Yosemite National Park
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Spillway Lake Loop Yosemite National Park |
August 2, 2019
After visiting Yosemite just five days ago, I am back to make use of the last
day of my week-long reservation. Gary and Sharon from Bishop are
meeting me here on their own first visit to the park this season.
Amazingly enough, having come from different directions, we arrive at the trailhead
literally within two seconds of each other.
Sharon has badly injured a foot, so she won't be hiking today. She was anxious to make the trip to Yosemite, however, just for the sake of being here; I fully understand her contentment in just finding a good place to read a book or take a snooze.
Sharon gets to hang out and recuperate today
The scheduled walk being about nine miles, Gary and I agree to return within five hours or so; then we head out.
Nary a rough spot on the trail
Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River
Nice textures
Pacific Mountain Onion
Meadow Larkspur
A white-bearded hiker asks about the naming of the nearby creeks, but that is just
a lead-in to tell us that he has just trekked over the Kuna Crest —
a noteworthy accomplishment indeed. Then he strikes off cross-country
again.
A nice pose, but maybe we can do better
Remnants of an old cabin at trailside
Gary admires Mammoth Peak, 12113'
Heading for that red cliff with the dark cleft in it
Yes, this is much better
The meadow is nice and green
Finally, the trail begins to parallel the creek, whereupon many photo-stops are in order.
Parker Pass Creek
Wonderful
This is exciting
Eventually, there is no more climbing to do; we have arrived at the first objective.
Spillway Lake, 10450'
Excepting one other couple at the far end of the lake, Gary and I have the place to ourselves; and that is perfectly fine.
This is why I go hiking
The imposing Kuna Crest looms in the skyline
The original plan was to head westward up the hill from here, about 700 feet of climbing to the long bench that hosts half a dozen wonderful lakes, all but one of which I visited briefly some nine years ago on Hike #132.
It looks like easy going up that hillside
A look at our watches causes a change of heart, however. We already have
consumed nearly half of our 'allotted' time just in getting here. Looping
up to that bench and then down surely would delay us well beyond the agreed meeting
time with Sharon; so I suggest "Plan-B". We will just amble eastward
toward Mono Pass and catch another trail back.
Climbing above the lake
Catching up
After what turns out to be a 400-foot climb, we finally top out at 10,840 feet, running into the Parker Pass Trail as expected. A short scamper to the east over some rocks begets a view of the surroundings.
Overlooking Mono Pass, 10597'
Actually, this one would be better-named as Mono Pass North, because there is another unrelated Mono Pass about forty miles southeast of here.
The pass is 240 feet below us
That trail continue eastward down Bloody Canyon and past the Sardine Lakes on its way to Walker Lake which, oddly enough, I never have visited.
Last look at Spillway Lake
Here, I pause to reminisce fondly over my visit to the two beautiful tarns that lie up where those snow banks are.
Little Elephant Heads
Buttons & Bees
Northward view
There is nothing for it now but to make our way back to the trailhead, which is four miles away.
Mount Lewis, 12296'
Gary inexplicably has developed a sore hip, so it's just as well that we have opted to cut the mission a bit short. I also admit to a bit of weariness, my excuse being that I began the day nearly 11,000 feet lower than I am now.
I was over there last week, near White Mountain and Mount Conness
Lemmon's Paintbrush
Wandering Daisy
Another cabin-that-was
Where we were
Easy going now
We finish up the walk in five and a quarter hours, which is right on time. The air temperature at the finish is 78°, which used to be unseasonably hot.
The final crossing
§: Well, the trail to the lake was friendly as always, Parker Pass Creek
was delightful as always, and the Spillway Lake environs were exquisite as always.
The cross-country romp up to the Parker Pass Trail was enjoyable albeit not an
adventure for me, because I knew what to expect. The route down from there on the
Mono Pass Trail was dry and a bit rough; I was glad to get off it and back onto the
gentle creekside path.
Everywhere we went was new to Gary, though, and he enjoyed it all. I still would like to get back at least to Kuna Lake sometime, because a visit to that relatively unknown gem is worth any effort.
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