Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 1: Lyell Canyon

Tuolumne to Agnew Meadows, Day 1: Lyell Canyon

Lyell Canyon Reflections
Lyell Canyon Reflections

One of my goals for this summer’s backpacking trips is to get back to some of my favorite stretches of the John Muir Trail. I have two longer trips planned, and the first trip back was a five day stroll last week from Tuolumne Meadows to Agnew Meadows. The purpose wasn’t just to hike the John Muir Trail again – rather it was to take time to fish, relax, explore off-trail, and just enjoy the amazing surroundings. When I did the JMT I flew through this stretch in about 48 hours, so it was good to see it at a slower pace!
We drove out towards Mammoth on Wednesday night and crashed at the Glass Creek campground around midnight (less than a mile off of 395, it’s not perfect but it’s free and easy to get to in the dark). Alarms went off about 5:15 and we were quickly on our way to Mammoth to catch the 7 am YARTS bus after dropping a car at the Inn. At $8 a ticket for the one-way to Tuolumne, YARTS is a bargain.

We were in Tuolumne by 9 am and waited (and waited) in line for our permits. A group of 14 was hogging all the rangers’ time since they had come completely unprepared without a permit reservation and expected to get a walk-up for one of the most popular trailheads that day. Um, no. About an hour later I finally had my (reserved) permit in hand and we started up Lyell Canyon by 10:30.
Lyell Canyon is a perfect way to ease into a hike at altitude. For 8 miles it follows a flat and open canyon along the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River. It is enjoyable and hardly strenuous. Hiking  the JMT through Lyell will eventually take you to Donohue Pass and out of Yosemite (into Ansel Adams Wilderness). It is about a 2500 foot climb to Donohue Pass from the canyon, and the beginning of the climb seems that much harder because you’ve been lulled into a sense of comfort and ease during those eight flat miles.

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Buck Island Lake Has No Fish

Buck Island Lake Has No Fish

Falls by Buck Island Lake

Falls by Buck Island Lake


After spending 30+ hours of the last month on a plane, I wanted to do an overnight backpack trip with minimal fuss and maximum relaxation. I wanted to go somewhere with a relatively easy hike, nice scenery, fishing, campfires, and swimming. I also wanted flexibility in the number of people and time, so I didn’t want to go anywhere requiring a complicated permit.
The destination was Buck Island Lake in El Dorado National Forest. Buck Island Lake sits along the trail just outside the Desolation Wilderness boundary, keeping it free from the Wilderness’s permit and other restrictions. The downside is that the Rubicon 4×4 trail runs along the other side of the lake. To be honest, that is one of the reasons I chose this lake – we had a potentially large group of people going on this trip, and I didn’t want to be ‘that group’ that disturbs the wilderness experience of others. I figured that no one camped at the same lake as the Rubicon folks would be expecting a peaceful night in the wilderness and I wouldn’t feel guilty if we stayed up a bit late chatting and laughing around the campfire.

The hike to Buck Island Lake is very easy – about 6 miles with 600 ft of elevation gain. The second half is on an exposed old road and covered in ankle-rolling rock, so I spent more time watching my feet than the view. It was a hot weekend, too, so the exposure was a bit annoying. When we got to the lake I was eager to jump in, and thankfully it was a perfect temperature for a swim.

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Southern Germany (not Backpacking)

Southern Germany (not Backpacking)

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I’ve been on the road for most of the past month, first traveling to Germany for work and then, after a short 48 hour turnaround time back in California, on to Michigan to visit the family and hang out on the beach. I’ll be returning to my backpacking ways this coming weekend, but in the meantime, at least I have some pretty pictures of southern Germany and Lake Michigan to share.

Although I was crazy busy and spent too many hours in the office in Germany, I was still able to check out some of the local towns during the dinner hours and even spent a full weekend playing tourist. I stayed in Reilingen (near Heidelberg, which is just south of Frankfurt), and visited the other local towns of Walldorf, Wiesloch, Speyer, and Schwetzingen on different nights. During the weekend, a coworker and I hit the road to explore some touristy destinations within a few hours drive – on Saturday it was Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a medieval walled city, and on Sunday we headed south to the Bodensee on the border with Switzerland.

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Lava Beds National Monument Easter Getaway

Lava Beds National Monument Easter Getaway

David in Tickner Cave
David in Tickner Cave

I’m going to let you in on a secret. It comes in two parts. The first is this: Lava Beds National Monument. The second part is this: Easter Weekend.
Lava Beds sits just south of the California/Oregon border. The nearest town big enough for a Walmart is Klamath Falls, Oregon, about 40 miles to the north. Getting to the park from the major population centers of California involves a long, long drive, made even longer in winter by closure of the southern route due to snow. It is surrounded by horseradish farms, the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and the flanks of the enormous Medicine Lake Shield Volcano and related lava flows.
Lava Beds offers a unique experience. The main attractions are the hundreds of lava tube caves formed by the different flows off of the Medicine Lake Volcano. The labelled caves on the Lava Beds park map are generally developed. This means that they have ladders, cleared sections through the jumbles of rock, or walkways. They do not have lights – bring your own! The backcountry caves, however, are not developed and usually require a bit more scrambling or technical skills. Lava tubes in general are fairly easy to navigate, so advanced caving skills are not usually needed. Good lighting, head protection, and a lack of fear of the dark and tight spaces are the most important things to have in a lava tube.
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