Hiking slide mountain to Doe lake

[giantbrookie]

I was in the field when this was posted and have only started checking the threads. The Slide Canyon route to Doe Lake was part of a really fun trip my wife and I did back in 1993. My thoughts echo those already posted. This is a nice N. Yosemite off trail jaunt and the only potential issue, the slide itself, is avoided by going around to the E side of it (ie east wall of canyon). We too initially attempted to go right through it for indeed it appeared as if a use trail (from previously deluded hikers) plunged right into it, but it soon became clear that this would be a big waste of time so we U-turned headed back out then went around the boulders. My recollection is that the detour does not involve going overly high on the E side and I recall there being somewhat of a use trail or, more likely, a game trail occasionally exploited by hikers and turned into a use trail. The final part of the route to Doe goes exactly as it looks on the topo: leave Slide Creek at confluence of Big Meadow Creek and aim for the saddle/shoulder NNE (9360+) of the lake. Doe is a nice destination that is off the beaten track, for it is a bit removed from the more popular backcountry destinations in this part of Yosemite (such as the Smedberg-Benson area).