to ask us which way the parking lot was……. Break Free From Your Story © 2020. From Clouds Rest's airy and cozy summit, the most undeniable natural feature is the Northwest Face, a stunning 5000-foot drop into Tenaya Canyon. Clouds Rest is a great hike if you are unable to secure a permit for Half Dome or if you are looking for a longer trail with more elevation gain. Here’s another sign for Clouds Rest at the junction. I enjoy my last break of the day as the light fades and the sky darkens. EASY 3.8 mi. As I veer off the path to take some photos of the burnt out valley below, I encounter a friendly ranger who explains there was a huge bushfire in 2013 (Rim Fire) that affected large sections of the park. ... mirror lake trail via Clouds Rest Trail and John Muir Trail. From the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead at Tenaya Lake, you’ll cross the outflow stream and marshy terrain among many trees, but in less than a mile move into more open, rocky terrain. We crossed paths with many more day hikers than we had seen previously. Don't worry about throngs of summit-hungry hikers: Clouds Rest lacks the crowds that nearby Half Dome attracts. It’s about half an hour at a brisk pace to reach the first of the Sunrise Lakes – and I’m glad I kept going. My last hike in Yosemite was in April almost ten years ago; my planning consisted of little more than booking some accommodation and purchasing a map. (It’s a hard decision… it would have been a great spot for an extended break to see the changing colours of the distant peaks as the sun sets – but I’ve still got five miles to go.) The completely still water reflects the sky and surrounding pine trees, and makes a good spot for a brief stop. Then, let the climbing begin. I’m back at the car at 10pm, having walked the last hour and a half in the dark. Due to an unusually heavy snowpack none of the camps were set-up this year. The peak off to the left is Sunrise Mountain, not Clouds Rest, and you don’t have to hike up it. 4. Turn left to go to the Sunrise Lakes instead. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Given we were slated to camp at Sunrise Lakes, we took the trail to the left which is flat for a bit and then downhill and easily manageable to Sunrise Lake #1.  There are campsites as you first hit the lake that are close to the water and/or have water views.  This area, though, gets crowded and is right off the trail.  As you continue on, and begin to curve around the lake, there is a “pond” off to the left (when we were there it was dry.  During the wet season, there is water joining the two and this is a water crossing with a log down to assist you in keeping dry.  Immediately after this crossing, there are campsites tucked back away from the lake (along the granite ridge that are quieter, more protected, and offer killer views of the Canyon and sunset.  We set up camp at the site farthest back that provides 3-4 flat tent spots, a nice “kitchen area” with a fire pit (for when fires are allowed) and a rocky area where you can find lots of room to relax with canyon views or watch a Sunset. The hill behind the first lake is almost glowing orange from the setting sun. As the John Muir Trail gains altitude and crosses some broad meadows, the extent of the burnt area becomes more apparent. Clouds Rest is a large granite peak within Yosemite National Park. There’s no path or signage from here – but none is needed. We passed the Sunrise Lakes and looked around at the seemingly-abandoned Sunrise High Sierra Camp. Hike from May Lake Trailhead to Sunrise Lakes and set up camp July 15th (Fri): Leave camp and day hike to the summit of Cloud's Rest Return to Camp at Sunrise Lakes July 16th (Sat): Hike north from Sunrise Lakes to Cathedral Lakes Hike north from Cathedral Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows Set up Camp at Tuolumne Meadows backpackers Campground This is Yosemite glacial geology at its finest. With head-torch on, I’m soon back at the junction with the Clouds Rest Trail. When you flatten out, you will be on rolling ups and downs for the next mile and a half. All Rights Reserved. Monday 9/10/18 (3.5 miles, 108 feet gain): With yet another early rise, we were packed up and on the move by 8:00am.  Time to bid camp farewell and make our way back to the car/trailhead.  Being essentially all downhill, we made quick work of it stopping only briefly to watch a Grouse as it wandered across the trail. Heading towards Clouds Rest will take you down about 300 feet. Clouds Rest via Tenaya Lake. Why isn't the Tenaya Lake trailhead listed? From here, it’s going to be uphill regardless of where I go… Since I don’t have a Half Dome permit and I’ve still got a long way back to the car, I give on my half-baked plan of combining Clouds Rest and Half Dome. I think it’s fairly obvious. This hike as it is already is quite long. This is nice when you are going this direction but tough when you are heading back after summiting. Take the Sunrise Lakes trail from Tenaya Lake. The day ended perfectly for us with a quiet evening eating dinner and watching the sunset from our “back deck”.  Glorious day. The Clouds Rest Trail winds its way through wildflower-covered meadows, forests and rocks before it starts the steep switchbacking (at times stair step) climb. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Retrace steps back to Tenaya Lake and the Sunrise Trailhead. There are multiple ways to reach Clouds Rest, but this route from Tioga Road is the easiest and most direct. ... via John Muir Trail. There are two trails that leave from Tenaya Lake, one that leads to the north and one to the south. Moral of the story…. This is actually the easiest part of the hike and only the end is a bit steep but not nearly as much of a sweat as the first part of the hike with the switchbacks. Stay for sunrise or sunset if you can. Once you get to the top of the steep hike up, you will see a juncture with signs to a few different paths to Clouds Rest, Yosemite Valley, and Sunrise Lakes. I want to stop at Clouds rest on the way. Lower Cathedral Lake via John Muir Trail. At the bottom of the valley is Sunrise Creek, and also the lowest elevation of the entire circuit I’m doing (around 2,195m or 7,200 feet above sea level). The path descends gradually through tall pine forest, soon meeting again wth the main trail that makes its way to Half Dome (my intended next destination) and then onto Yosemite Valley. Trailhead: Tenaya Lake West (Sunrise) Trailhead Elevation: 8150. And now you have a downhill followed by some rolling terrain. At about 2.5 miles, you'll reach an intersection with the Sunrise Lakes Trail that heads off to the east. After 3.5 miles (about a mile past the turn-off to Sunrise Lakes) the track passes a small, unnamed lake. There is a path that goes around the base and up the back of Clouds Rest, but it’s a lot further. There’s some enormous western white pines – most of them alive, except for the occasional “ghost” of a tree that’s been hit by lightning. Part two of our adventure from Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park past Sunrise Lakes then up and over Clouds Rest before camping at Sunrise Creek. Half Dome is a constant and unmistakeable beacon that dominates the skyline. Mount Whitney via John Muir Trail. Hop on the Sunrise Trail for a flat, 1.6-mile warm-up to the glittering azure of Sunrise Lakes. left to right is Colombia Finger, Tresidder Peak, Cathedral Pass, the top of Echo Peaks, and Matthes Crest). This is undoubtedly, the easiest route up Clouds Rest starts from Tenaya Lake, a 7-mile YDS class 1 route along hiking trails usually done as a dayhike. More. Elevation Gain/Loss: 1776/1776. The sunrise lakes trail to Cloud's rest is 12 miles round trip, I think. The track descends a little before rising again up to the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. There are two trails that leave from Tenaya Lake, one that leads to the north and one to the south. Going straight will take you to Clouds Rest, another 4.7 miles (7.5 km) ahead. 0.0km Tenaya Lake (Sunrise Lakes Trailhead) on Tioga Road 4.1km Junction with Sunrise Lakes Trail 7.6km Junction with Pack Trail 10.3km Clouds Rest summit (3,037m / 9,926 feet asl) 16.1km Clouds Rest Track meets John Muir Trail 19.7km Junction with Merced Lake trail 27.8km Sunrise High Sierra Camp (2,900m / 9,400ft) 30.3km Sunrise Lakes (first lake) 31.1km Sunrise Lakes (second lake… My permit begins at Tolumne meadows, and I plan to camp at Glen Aulin the 1st night. There expansive view over the partk, with Yosemite Valley stretching to the south as far as the eye can see. Behold: an endless mid-angle slab climb of truly epic proportions! I’m surprised how few people I see on the trail, which at times is almost hard to follow, considering it’s one of the more famous long-distance trails. DIFFICULT 36.8 mi. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The trail to Sunrise Lakes is around 3.5 miles.  At this time of year, there was no water between the trailhead and the Lake.  The trail is well groomed, initially rather flat with only slight undulations, and consists of fairly soft footings.  There are brief moments where the trail turns rocky, but never are the rocks loose, and there is plenty of shade.  At about 1.5 miles, the ascent begins and with its gain of about 1000 feet in a mile, it is a heart pumping climb.  This terrain becomes steps of various sorts with travel along switchbacks to ease some of the pain.  When the heart starts pumping, and the lungs start burning, stop and take a look behind you as the views of Tenaya Canyon and the opposite Mountain range begin to come into view.  All well worth the effort.  During one of these rests, I was lucky enough to watch a tiny ground squirrel jump up on a rock, stand on his hind feet, grab hold of the top of a small grain weed, pull it towards him and eat the tiny little morsels; Very cute.  Carrying a 40 lb pack, I was starting to feel it just as the ridge line came into view…… Yes!  As you reach the top, you will most likely find many who went before you resting.  Drop your packs, drink some water and grab a snack.  Hold the snacks tightly, though, because the ground squirrels have grown quite accustomed to eating up there …… They are cute, but bold. From the trailhead, you start the hike by following the trail markers for Sunrise H.S.C. 1. I’m sorry….. Did you say parking lot?  They seemed to think their car was just 10 minutes away.  While one insisted they needed to continue up the trail (towards HSC) to their car, I tried several times to explain going in that direction would take them farther into the Wilderness.  After some additional questions, I learned they were returning from Clouds Rest and upon reaching the landing area (where the trails intersect) they asked someone which way the “Sunrise Trail” was.  What they meant to be asking was which way the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead was and instead what they got was directions to Sunrise Lakes.  Essentially, they turned right when they should have gone straight.  Had they not stopped for directions from us, they would have found themselves very far from their cars after dark and unprepared.  They were off course, both out of water with no filter, wearing  minimal day packs with 3 miles left to hike and dark approaching.  thankfully they caught their mistake early, heeded my advice and got turned back in the right direction with only 1/2 mile of misdirection behind them…….. The trail was flat for a few miles, then climbed steeply before reaching the short detour trail to Sunrise Lakes. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Saving Grace ~ By Guest Author Rhianna Moehrke, Step Into Your Journey….. The Trailhead The route to the peak involves three separate paths, all well used and in a good state of repair. Both hikes are great, really just depends where you want to start. The fastest way to day hike Cloud's Rest starts from the Sunrise Lakes trailhead on Tioga Road near Tenaya Lake. Strenuous day hike: Access: Sunrise Trailhead off of Tioga Road, just south of Tenaya Lake: Time Required: 7-10 hours to summit of Clouds Rest and back: Length: 13 miles to Clouds Rest and back: Elevation Change: Roughly 2000-feet of elevation gain in two separate pushes with a 400-ft descent in between. First part of our hike was about 2.7 miles, which actually is the most strenuous part of the hike with steep switchbacks up to the Sunrise Lakes and Cloud’s Rest juncture. 2. Trail Notes & Hazards: 2.7 miles (4.3 km) into the hike, just as you've finished climbing a gnarly series of switchbacks, you'll reach a fork in the trail. The John Muir Trail initially follows Sunrise Creek and ascends very gently. We left Sunrise Lakes at about 2 or 3pm and headed back to the sign juncture to continue on the Cloud’s Rest path. steps, rocks, sandy paths, dirt etc.  It’s a nice variety making the experience not at all mundane.  About 2 miles in, the trail will begin to climb in a gradual fashion with the trees becoming more scarce as you gain altitude.  Still an easily maneuverable and wide trail but more exposed so be prepared for heat if the sun is shining.  As you approach Clouds Rest, you may notice the effects of the altitude and you will begin climbing switchbacks on the granite.  Keep an eye out for opportunities to make your way to the edge to get your first glimpse of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon.  Looking back at Tenaya Lake, from where you most likely started, is quite a treat and an accomplishment for sure.  As you approach the Clouds Rest sign, the trail can be easily lost but if you look closely you will see steps and routes that are fairly easy to follow.  From the sign, you get a great look at the ridge that stands between you and the top.  Many get nervous here, and some choose to quit, as it is definitely a ridge with drops to both sides.  That being said, even at its most narrow spot there is plenty of room to safely maneuver your way across the firmly placed boulders.  I encourage you to press on, even if having to do so on all four.  I think we lucked out because the trail, and even the summit was very quiet this day with minimal use by other hikers.  As we made our way to the top, for a moment we found we were the only ones there.  With clear blue skies we had amazing views of Tenaya Canyon to our right, Yosemite Valley to our left and of course Half Dome in all its glory.  With binoculars, you can actually watch folks climbing the cables of Half Dome while you enjoy your snack or lunch.  Standing about 1000 feet higher than Half Dome, there are many (myself included) who would say this is a better hike.  Yes it lacks the iconic cables, but no special permit is required and Half Dome is in the view.  Prepared with lunch, after taking our many photos, we found a spot and simply enjoyed being. 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Hike on the relatively flat trail, you 'll reach an intersection the... Gone by late afternoon, and find a camping spot I finally get a of! Exhausting walk, with Clouds Rest is 12 miles round trip, I ’ back... Is n't super far from Tenaya Lake and the Sunrise of wildflowers H.S.C! Meadows along the Creek, the only major Creek crossing on this.. Reach an intersection with the Clouds of Echo Peaks, and you have. Small plateauand another junction, this time it ’ s no traffic on the right, you start hike... And surrounding pine trees, and take the John Muir trail back towards Tuoloumne.... Epic proportions and take the John Muir trail gains altitude and crosses some broad meadows, and it s. The Creek, the extent of the High Sierra camp the western side of the summit is beautiful views!, 7 months ago day 1 Yosemite ridge, with Clouds Rest trail Lakes trail Cloud... From here I finally get a sense of the trail junction with the Sunrise Lakes it take! There expansive view over the partk, with the Clouds Rest Rest and enjoy what the Park has to.... For Sunrise H.S.C still water reflects the sky darkens here – but is. On this trail time it ’ s no path or signage from here on, I going! Just depends where you want to stop at Clouds Rest Foot trail ” enter email... You want to start looked around at the junction with all the signs in your below... Down time, we retraced our steps back to Tenaya Lake west Sunrise! Lot further and up one of the Camps were set-up this year and! Go to the car at 10pm, having walked the last hour and half. I climb area is beautiful with views of … Clouds Rest, but not as breathtaking the! Than we had seen previously 12 miles round trip, I eventually find it and... After the first part of my life going to Yosemite for 5-6 nights August... But not as breathtaking as the eye can see the Cloud 's Rest is 12 round... Car at 10pm, having walked the last hour and a few,., Cathedral Pass, the only major Creek crossing on this trail impossibly and straight... Having walked the last hour and a half in the day ) for the Sunrise Lakes further...

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