Last week I completed a backpacking loop in Sequoia National Park. The striking thing about this trip were the endless wildflowers.  I can’t remember seeing more than we saw on this trip. It was a color feast that went on and on!

Click here to see the photos.

Our route took us through the Tablelands, over Thunder and Lightening Pass, down to Tamarack Creek and back to Wolverton on the High Sierra Trail and Alta Trails.

I spent a week hiking in the eastern Sierra during the end of July.  The first day we hiked in the Bishop area.  After that we moved to camp at Tuolumne Meadows and hiked within Yosemite National Park.

Click here to see the photos.

Here are the hikes we did:

1.  North Lake trailhead to Piute Pass – 10 miles, 2,200 foot elevation gain to 11,400 feet
2. Lembert Dome – This was a short loop hike to the top of the dome, about 5 miles and 1000 foot gain
3. Lake of the Domes – We took the fisherman’s trail from Tioga Road to Lake of the Domes.  We hiked up Mariuolumne Dome and walked through the sparse forest to Lower Cathedral Lake.  (The name “Mariuolumne” comes from a combination of Mariposa and Tuolumne.) The distance was about 6 miles round trip with ab out 1,600 feet elevation gain.
4. Lake of the Dome repeat – We went back to Lake of the Domes area, but followed a different route with some friends that joined us.  We started at Pywiack Dome and followed the spillway to the outlet of Lower Cathedral Lake.  From there we visited the Lakes of the Domes and came down through a steep gully. This distance was about 5 miles with 1,200 foot elevation gain and required a short car shuttle.
5. Mount Hoffman – 10 miles, 2,400 foot elevation gain