Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
I was watching a YouTube video of folks who went from Tenaya
Lake to Cloud’s Rest and Back. It is the fastest route (14miles) to Cloud’s
Rest and one of the best vantage points in Yosemite. The video can be seen
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5qLVlSzaQ0
I have an older video of the hike I made to Cloud’s Rest
from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. It is much longer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uprTC3kfsHA
My wife and I tried the route to Cloud’s Rest from Tenaya
Lake and both of us were too concerned about crossing the narrow knife-edge
approach to get to the wider top in 2006. We turned around defeated only a 100' away.
A year later I investigated taking a Yosemite shuttle bus
from Curry Village to Tenaya Lake and running the 17 miles back to Curry
Village, which is mostly downhill. On paper it is less labor intensive than
hiking to Cloud’s Rest and Back from Happy Isles, which is 4 miles further and
1,000’ higher than Half Dome and back from Happy Isles.
I have even done a more difficult out and back to Cloud’s
Rest from Glacier Point. The Panorama trail takes you down to a crossing at
Illilouette Creek and then you have to climb back up to join the trail at
Nevada Falls. It is a long and exposed
climb back up to Glacier Point from the bridge crossing on Illilouette Creek on
the return leg.
I talked two of my running friends Terry Nephew and Dan
Greer into doing it with me but they opted to take the route that would require
them to go over Cloud’s Rest. Both were better runners than me. Terry finished
23rd overall in his first attempt at the Western States 100 mile
endurance run. Dan was sub 40:00 10K runner. I knew my limitations from my
experience the year before and took the fork in the trail that would join the
John Muir Trail heading south from the Sunrise High Sierra Camp. This way I
could avoid the narrow ridge leading to the top of Cloud’s Rest by going around
it.
We
drove to Yosemite that morning from Fresno and bought our tickets for the first
shuttle out of the valley that would take us to our starting point by the
southwest shore of Tenaya Lake.
We
stayed pretty much together till the split in the trail and I was not sure at
what point I would see them again or if I would just meet up with them at my
truck.
As it turns out we arrived at Nevada
Falls at the same time.
The
cream always rises to the top and Terry was out of sight within a mile. Dan and
I were together for a time and then he eventually pulled out of sight too. We
met at the truck and drove back to Fresno with a brief stop for snacks at the
Wawona Store. It was one of those runs that seems like it would be difficult
but I believe the trail time proved to be fairly reasonable.
Half Dome From Olmstead Point
Cloud's Rest From Olmstead Point
Pond Along The Trail
Me Nine Years Ago Age 63
The American River 50 Tee Shirt
Dan (L) and Terry Look Tired
Until The Camera Comes Up
Nevada Falls
Large Buck In Curry Village Parking Area
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