TR: Yosemite Valley-Cathedral Range Circle...with Bears! 12/2-12/7-2024

[Harlen]

A long hike out last Saturday--15 miles from the crest of Sunrise Mountain, down, down, down through L.Y. Valley, and out at the aptly named "Happy Isles."  I was happy to have gone in, and happy to be down. That last long day proved that I can still walk long winter miles-- as long as they are all downhill!  More days of my week in the snowy Sierra were spent laughing at myself, and my fairly desperate efforts to grit out a painful few miles.  

I managed to get into the promised land of bright granite spires that define the Cathedral Range.  I have always loved, and been intrigued by those strangely isolated mountains: "Unicorn," "Cockscomb," "Eichorn Pinnacle," "The Echos" and the magnificent Cathedral Peak itself.  I have climbed most of them, and marveled at the others.  I admire the naming of them too; few are named for humans, and many of those that are, seem suitably poetic, or interesting as human names go: Matthes Crest, Vogelsang Peak, Medlicott Dome...  So I just love this place, and it's good that I do, because my desire to see them again pulled me along through the deep snow.  
Due to fun family ties, and the long spell of high pressure/clear weather, I had three days to think about routes.  I came up with no less than seven of them from Yosemite, and many more from the Eastside!   I charted out an array of routes, from short in and outs, to immense peregrinations that would've killed me.  Ultimately, the route chosen would depend on my level of fitness, and I am uncertain if it is as woeful as I fear, or whether the truly tough snow surface conditions, and my iced up snowshoes were partly to blame?  This will be a recurring theme as the days of this trip slog on, so I should get on with the pretty pictures to improve the tale.  The magic for me was the fact that, almost as a whim, I  chose to carry on through my exhaustion, up into the high country, at a point when I thought my legs were done in, and that it would be wiser to head back down one of the easier of my routes.  The map below will show the various ways that I could choose to lengthen or shorten my route once I arrived at Tenaya Lake:

MAP: The black line is the route I took. The other colors: green red, blue, and purple are some of the route options I could have chosen depending on the conditons--including the condition of my fitness. The purple line was the route of my dreams-- all the way up and over the Clark Range via Red Mtn. Pass. The circled 'P' represents passes. The masses of confusing arrows are meant to show the direction I would have traveled along the different route choices. This Caltopo Map can be enlarged by clicking on it.

El Capitan-- where's winter? 

Day One:  I got off early, but didn't head in till midday; it took awhile for the staff to determine that the Snow Creek Hut wouldn't be open yet.  Usually you get the combination to the padlock on the hut, along with your WP.  No matter, I had planned on sleeping out all but the first night, and this was to be a 5 to 9 day trip.  The Snow Creek Trail was pretty much snow free, and it got so hot that half way up I had to shed my ski pants and walk in my red boxer shorts.  Luckily, I only met 2 day hikers after that on the trail, and they thought I was stylish.  You can see the "Bear's Terrace" where I'll camp with the Bears-- the red circle in the distance.

My favorite spot along the Snow Creek trail-- those are Quarter Domes in the distance.  It was made so much better when just around the corner I saw a shaggy brown creature scamper off, and it was a Bear cub!  I clacked my ski poles together to see who might be with the cub, and sure enough, a big old Mama Bear appeared on cue.  They were about 40 yards up the trail, and going my way.  Snow Creek trail has no place to walk around each other, not until higher up, so I had the option of following them, or going back down.  In my reading on Black Bears (Dr. Stephen Herrero, et al.), they are described as generally very tolerant of people around their cubs.  I know this sounds wrong, but check it out: "...(biologist) Erickson...employing live trapping, captured 96 bears 107 times.  He stated that, contrary to popular belief,  "Most female bears did not display strong maternal protective instinct, and quickly abandoned cubs when danger was imminent."   Ed Harger, ...wildlife biologist... reported that in trapping and handling more than 300 bears, only 4 times did females run them off while the biologists were removing cubs from a live trap.  Lynn Roger's (another eminent bear biologist) experiences with black bear cubs offer conclusive evidence regarding the reluctance of black bear mothers to attack people:  "...we treed or otherwise captured cubs with their mothers present.   None of the mothers made contact with us even when we held their cubs and the cubs bawled."
One caveat may be that these biologists were working in a large team-- perhaps 5 or more people present.  That would change the dynamic in the humans favor.  So being alone, I didn't chase down the bear cub to give it a hug and hear it bawl, but I did happily follow them up the trail.

No photos of the Bears, just these sets of tracks..  

These are from the big mama.

Strange swipe made by the cub-- just playing?

I made my first nice fire, and prepared for a nice loonnng night; it got dark by 5 PM.   During dinner I heard a branch break, and went outside the fire light with my headlamp on full strength.  Big green eye-shine stared right back at me, luckily from about 70 yards away.  This time I walked straight toward the Bears, shouting "Go on now, you Bears!", or something like that.  Then I did something I have never done before, hating making noise-- I blew two loud blasts from my marine whistle, which is a bloody loud thing, designed to be heard between ships over a hurricane.  I don't know if that was the reason, but I never heard from those Bears again.   

These Bears still out are at the tail end of the period called "hyperphagia."  This is when they eat as much as they can to prepare for hibernation.  I've read that they eat a lot of nuts-- acorns and pine nuts.  They will try to locate the nut stashes of the squirrels, and they might like some of my salty almonds too.


In the attachment below are the nuts from within the chewed up Jeffrey Pine cone above.

[Harlen]

The view from my first camp was across the valley to the North Face of Half Dome.

On my second day I wasted time and effort going too high on the slopes of Mt. Watkins.  Up and over downed trees, and breaking  through snow perched over bushes.  My first day included  2700' up in the last 2.4 miles, but it was this long second day, carrying heavy, sticking snow for most of the 8 miles to Tenaya Lake that really did me in.   

I barely made the 8 miles to Tenaya Lake in 9 hours of steady slogging.  

My gear for this trip:  Northern Lite snowshoes; Sorel boots with felt insoles; full gaiters; a Whippet and BD ski poles.  The heavy, wide-mouthed Nalgene bottle works well for throwing into open water to fill. and then I haul it back with a cord.  The small thermos is great for keeping water in a liquid state, and not so cold to be undrinkable.  I also carried plastic bags to go over my wooly socks to keep them relatively dry.  Improvements to my gear would be Sno-seal for the leather boots, and some magic substance-- wax?-- that would keep the snow and ice from forming up all over the snowshoes, and dragging me down.  Is there such a thing?

It was a beautiful scene at Tenaya Lake. and I was sorely tempted to just call this great place my goal. I even had the luck to see a Bald Eagle circling over the north end of the Lake! I called day three a rest day, and spent all morning drying out my soaked gear till midday.  I had two easier route options up my sleeve from here-- see map.  One was to head out in a smaller circle by using the trail that starts at the outlet end of Tenaya Lake (*the red line on the map), and joins the JMT.  That would be just 10 miles down to LYV. and easy home from there.  Another interesting route was to head right back the way I'd come, then to veer off onto the trails that move on and off the northern rim of the lower canyon, above Yosemite Valley (*the green line).  I had never done that, and it promised fascinating vantage points to view Yosemite's domes, peaks and valley.  I would hike to the top of El Cap. the easy way, and then I could tell everyone that I'd climbed El Capitan w/o ropes in the dead of winter.  I could then start a new career doing inspirational talks, and maybe star in some beer commercials.  In the end, I decided to try for the Cathedral Lakes, and am I ever glad I did!  I left around noon, and only made it halfway up the Pywiack Dome backcountry shortcut, but the clear and windless weather held, and the next day my luck would change.  *[The red dots mark my route.]

The solid rock apron above Pywiak Dome had a thin skin of snow on it, and for once, I had easy walking-- until I left the rock, as seen in the last deep steps.

Higher up the slope I was thrilled to meet up with a big bear's trail to the top--this bear did not mess about-- it went straight up!

At the top of the Pywiack short cut, with Tenaya Lake far below.  Thanks to the bear track, I made easy work of it to the top, and on to Lower Cathedral Lake.

The bear trail continued through to Lower Cathedral Lake.  I left it to walk the solid lakeshore, then found it again, and followed my spirit bear past Upper Cathedral Lake, over Cathedral Pass, and then picked it up one last time on the way down to Echo Lake.  

[Harlen]

Eichorn Pinnacle is seen at its sharpest above Lower Cathedral Lake.

Following a bear trail is sometimes easy, and a great help, but other times it can be challenging.

Often the bear will meander amid the trees, and they will barrel right through tough branches, often going under limbs we cannot.  Here I have detoured around the bear's tunnel.

It can be fascinating too.  Like here, where the bear sniffed out a squirrel's nut cache, and then dug it out.  These were Whitebark Pine nuts.

The bear slid down this icy ledge-- I walked around.

I temporarily left my bear guide to enjoy one of my very favorite lakes-- Upper Cathedral Lake.  I spent over an hour here walking two slow circles all along the margin of the frozen lake, first one way, and then the other.  This was another rare place where I wasn't sinking deep in the snow-- the wind swept the snow off of the frozen lake surface.  In open places like this, when skiing or snowshoeing, you do not need to look at the ground as you go.  It is a unique part of winter traveling that one often has the freedom to gaze all around as you move-- looking for animals and their signs, or in this case, I just watched the lovely mountain scenery.

Nearing Cathedral Pass my guiding bear seemed to be heading upward toward the Budd Creek side, and I wished him or her a fond farewell.  I veered back down to the low point of the saddle. Ahead of me here is long, sharp Matthes Crest.

Echo Peaks.

[Harlen]

I had my tent set up just in time to catch the fine sunset colors, on Echo Peaks and the Matthes Crest.

I am hopeful that these are the tracks of the rare Sierra Red Fox.  They are too small for a Coyote, and seem about right, according to the tracking guide.

Tracks of everyone are everywhere, but present animals are very rare.  I was happy to see and hear this Raven.

Look at all the cones on this Hemlock tree. 

Hemlocks have the smallest lvs. and small, delicate cones, however, I saw many thousands of fresh, edible seeds littering the forest floor.  In this photo, it looks like one cone has been torn apart by squirrels or mice. 

The pineapple-looking ovals are the pollen-bearing male cones, and on either side of the cone, you can find a winged seed.  I tasted some of them, and they are spicy little nuts.

On day five I hiked up out of the Echo Lake/Cathedral Fork valley, and  got interesting new views of the surrounding mountains.  

Cathedral Peak came back into view, and if I'm not mistaken, that is Whorl Mtn. in the distance, with Spiller Canyon spilling down from Horse Creek Pass.

I found the JMT under Mt. Tressider, and I reached Long Meadow here.  I was surprised by all of the amazing views from this trail.  I've only skied through here once, and I didn't remember all of the fine mountain sights.  This section of the JMT-- from Columbia Finger to Sunrise HS Camp, and rising up to the ridge of Sunrise Mtn.-- has fantastic, long view lines.  Here it is the sharp peaks from Tressider and its Finger in the west, through to Matthes Crestin the east.  Soon after, I would have new views of the upper Merced peaks from Vogelsang, to Lyell and Maclure, all the way to the Clark Range.

I was thrilled by all of this, as it seemed my fortunes now shined.

[Harlen]

Soon I was down in the burnt forest in the canyon southeast of Cloud's Rest.

 That's the east slope of Cloud's Rest.

Half Dome and Little Yosemite Valley in sight, and the snowshoes came off for good.

More water than snow in the Merced River by LYV.

Liberty Cap hanging over the falls. I was surrounded by people again, and I met a young Kiwi guy who had just seen a beautiful Bobcat. He showed me its picture on a magic phone.

I considered it a fine trip, even though I fell far short of the longest route I had dreamed up-- the one that would have had me crossing Reymann and Vogelsang Passes, and then over the Clark Range via the real Red Mtn. Pass this time (*This is the purple line on the map.).  I was very grateful to get up into the Cathedral Range again, and I was pleasantly surprised by the fine mountain scenery along the "Sunrise Section" of the JMT.  Seeing the Eagle and the two Bears was very fine; and following a wonderful bear trail for miles was a thing I will long remember-- I've always had a special love of Bears. The snow conditions were a challenge to be sure, and some of that was my own damn fault.  Fitness preparation!... Do I need to join a gym or what?  Oh well,... I am still pretty strong going downhill.

[wildhiker]

Great report of an ambitious outing! I've been all over that country in the summer. Nice to see it in the winter in your photos.
-Phil

[tomba]

Nice trip. With snow, much more solitude there.

[wsp_scott]

Looks like a great trip, but kind of weird to see you with snow and no skis
I like your idea of climbing El Cap without ropes in winter
Interesting info about the mother bears and cubs

[Harlen]

Thanks for the comments. Phil, your rainy trip around the Cathedral Range is still something I am keen to do. This trip I really wanted to at least camp by Matthes Lake after seeing your great picture of it. No luck--too damn tired. Wsp_scott, I'll use anything that gets me in there. Skis and ski boots are heavier to carry up the Snow Cr. Trail, and elsewhere that's too steep for my skiing. And as for the El Cap climbing story, that is BS' ing, of course. I reckon you have to lose an arm or leg, or maybe all your toes to frostbite, to get any benefits.

[Harlen]

I just realized that a small section of the TR was omitted. Leading up to my last camp on Sunrise Mountain Ridge, I had some photos showing the nice view to the east and SE, along with few of that camp. I'll add them here.


Day 5 -6 Sunrise Trail:

Leaving the beautiful Long Meadow for the last climb of the trip-- up to the ridge of Sunrise Mountain.

Looking east at Vogelsang Peak and Mt. Florence, and peaks beyond.

Vogelsang through the trees.

A ridge too far. The Clark Range to the south, which in my hubris, I thought I might reach on this trip.

Camp with fire ready--My "living room," where I'll spend many dark hours. I stomp out a large area from the living room to the bedroom, and over to the firewood tree. After doing this, I can lose the boots and snowshoes and walk around in comfortable down booties from then on.

The surest way to boil snow to water is in the fire. My canister stove barely worked in the cold. I developed a new trick with a second canister. I would keep it warm in my down pocket, and alternate them as the first froze up.

The bedroom. Every night was still and calm.