Saturday, August 20, 2016

Yosemite Chronicles: Seven Weeks of Hiking

The question I’m most often asked by those I meet on my trip is, “What hike was your favorite, so far?” How can I choose a favorite trail? Some have amazing views. Some have historical interest. Some were bursting with wildflowers. Some were blissfully devoid of other hikers. I can’t choose. I can only list those I’ve done, so far.

Yosemite National Park
Rancheria Falls: 12.7 miles, 2568 feet elevation gain
Poopenaut Valley: 2.2+ miles, 1263 feet elevation gain
May Lake: 2.4 miles, 501 feet elevation gain



Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area
Black Point Fissures: 3.43 miles, 400 feet elevation gain


Hoover Wilderness
Virginia Lakes: 5-6 miles, 400 feet elevation gain
Lundy Canyon: 9.7 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain
West Lake: 9.43 miles, 2160 feet elevation gain
Oneida Lake: 8.45 miles, 1600 feet elevation gain
McMillan Lake: 8.8 miles, 960 feet elevation gain
Anna Lake: 13 miles, 2240 feet elevation gain


John Muir Wilderness
Little McGee Lake: 16.77 miles, 3000ish feet elevation gain
Upper Morgan Lake and Gem Lakes and Chickenfoot Lake: 10 miles, 1000ish feet elevation gain
Kearsarge Pass and Big Pothole Lake: 11+ miles, 2623+ feet elevation gain
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Lakes, 11.3 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain
Summit Lake via Mono Pass and Ruby Lake: 10.75 miles, 2116 feet elevation gain
Tamarack Lakes: 9.4 miles, 2303 feet elevation gain


Ancient Bristlecone Forest
Mexican Mine and Methusulah Trail: 5.6 miles, 826 feet elevation gain


Sequoia National Park
Muir Grove: 4 miles, 541 feet elevation gain


Kings Canyon National Park
Mist Falls: 9.21 miles, 800 feet elevation gain


Death Valley National Park
Wild Rose Peak: 8.3 miles, 2473 feet elevation gain


That’s over 172 miles hiked and 31,774 feet climbed. I’m saving a number of the Yosemite hikes for September, once the tourist traffic dies down. Expect me to add many more hikes to the list!

Follow along on Instagram @kasmirakit #yosemitechronicles

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Those pictures are beautiful! No wonder you like this place!

Any interesting experiences on your hikes? Like, say, running into wildlife? or finding buried treasure?? My husband almost walked over a sleeping bear on a hike like this once many years ago. Fortunately, he's very quiet, and the bear was a deep sleeper, so he was able to back up and get out safely.

~J

Kasmira said...

No bears, yet! My favorite discovery was the caves in White Chief Canyon in Mineral King just this week. All my spelunking dreams come true!

Anonymous said...

STUNNING photos, Kasmira! I'm envious of your adventures. Nature photography might be a new great new career path for you. ;)

maryeb said...

Oh! I can see why you can't pick a favorite from your photos. Wow, they are all spectacular. I doubt I'd ever be brave enough to do this, so I appreciate you taking us along on this amazing adventure.

Anonymous said...

Stunning photography! Keep 'em coming.

Aimee C said...

This is beautiful. I just finished my visit to Yosemite, and found myself very sad at how busy and commercial it is in the valley. I did manage to get up higher, but suffered from altitude sickness. At any rate, I am finding your adventures absolutely inspiring. And if I do plan another visit to Yosemite, it's going to be more remote as well.