Elizabeth Wenk - Yosemite National Park: Your Complete Hiking Guide

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK: YOUR COMPLETE HIKING GUIDE

First edition, 1978; second edition, 1983; third edition, 1992, fourth edition, 1999; fifth edition, 2006; sixth edition, 2022

Copyright 1978, 1983, 1992, 1999, 2006 by Jeffrey P. Schaffer

Copyright 2022 by Elizabeth Wenk

Editor: Ritchey Halphen

Cover design: Scott McGrew

Cartography: Elizabeth Wenk

Text design: Annie Long

Cover photos: (front) El Capitan; Lynn Yeh / Shutterstock; (back) looking up Matterhorn Canyon to Burro Pass and the Sawtooth Ridge; Elizabeth Wenk

Interior photos: Elizabeth Wenk, unless otherwise noted

Proofreader: Emily C. Beaumont

Indexer: Potomac Indexing

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wenk, Elizabeth, author.

Title: Yosemite National Park : a complete hikers guide / Elizabeth Wenk.

Description: 6th edition. | Birmingham, AL : Wilderness Press, 2021. | 5th edition entitled Yosemite : the valley and surrounding uplands, and entered under: Schaffer, Jeffrey P. Summary: This comprehensive guide features almost every trail in Yosemite National Park and the surrounding areas, divided into 96 tripsProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020055451 (print) | LCCN 2020055452 (ebook) | ISBN 9780899977850 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780899977867 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: HikingCaliforniaYosemite National ParkGuidebooks. | TrailsCaliforniaYosemite National ParkGuidebooks. | Yosemite National Park (Calif.)Guidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV199.42.C22 Y6772 2021 (print) | LCC GV199.42.C22 (ebook) DDC 796.510979447dc23

LC record available at ccn.loc.gov/2020055451

LC ebook record available at lccn.loc.gov/2020055452

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.

For current information about Yosemite National Park and the coronavirus, see nps.gov/yose. For the latest updates about the coronavirus in California, see covid19.ca.gov.

Contents

Acknowledgments

BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY to update this classic guidebook is an honor. Jeff Schaffers Yosemite National Park has long been considered the most comprehensive tome on Yosemites trails and choice off-trail lake basins. Even though more than 40 years have passed since the first edition was published, Jeffs trail descriptions are still spot-on, aside from where fire or bark beetles have passed through. It is uncanny how often I note a change in forest type or unusual flower, only to see that Jeff has mentioned it too. I also did not find a single place his description of the trails (1970) route was inaccurate, right down to the numbers of switchbackshe successfully picked up every error in the USGS topo maps without the benefit of any digital devices. It was at times daunting to revise this volume, and I cannot imagine being Jeff in the 1970s, sitting down with his first sheet of blank paper and realizing hed agreed to document every trail criss-crossing Yosemites iconic lands.

With the privilege to revise this work comes an enormous responsibility to the hiking community and to Yosemites professional caretakers, NPS staff, Yosemite Conservancy staff, and others. Ive been told this is the book thats handed to Yosemites new wilderness rangers and interns so they can learn about the parkso it had best be accurate and current.

Mule deer are common in Tuolumne Meadows.

While Ive been exploring the park voraciously since working at the Curry Village cafeteria in 1993, I began a dedicated journey to update this book in 2014. Over the ensuing three years I hiked every trail in the park, notebook in hand and two GPS units in my backpack. While I hiked many trails on my own, friends and family accompanied me on some trips. I am not sure if my daughters, Eleanor and Sophia, deserve more praise for joining me on many challenging hikes or if my husband, Douglas, earns more gratitude for watching them for three to four weeks each summer while I disappeared to the mountains, free of responsibilities. To the others who hiked with me, I always appreciate the company: Candace Renger, Kinley Renger, Ellery Renger, Rudy Wenk, Julia Wenk, John Wehausen, Carolyn Tiernan, Evelyn Denzin, Greg Denzin, Inga Aksamit, Matt Church, David Harris, Charlotte Helvie, Chris Tuffley, and Bill Wang.

Along the way, I repeatedly paused to touch base with Yosemites wilderness managers, a delightful team dedicated to keeping Yosemite from being loved to death. Thank you, Ed Dunlavey, Elissa Kretch, Martijn Ouborg, Naomi Chakrin, and Ken Watson for taking the time to discuss use patterns, contemplate wilderness philosophy, ponder the wilderness value in each management decision Yosemite makes, and answer pestering questions about regulations.

While this book is, at heart, a trail guide, it also includes a hefty introduction to Yosemites human and natural history and has pertinent natural history woven throughout the prose. Im incredibly thankful to NPS staff who proofread pieces of the book. Greg Stock, Yosemites park geologist, read multiple versions of the introductory geology section and sidebars scattered through the book; Rachel Mazur, Yosemites chief wildlife biologist, reviewed sections pertaining to Yosemites fauna; and Tim Davis, an NPS historian, coached me to synthesize the extensive literature on Yosemites history into a story about its trails and journey to become wilderness. John Wehausen, a bighorn sheep researcher (and my uncle), reviewed any mentions I made of this species, and Roland Knapp, a yellow-legged-frog researcher, made sure my summary of Sierra frog research was up to date. Friends have subsequently read many of the trip descriptions, verifying that my words match their experiencesthank you, Inga Aksamit, John Ladd, Ethan Gallogy, and Peter Hirst.