Day Two: Donahue Pass to 1000 Island Lakes

Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue

14 July 2010

"I want to get started early" said Darlene, but I had no idea how "early" early was. We didn't hit the trail until 7:25am, which was the latest we were to hit the trail together.

It was a cold night. I was bundled in my down jacket and fleece cap and gloves, falling asleep to the cascading creek nearby. The tips of the mountains lighted up with the morning sun as we fording the icy creek and immediately started up a steep grade. The creek was so cold that had we been submerged in the icy water longer than needed, we all surly would have gotten frostbite.

We quickly lost Al behind us.

"CONNIE!" yelled Darlene from in front of me. Her voice startled me. Had she stumbled into the path of a bear? No. A young buck had startled her, but the animal continued its casual stride across the trail before it sauntered into oblivion.

The pass was higher and further away than expected. We didn't reach it for two hours and not until fording a few creeks and climbing up a steep and long switchback above and over the rather nondescript pass that was covered in glacial erratics. There were other people on the trail, including a small group with several horses. I didn't think the horses would have an easy time getting up or down Donahue Pass; the higher we got the more we lost the trail.

Yosemite National Park's eastern boundary ended at Donahue Pass. To our south lie the Inyo National Forest, and all we could see were mountain peaks, snow caps, and plenty of glacial erratics. We were now in an alpine zone. I was relieved to be out of Yosemite.

Our next adventure, however, involved finding the trail. Parts of important switchbacks were still covered in ice. At one point we fanned out reconnoitering the trail and in the end it was Al who found the way afer we all hopped along boulders and exposed areas. Marmots, chipmunks and insects made this area their home. I liked this section. I finally could feel unabashed and not fear a park ranger coming up from behind me.

Instead, we were now in the National Forest and a Forest ranger working with a small work crew asked us if we all had bear cannisters. "I know it's an inconvenience, but thanks for putting up with that" she said as she and her crew continued on her trail duties. She was helping to improve eroded sections of the forest trail. I thanked them for their work. A labrador-mix dog froliced nearby in the creek.

We crossed many creeks here as the trail continued in a basically straight direction, through pine groves and creeks and following a creek the entire way. It was my first exposure to the High Sierras and I liked it. I was doing fine pace wise and not in any pain. Even Al seemed faster today.