The Highlands Entrance to Yosemite

Just south of the Mono Lake, there is an approach into Yosemite National Park‘s highlands from the Eastern Sierras via Tioga Road (originally used by Native Americans for travel and trade, and later as a wagon trail and mining road).  This route is the highest route across the Sierras in California, crossing Tioga Pass at 9,945 feet!  It’s much less used than the roads into the Yosemite Valley, on the east side of the park.  We may not have seen some of the classic, often-pictured views of the park, but the highlands offered a different, equally rewarding perspective.  Tuolumne Meadows was filled with subalpine wildflowers like elephant’s heads, yarrow, and shooting stars. There were great views of Lembert and several other of the park’s famous Domes, hiking trails and access to a number of small lakes.  From Olmstead Point, you get a “backwards”  glimpse of the famous Half Dome (see photo above).

After some walking, and stretching out on the rocks, a picnic lunch was  in order.  Tenaya Lake was the perfect setting, with its cold, refreshing blue water, surrounded by imposing granite domes and towering evergreens.

Tenaya Lake

Parson’s Lodge

After lunch, we walked up to Parson’s Lodge (built in 1915 by the Sierra Club), a cabin where John Muir and others once discussed forming the national parks system.  The building is stone with a huge fireplace inside and exposed, log beams.  It’s now being used as an nature center with a small library and space to sit and rest/reflect.  This area also has some naturally carbonated freshwater springs, called Soda Springs bubbling up through the earth, as well as some old Sierra Club cabins. NOT spotted were black bears, coyotes or mountain lions.  We did, however, see a lot of ground squirrels, and yellow-bellied marmot and small herd of mule deer.

Parson’s Lodge

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