Day 17- Evelyn Lakes Junction to High Sierra Camp

Distance: 15 mi
Elevation Gain: 1,865 ft
Starting Elevation: 8,900 ft
Ending Elevation: 9,310 ft

Snow at our campsite that morning at the Evelyn Lakes junction.

Snow! Yes, snow. Overnight the temperatures dropped and the rain turned into a light, powdery snow. We first knew something was not as it should be when we woke up and our tent was pitch black on the inside. Usually we wake up with the sunrise but this morning the snow had covered our tent blocking all light. We peeked outside to see a few snowflakes still falling onto about five inches of fresh powder. To say that we were shocked would be an understatement. We had dodged a lot of the bad weather to this point and were lucky enough to have only been caught in a couple downpours. Snow had not even entered into our realm of possibilities. As we gathered our things while sitting inside the tent we formed a plan for the day. The trail to the Tuolomne Meadows Visitor Center and store should be well traveled enough that we could find it in even a few inches of snow. We figured we would check the weather reports after arriving and either stay at the backpacker's campround in Tuolomne or continue eight miles down the trail to Sunrise High Sierra Camp getting us closer to our final destination of Yosemite Valley.

We put on all of our baselayers and jackets and ventured into the snow. It was much slower progress than the day before, but thankfully the trail through Tuolomne Meadows is so well traveled that even with five inches of snow, the indentation in the soil is still visible. We soon warmed up and began to take in the beauty of a pristine snow-covered Tuolomne. Five miles and two hours later we reached the general store and cafe and paused there to consider our options. As we talked inside the shelter of the general store, our cold and wet feet begged for reprieve but we knew our best chance of staying warm would be to keep moving and continue on to High Sierra Camp.

Three and a half hours after leaving the Tuolomne Meadows general store we arrived at Sunrise High Sierra camp. Some years, the camp is set up as a backcountry resort with canvas tents, indoor toilets, and running water. This year though, everything was closed and locked and we searched for a sheltered spot among the outbuildings and trees that make up the camp. After settling on a spot, we hastily set up the tent and jumped in. We immediately turned on the JetBoil and made some hot water for tea and then more water for a hot meal. We crawled into our sleeping bags and huddled together to conserve body heat. The sun set and the cold creeped in and we would spend a frigid night in the wilderness.

Looking back from where we started in Tuolomne Meadow.