May 15, 2025 - Yosemite Backpack

 

Title: May 15, 2025 - Yosemite Backpack

Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons :  Menu : Extra Photo's :  Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Backpacking 

Trail head: McGurk Meadow Trailhead

Trail: McGurk Meadow, Pohono Trail

Destination: Bridalveil Creek

Distance:  2.12 miles

Start Time: 10:45

End Time:    12:04

Travel Time:  1:19  (1.61 mph)

Moving Time: 1:06   (1.93 mph)

Elevation Rise:  334'

Descent: 507‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,084'

GPS Tracks

 

 

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Bridalveil Creek

Trail:  Pohono Trail

Destination: Dewey Point

Distance:  5.23 miles 

Start Time: 1:57

End Time:   7:05

Travel Time: 5:07  (1.02 mph)

Moving Time: 3:42   (1.41 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,266 '

Descent: 1,203‘+

Maximum Elevation: 7,351'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I get to go backpacking with my kids. Well, at least two of them-Rachel and Steven. It did not work out for us to backpack last weekend when Andrea was with us. Still, it is good to be out there. Two more things: they are no longer kids and two, we do not know if we are really going to be able to backpack. When I go to recreation.gov, it shows no permits are available anyplace in Yosemite. Our plan is to go to Yosemite and see if we can find availability. If not, we will do a day hike today, return to Fresno and go on a hike tomorrow with Sherri.

The three of us say our farewells to Sherri and leave at 7:45. I am driving. We stopped in Oakhurst at MacDonalds for some substance. Then at the Visitor’s Information. Both the Park and Sierra National Forest no longer have a presence there. All which the docent can tell us is that we will need to go into the Valley to get our permit. We enter the Park and go to the Wawona Ranger Station, which is closed. But I notice they have a bulletin board out in front. Is it possible we can do self-registration? Yes!

 

Now the question is where to go? I proposed a couple of places: Alder Falls or Bridalveil Creek. We chose the more relaxing trip to Bridalveil Creek. We set off for the McGurk Meadow Trailhead and arrived about 10:30. It takes us a few minutes to get ready, but our feet touch dirt at about 10:45.

Rachel's Log Crossing

Sherri and I have gone down this trail all the way to Dewey Point as a day hike. Also nine years ago, Sherri, Sonya and I did an overnighter on this trail after an aborted JMT and Chain Lake trips. Memories. That is one good thing about taking a walk down a trail you know well.

But today is a day for new memories with my son and daughter. We go the first ¾ mile down to McGurk Cabin. Here I make my usual comment that McGurk must have been a pygmy as the doorway to his cabin is only about 3’ tall. Then we see the beginnings of the greens of his meadow. Somehow this meadow which does not look that big continues for over a mile. It is a breath of refreshment, especially since so far we have not attracted any mosquitos.

There are two notable things about the trail today. First, there are good patches of snow, even about 10-15 yards long. Nothing which causes a problem, just being on the alert for any ice under the snow. Then the other thing is the trail crew, if we have any things year, has not been out yet. It is a bit early for them. There are numerous logs across the trail. Some we go around, some we go over and one tree we do a limbo under. I guess I am going to get my exercise today.

We get to the junction with the Pohono

Looking east from Dewey Point

trail pretty quickly-after all it is mostly downhill. It is about a quarter mile to Bridalveil Creek. Once there, the mission is to find a campsite. While the area is pretty level, there is a slope to it. For Steven, that does not matter as he sets up his hammock. For Rachel and I who will be sharing a tent, it does. But we find a place which is reasonable and pitch our tent. Then it is on to lunch as it is a little past noon now.

We discussed what we wanted to do. It was decided to go to Dewey Point, only a little more than two miles away. The trail does have some debris, but not the number of downed trees like we encountered from McGurk. The trail leads us around the Valley rim, but never at a place where we have a few. It is mostly forested.

There is a sense of a rolling uphill towards Dewey Point. I am breathing hard, but by stopping occasionally I make it to the Point a little after 4. The view is spectacular. Anytime you look into the Valley, it is enough to take your breath away. Today it is not only figuratively, but literally. But Yosemite provides even a better backdrop. The snow is still heavy above 8,000’. Tops of mountains show a bit of granite but their flanks are coats of white. One can stay here a long time just gazing. God does know how to paint a picture.

Rachel takes a picture of our conquest. Then I leave a few minutes ahead of them. I realize that I am the weak link of this party, so I leave a few minutes before the others. I start off following some footprints to the southeast of Dewey, but quickly realize this is not the way. I spot the mileage marker just 20 yards away and head towards that.

 

When I got back on the trail, something did not seem right, so I stopped to let my body catch up with what I wanted to do. The next thing I know, Steven is asking if I am OK. I am wondering where I am, as in why am I on the ground. From what Steven said, I was out for about ten seconds. After a couple of minutes I got up, a bit concerned about what happened. Rachel puts her Apple watch on me to get some heartbeat and O2 readings. I looked at my CGM to make sure I did not go low. Everything looks good. Heart rate 115-130, O2 low 90’s and blood sugars at 180. After some discussion, we decided to call my brother David who has had some EMT training. We described the situation. He walked us through some of the concerns and possibilities.

With David’s input, we discussed what to do. I am feeling better, so the decision is to try to walk back at least to the junction, about two miles and see how I am doing. Rachel keeps David on the phone until we leave the service area. But that is not too much of a concern as both Rachel and I have PLB’s. Steven walks in front of me, pacing me, with Rachel making sure I look OK. The pacing is slow, very slow with lots of breaks.

 We get to the junction and I am doing OK. So Steven goes quickly to camp to draw water for dinner. By the time I get to camp, it is 7pm. Fortunately there is a lot of sunlight left. I rest while Steven and Rachel prepare dinner. Dinner is freeze dried lasagna and chicken pot pie. We have a little bit more than we needed. Still it is better to have too much than not enough.

By this time, the sky is darkening. But even more which we are aware of is that it is getting cold. Around 8:20, Steven retreats to his hammock while Rachel and I duck into our tent. Even in the tent and sleeping bag, the temperature gets a bit brisk until the bag warms up. I read for a bit and then go to sleep around 9:00.

Trail Lesson: Realize what is important in your life.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
At home and McDonalds	Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Freeze dried lasagna and chicken pot pie	Clif Bar, GORP, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

Clark Range From Dewey Point

The Gunsight

Ribbon Falls

McGurk Meadows

Clouds Rest and Half Dome

El Capitan

 
Flowers and Plants

Snow Plants

Snow Plants

August 20, 2016 - McGuirk Meadow to Bridalveil Creek, along with Dewey Point

Title:August 20, 2016 - McGuirk Meadow to Bridalveil Creek, along with Dewey Point
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Menu : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: McGuirk Meadow

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail: McGuirt Meadow

Destination: Chain Lakes
Actual Destination:Bridalveil Creek

Distance:  2.15 miles

Start Time: 12:34

End Time:    1:41

Travel Time:  1:06 (1.95 mph)

Moving Time:  0:54 (2.39  mph)

Elevation Rise: 303'

Maximum Elevation: 7,103'

Hike Info:

Type:   Hiking

Trail: Pohono

Destination: Dewey Point

Distance:  4.55 miles

Start Time: 3:04

End Time:  6:13  

Travel Time:  3:08 (1.45  mph)

Moving Time:  2:21 (1.94 mph)

Elevation Rise: 958'

Maximum Elevation: 7,329'

Description:

Some of you may have noticed that we started off going to Chain Lakes and ended up at Bridalveil Creek. A few of you who know your geography will say, "What?!!!" This is the story of a day which got rearranged.

Sometimes when you go on the trip you are focused on the destination. Other times it is more about the journey than getting there. Today was more about enjoying companionship.

I got up at 5:45 this morning and David, my brother, was already up and reading. He will be staying with my mother over in Mountain View for a couple weeks. Sherri gets up very soon after I do. We get our breakfast get our last minute things packed and are out the door about 10 after 7.

Around 8:15 we arrive at Sonya's place close to Oakhurst. This is good because we will need to get our wilderness permit for Chain Lakes at the Sierra Forest Service office in Oakhurst after 8:30. I talked to Jamie, the Ranger stationed in Oakhurst, and she gets me a permit, along with enjoying a few good laughs-it is always good to enjoy the person you are with, no matter how brief. Then it's off to find the trail head. But first, we stop at Judy's Donuts. Sonya and Sherri each grab a donut, with Sherri having a cup of Joe..

That is when Sonya realizes she needs her ID. So we go back to her house to pick up the ID. We're not sure where it is but after looking around a while she finds it in her bathroom. By the time we hit the road again it is around 9:30.  Sonya is driving-which is nice since 90% of the time I drive. We go up to Tenaya Lodge near Fish Camp and turn on to the dirt forest service road behind it.

This is where the second snafu happens. We are going along pretty good and passing by various places which I remember. And then, we come across places I did not remember. Before you know it we are wondering and wandering around the back area behind Fish Camp. After about an hour, we find the Mariposa County Transfer Station-read dump. After pondering the significance of this, we come back out on Highway 41 near Goat Meadow. This is only about 200' from Yosemite's southern entrance and five minutes drive from Tenaya Lodge. Now what do we do? We think about alternatives and decide that there's four options:

• We can do what none of us want to do, and that is to go back over the road and try to find the Quartz Mountain trail head going into a Chain Lakes, or
• We can find out if we can camp at Mariposa Grove since it is closed to traffic, or
• There are camping places along the Pohono Trail, close to Bridalveil Creek, or
•  We all like Ostrander Lake which is well within our capabilities.

I check in with the Ranger at Wawona-he has issued me two other permits this season. He thinks we can actually camp at Mariposa Grove because we are far enough away from the road. But the question is, will we have water? He does not know. I talked about camping at Bridalveil Creek from the McGuirk Meadow trail head. The Ranger checks and there is four openings. So I grabbed three of them and off we go.

Sherri and Sonya

Sherri and Sonya have gotten lunch at the Wawona store. So when we get to the McGuirk trail head, we get packed and ready to go. Bridalveil is just a short 2 to 2 1/2 mile walk. It is a rolling but mostly downhill walk. Within a mile of the trail head,  we pass by McGuirk's Meadows and his cabin. It is still standing, but as each time we pass by, we note that McGuirk must have been pretty short. A little bit further, and we come to Bridalveil Creek. We stop  and discuss if and should we establish our camp so close to the creek-it is about 85-90' from it. NPS wants us 100' or more. On the other hand NPS wants us to camp where a  camp has been previously established. There definitely has been people camping her before us. So we decide that the less of two evils is to camp at an established campsite and just be pretty careful to go a ways away to do our business.

We have our lunch-the sandwiches from Wawona. The meat bees keep us company and helps Sherri's legs from getting too stuff-they chase her around. Me? Evidently they do not like me as much since they take a sniff and just hover.

West part of Yosemite Valley

Since Sherri is already walking about, we decide to hike over to Dewey Point. This is a four mile round trip from where we are.  All three of us have really liked this place before and so it is good to revisit it. This is a popular place. Particularly because it is a weekend, we meet several people along the way. This includes a couple of men who we will meet again at Dewey Point.

It feels warm and we probably travel a bit slower than we normally. But we get there in good fashion. Here the scenery opens up for us and we enjoy the Valley. As a bonus, the clouds accentuate the Valley's natural beauty. As we look, these atmospheric nebula start to close in around us, giving both a feeling of intimacy and urgency.

El Capitan from Dewey Pt

Campsite by Bridalveil Creek

Those two men who we saw on the trail? We meet them on the point. The one is from Chicago and the other from South Africa. Both are impressed and want to spend more time. I do not think I have ever met anyone in Yosemite who thought they spent too much time here.

Gary and Sherri ready for bed

You know that urgency of the clouds? Well they are getting closer, not terribly black, But with the wind picking up, it is time to skedaddle back to camp. We come back to our camp with the sky clearing up a bit and with the fading light. Our camp is on the sunrise side of a ridge. We have our dinner-more sandwich like lunch. The meat bees seem to have subsided but then mosquitoes are now out. So we eat our dinner quickly, but still make time to enjoy each others company for a few more minutes. Then it is time to go to bed. No MacGyver tonight. Sherri immediately drops off. I read a bit, but by the time I hit the rack it is little after 8

Trail Lesson:

• Focus
• A morning pick-me-up works wonders on the attitude, such a as Judy's Donuts
• Know where you are going
• When you have problems, it is good to have people around you which you like and which like you
• Sometimes when you go on the trip you are focused on the destination. Other times it is more about the journey than getting there. Just enjoy the  companionship and where you are at.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
At home	Turkey sandwich from Wawona store	Turkey sandwich from Wawona store	Clif Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scrytch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

View of the East part of Valley from Dewey Pt

Cathedral Spires and East part of Valley

Gunsight

Horse Ridge from Dewey Pt

 
Flowers and Plants

Baneberry

September 2, 2014 - McGurt Meadow-Dewey Point-Pohono Trail-Artist Point

Title: September 2, 2014 - McGurt Meadow-Dewey Point-Pohono Trail-Artist Point

Trail head: McGurt Meadow Trail Head

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: McGurt Meadow, Pohono Trail, Old Wawona Trail

Destination: Bridalveil Parking Lot

Distance:  10.81 miles

Start Time:  10:06

End Time:     4:53

Travel Time:  6:47 (1.59 mph)

Moving Time:  5:13 (2.07 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,323'
Elevation Decrease: 4,115'

Maximum Elevation: 7,389'

Description:

Fresh eyes on a much visited place opens the eyes which are jaded. That is what today's travel is about for me. Sherri met Kevin on the LoseIt site. He is from the Boston area and brought his adult son Connor with him to visit a California and more particularly, Yosemite, our stomping grounds.

Kevin

Connor

We met Kevin and Connor at the Bridalveil parking lot. Kevin asks, where are we going? I only point at a high cliff directly above us-he thinks I am kidding, but that is Dewey Point. But first, we take them up to Glacier Point for an initial view of Yosemite. But to our surprise, there are two small fires burning in back of Little Yosemite Valley. Unbeknownst to us, in less than a week later, the little 4 acre Meadow Fire would blow up to a 4,000+ acre fire! Closing down the JMT and Half Dome trail. But today, all which it is doing is spewing out smoke and choking the Valley.

We then do a brief stop at Washburn Point, which normally is one of my favorite views. But between the smoke covering the landscape and the drought drying up the Merced, the view is sadly degraded. So we take a look and continue on our way to the McGurk Meadow trail-head, just a little west of Bridalveil Campground.

Now our hike begins. We move quickly along the trail, passing McGurk's cabin. The meadow, which I think on older maps is called Peregoy, there is a sense of serenity cast by is meadow. It stretches on for about a mile, but being Fall, the vibrant greens is being replaced by the drying yellows and gold.

Gunsight and Royal Arches

At the Pohono Trail junction, we turn west towards Dewey Point. We go through a series of rolling ridges before dropping down to Dewey. I am half expecting to see a falcon, which we do not-several years ago, we were blessed with a falcon sighting at Dewey Point. When I see something unusual in one place, I somewhat always expecting to be there. Kevin and Connor are amazed by the view. There is a photographer in Kevin and he gets his camera going. And there is good reason for this. This is a view which people will do an eight mile round trip for, with El Capitan facing us and Cathederal Rocks so close. When looking at a topo map, one name pops out, The Gunsight, and so it is, taking aim on Royal Arches, as if we were not smart enough to find it on our own.

El Capitan from the south

El Capitan from the west

Crocker Point

We do decide to continue on with our hike-the alternative is to go back the way we did. One thing this hike will not be and that is pointless. In 3/4 of a mile we come to our second point-Crocker Point. Here we see the Valley from a slightly different perspective. We are a bit more out into the Valley, so we have a little longer view to the east. When exiting this point, I take the trail back to Dewey, but only for a hundred yards or so. But then I realize my mistake and we go the next two-thirds of a mile to Stanford Point. More drop-dead gorgeous views.

Now to a place of historic significance and I get to pontificate on it-Old Inspiration Point. This is where the first white men saw Yosemite and where Ayers if sketched the Valley and showed its wonders. But the area has gotten a bit overgrown so the views are inferior to the three others we have seen.

Yosemite Valley

The Pohono Trail does a nose dive and starts a steep downhill. It has been over 30 years since I walked this part and I am anticipating it to be hot and dry and some what exposed, as well as a knee jarring drop. But there is a nice forested cover bringing temperatures down.  So the walking is enjoyable, as much as a prolonged descent can be. Kevin and Connor have moved ahead of us so Sherri and I hike alone. 

Slowly we change from the conifer forest into more of the chaparral oaks and manzanita brush. But the trail is clear and the walking good. Eventually we get to the current Inspiration Point. I will say I am not too impressed with the view. After stopping and resting-Kevin and Connor were waiting for us there- we continue on down. I find a little social trail and follow it for 40-50 yards when I come out onto the classic Yosemite Valley View. Just so good! Too bad everyone else missed it. But it is enough to take it all in.

Classic Yosemite Valley View

A little ways further we come to a junction where the Pohono Trail continues on to Tunnel View. But our route is to follow the Old Wawona Road. From what I can tell, this junction is close to the old Ft Monroe. I will need to find out more of this. 

Old Wawona Road

End of Old Wawona Road

 Going along the  Old Wawona Road has been a desire of mine for the past several years. I keep seeing this road just above Bridalveil parking lot and have been wondering what it looks like. We will be exiting here after walking down the old road. The trail down is pretty good. Most of the road is there, but in a few places we climb over downed trees or follow a narrow path. One place close to Artist Point, we get another good view of the Valley.

When we get back to the car at Bridalveil, we realize how tired we are. But it is an enjoyable hike. Kevin and Connor take us back to our car where we say farewell. Sherri and I return back to Fresno, but not before stopping at Todd's in Oakhurst.

Sentinel and Half Dome

Tenaya Creek area, Clouds Rest and Half Dome

Clouds Rest and Half Dome

Yosemite Valley

Connor

Sherri

Old parsley