When we tell people we are going to Yosemite, we hear “niiiice”, “beauuuutiful”, “sooOO lucky”. But to get one of the few wilderness permits for the popular hikes, you need to plan months in advance — Half Dome even requires entering a lottery.
Late planners like us decided to go and pick up a permit for one of the less popular hikes. Boy was it still gorgeous! Checkout some of the memories we captured below.
Day 1: Young Lake Via Glen Aulin
Beginning of this hike was on the more popular Glen Aulin trail (which can also be a 11 mile day trip back and forth, relatively flat).
If you look close enough in the meadows, you can spot lots of life.
Most of the trail is in the woods …
And you can spot snow even in July — it’s not just in the mountain caps.
There are some steep ascends were you will climb quickly …
… it can get very tiring …
… but there will be many good spots to rest and take a bit.
Once you reach the lake, you would have climbed from 8,600 ft to 9,850 ft.
The view is breathtaking.
I found a spot to play mermaid.
And savor a cold beverage (cooled by the lake) while enjoying the sunset.
At the end of the day, we found a great spot to call our backyard for the night.
You can set an alarm for 1 or 2 am to enjoy a milky way view.
Day 2: Young Lake back home via Dog Lake
We thought the 2nd day would be all down hill … and we were caught off guard by more climbing.
At the highest, we reached 10,010 ft.
And I had to take a levitation picture to get a little higher 🙂
The uphill was much worth it! (Although none of the Lord of the Rings scenes were taken here, I would have believed it if you told me so.)
You can stop by Dog Lake to take a refreshing dip in the water before heading to the parking lot. It was only a 0.1 mile detour from the trail.
Once we finished the hike …
I wanted a picture at Olmsted Point with Half Dome in the background …
and Thorsten wanted a full rack of ribs!