Like this:

(photo by Rae Douglass)

[DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE REPORT]

Day 2:  (4000′ Start Elev.)

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Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E by NE and up along Tuolumne River.

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9325&mtlon=-119.5923&z=15

Turn E (4900′ Elev – start of harder climb) then SE into Muir Gorge (hardest climb of trip)

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9374&mtlon=-119.5345&z=15

Stop at end of Muir Gorge. (5430′ Elev) — near where the trail meets the river again (just east of River Mile Marker 135 on map)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9331&mtlon=-119.5219&z=15

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NOTES: A foot bridge, several shallow stream crossings and our most difficult ascension day wiped out most of our energy.

We passed what appeared to be a work camp in Pate Valley and all along the way we were seeing more impressive rapids the further we went upstream. The river meandered with both wide, flat, calm water and narrow chutes of intense impassable and very dangerous constrictions and boulders. Beautiful, nonetheless it was fun to see it as the foreground to many of the Redwood-covered mountainsides surrounding us.

(photo by Tim Bessie)

We had to make-up the 1-mile shortage from yesterday and another 0.5 miles to the map trail marker. Our total 1-day mileage 9.0 miles. Total trip miles 18.5 miles.

Just before Muir Gorge at 4900′ elevation and almost 1.5 miles through our final 2.5 mile trek at Muir Gorge we ascended over 1100′. We dropped about 400′ into our campsite for the evening.

The camp was probably one of the few areas in the this part of the gorge where were able to stop that had soil. Most of the trail at the end of Muir Gorge were slabs of smooth granite or broken rocks and boulders. We arrived at 6:30PM and most ready to collapse for the evening.

Funny moment: We were visited by a young ranger (maybe in his early 20′s) just around dinner-time who asked for a cell phone — no doubt to check on the Giant’s score. A bonus as a result of his visit was that we had the approval to make poop/pee areas less than 100′ feet from trail and less than 200′ from river since most of the area was slab rock with very little ground cover (otherwise we would have been walking 1/2 mile down-trail or up-trail to get to some area that would pass these guidelines.

This was the night we had been selected for cooking and unloading almost 7 pounds of food from the bear can and 2 pounds of desert

Why we bring bear cans

from freeze-dried packages was such a relief. To everyone’s surprise we had brought real meat and fresh pasta. We thought maybe too much food for nine (9) people. It was wolfed down with no left-overs. Two key winners: 1. snow peas as appetizers – light-weight and very sweet with no waste/trash afterwards; 2. Adelle’s sausages – pre-cooked, lasted longer on trail, and lots of flavors. The bad: 1. Adelle’s sausages – too heavy. It should be used on night-one. 2. Fresh pasta – too heavy – while it was excellent for the prepared meal it was far too heavy to carry.

Mosquitoes were just as bad here as in the Pate Valley campsite. Natrapel was soon becoming our best friend on this trip. This night wasn’t as hot as the night before but in our sleeping bags we just seemed to sweat profusely.  I found that wearing a long-sleeved wicking layer up top and no socks helped to keep me dry and somewhat comfortable in the middle of the night.

(photo by Rae Douglass)

DAY 3 –>

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