High Sierra Topix

Here (finally) is a trip report/extended personal essay of my trip to Young Lakes last July. (Hopefully, I will get the other report of my August trip to Dusy Basin done soon.) For this report, I only went to Upper Young Lake so it doesn’t cover a lot of territory. I hope it provides a pleasant diversion for anyone who wishes to read it.

The report itself is here:

http://laurencebrauer.com/Images/TripRe ... s-2024.pdf

The photos are below here:

http://laurencebrauer.com/ASITHSTripReports.html

Happy Holidays to all!

Thanks for another lovely trip report. I always enjoy reading your thoughtful and descriptive writing.

I camped at Lower Young Lake in 1994 with the kids. I don't remember making it up to the uppermost lake. After reading your report, I need to go back!

-Phil

Nice report, but don't give up on backpacking quite yet! I must be about your age, and still manage to get out a few times each year. I hike fewer miles now, and the trips are not more than 4 days to limit my pack weight.

I've hiked to Young's Lakes three times. The first two when I was about 20. One 3-day trip spent the second day climbing Mt. Conness, the other one had me hiking out early with a hiker who had bad altitude sickness.

The last time I was in my late 60s. We hiked through Glen Aulin, XC up Conness Creek to Roosevelt Lake, then XC to Young's Lakes, and back to Tuolumne Meadows. 4 days, none more than about 6-7 miles.

Thanks wildhiker and balzacom. I'm not giving up backpacking yet though my destination possibilities are now more limited due to the distance I can cover. So I have to get more creative about where I can go. It's an interesting challenge, but fun to come up with trips.

I know where you are coming from. I have these same wondering doubts about how my planed trips for next summer will pan out. Due to life events I have not been backpacking in 10 years. To get ready for what I don't know what I will experience I have started walking several days a week on the trails where I live. The first two trials I tried were brutal. I am hiking on the easier trails before tackling the tougher ones in a month or so.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

The emoticon at the beginning is Maverick's edit.

Wow Laurence, that was worth waiting for! So many of your photos are stunningly beautiful. The many sunsets and rises, and those vast forest scenes you captured in the views to the north. You make a trip--and a long stay-- at Young Lakes very appealing. My favorite pictures right now are the ones titled: "Mt Conness, clouds, trees;" "Ragged Peak, Lower/Middle Young Lakes, morning;" and "Sheep Crest, morning." I think that "Trees, peaks, sunset" is really masterful! As with many HST photos, the images become much sharper with one click in the field-- why is that Maverick?

We can easily imagine your happy acceptance of just being there, and enjoying one area intensely. The weather really lent itself to that, didn't it Laurence? It seemed to change for you daily, and it so altered the scenery. We too love to experience the right amount of weather on our trips, though in my winter trips, such as this month's Cathedral Range trip, I was quite content with one tranquil, blue sky day after another.

All the best as you continue to adapt your Sierra travels to the realities of our aging. Lizzie and I are already talking about the days when we car camp in T.Meadows, and amble out, maybe as far as Soda Springs, gazing back at the sharp peaks of our youth. Thank you for this wonderful, and inspiring report. Harlens.

Thanks, Harlen. Your comments mean a lot to me, especially since I love and find myself envious of your reports, exploits, and flora and fauna identification skills. Maybe Barbara and I will run into you and Lizzie at Tuolumne sometime in the future. I'm really curious what the new version of TM campground will be like and if one can still just wander all around along the river and meadow at sunrise and sunset and not run into anyone.

LMBSGV wrote: ↑Fri Dec 27, 2024 9:04 pm The emoticon at the beginning is Maverick's edit.

Why was your post edited?

The emoticon at the beginning is Maverick's edit.

My edit was only to the date, as given for the reason for editing at the bottom of your post. The original date differed from the one in the link provided, which is July 2024.
I didn’t add the emoticon, but I can remove it if you’d like, Laurence.