Yosemite National Park is really divided up into two zones, the Valley, which garners most of the notoriety and the High Country, with its towering granite spires, domes and sweeping views. The two areas are so different that I felt I needed to create a unique ultra in each to truly do the park the justice it deserves. After a long and epic day in Kings Canyon two days before, we made our way to Yosemite to explore the trails and bask in the warm California sunshine. For Adler and Erika it would be their first trip EVER to the park, while Flan hadn’t been in many years. With the fatigue of the 16h day still in our legs, the other three opted for a shorter route up to Clouds rest, while I set out on yet another 39mile adventure solo.
We parked at the Cathedral Pass trailhead and I set out along the JMT for Lyell Canyon. The trails were quiet, frost coated the ground as steam rose off the Lyell fork. My legs felt surprisingly good as I slowly jogged up the canyon towards the Ireland Lake cutoff. My legs felt a bit heavy on the climb up towards Ireland Lake through the forest, but it felt so good to be back in Yosemite. It was a breezy morning at Ireland Lake, too cold for a swim, so I took in the view and had a snack before setting off for Vogelsang Pass. The Yosemite High Sierra camps and many campgrounds were still shutdown because of the Covid Pandemic, so I had the trails all to myself, even though this section would typically be very busy.
It was a nearly perfect day in the alpine, light breeze, lots of sunshine, perfectly technical singletrack, the euphoria was definitely on high. The final climb from Vogelsang Camp to the Pass was a trudge, but it felt so good to finally crest the pass and to take in expansive high country views in all directions. The run down into the Merced River canyon was 3300ft of technical trail bliss, bouncing from rock to rock, hopping over an occasional log, grinning from ear to ear. The August heat was starting to radiate off the canyon walls, so the Merced was a very welcome site, and when I found a beautifully granite lined pool I couldn’t turn down a mid-run dip. I still hold that the Sierra have some of the best swimming holes/lakes anywhere.
From there I loaded up on water and began the long, hot, dry trudge back towards Cathedral Pass. The climb, while pretty, was scorching hot, dry and my legs were extremely heavy. With sparse water sources, I took every opportunity to soak in the few small streams I found (it had been a dry year). Once I finally hit the downhill, my legs perked back up, and from Cathedral Lake to the end was a blur. The final steps to the trailhead were a welcome site, a cold drink and a bag of chips awaited me. About 45min later the other 3 returned from their jaunt over to Clouds rest, the day had been a wild success for all.
In total my Yosemite High Country Loop totaled 39.4mi, 6900ft and had taken me 10:31 to complete. While there are so many amazing trails in the Yosemite High Country, this loop encompasses several of the iconic sites and gets deep into the heart of the backcountry. For those looking to break the loop up, it would make a fantastic multi-day backpacking trip including potential backcountry camping sites and the Vogelsang (mm15) and Merced (mm24) High Sierra camps. Yosemite is definitely a place worth exploring beyond the trailheads and iconic viewpoints, because only by diving deep into its backcountry can one get a feel for the magnificence John Muir spoke of.