Grand Canyon of Tuolumne

This Yosemite backpacking tour begins with rendezvous in Yosemite Valley on the patio of Curry Village in front of the Yosemite Mountain Shop at 6PM on Day 1. The Mountain shop is located on the street-facing side of the Curry Village Pavilion (closest to the parking lot). You will easily spot your guide waiting for you in a Wildland Trekking hat. We’ll conduct an orientation meeting, after which we’ll get settled in the Backpackers Camp a stone’s throw away from majestic Tenaya Creek and under the spectacular domes and cliffs of Yosemite Valley. We’ll enjoy dinner either at Curry Village or in camp.

• Hiking Mileage: 5.8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 200 feet
• Elevation Loss: 800 feet

Our trek into one of Yosemite’s most beautiful corridors begins high among the serrated peaks and massive domes of the Sierra Nevada in world-famous Tuolumne Meadows. Here, our trail parallels the northern shore of the Tuolumne River as it makes its way through the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra. Bountiful wildflowers enhance the already incredible views. Pothole Dome, Lembert Dome, Cathedral Peak, Fairview Dome and Unicorn Peak are just some of the iconic granite crags we pass as we hike approximately 5.6 miles to sublime Glen Aulin. At Glen Aulin, just below White Cascade and Tuolumne Falls, we camp at the backpacker’s camp, along the banks of beautiful Conness Creek, where we will enjoy a great meal, a roaring campfire and some good laughs as we settle in for a star-studded sierra night.

• Hiking Mileage: 8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 500 feet
• Elevation Loss: 3000 feet

An early start is essential today as our hike takes us to one incredible scenic wonder after the next. First we follow the wide and meandering Tuolumne River as it traverses mile long Glen Aulin which, appropriately means “beautiful valley” in Irish Gaelic. Beyond, we come to California Falls, the first of a series of three spectacular waterfalls that our route passes today. Next, as our route steepens and the granite walls rise above us, spectacular La Conte Falls appears, and then we reach the famous Waterwheel, often called one of Yosemite’s most unusual waterfalls. After a tasty lunch along the granite slabs below the falls, we will continue our trek below canyon walls rising higher and higher above us. Our goal is to hike about eight miles to a campsite above the ominous Muir Gorge where we will build camp for the night far from…just about anything else!

• Hiking Mileage: 8.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 600 feet
• Elevation Loss: 1500 feet

We begin our hike today by traversing high above the Muir Gorge. John Muir, along with Galen Clark, first ascended this narrow and dangerous gorge in the late 1800’s. Muir describes the river‘s passage through the canyon as a “savage, roaring, surging song” and “rather nerve- trying.” We wisely stick to the trail and continue descending past Register Creek, beside a long series of pools and cascades, as we make our way to the next campsite in awesome Pate Valley. Here, in this mini-Yosemite, we relax along the shores of the Tuolumne among the black oaks and yellow pines and enjoy the solitude of this relatively warm and low-level valley. After a possible dip in the river we enjoy our last evening’s meal under a vast canopy of stars.

• Hiking Mileage: 9.0 miles
• Elevation Gain: 3700 feet
• Elevation Loss: 200 feet

The final leg of our adventure takes us up to our exit trailhead at rustic White Wolf High Sierra Camp and a great meal and possibly a cold beer! But, first we’ve a bit of a challenge, exiting Pate Valley to the southwestern rim of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne 3500 feet above. We start early to take advantage of the cool of the day as we switchback up the north facing slope to reach the old Tioga Pass route and finally trail’s end at the historic White Wolf Camp, originally built during the mining boom of the 1880’s. At a last lunch, we toast our successful completion of one of the more challenging trips in Yosemite!