We were so sad to leave Dog Lake and its tranquil surroundings. My friend had never been around Tolumne Meadows (or on Tioga Road) for that matter, so we drove slowly around, checking out different highlights. As we were driving, we came across this beautiful lake, right along the side of the road. We decided to pull over and check it out. It...Read More

After checking out different viewing angles from different points on Lembert Dome, we continued to Dog Lake. The trails are very well marked, as long as you know where you're going! The trail continuing to Dog Lake from Lembert Dome is more level though there is some minor elevation change. I don't remember any steep climbs. Soon, the trail opens up to this...Read More

We had originally planned to head up to Lembert Dome after Gaylor Lakes, but decided against the idea. After our extended detour, mild instability due to the altitude change, and the setting sun, we chose to set up our tent at the Tuolumne Meadows campground to get a good night's rest. The next morning, we were so excited to get to Lembert Dome!...Read More

After our detour to Stanislaus National Forest, picking up hitchhikers for the first time ever, taking in the beauty of Mono Lake, and getting our first dose of Yosemite at Ellery Lake, we were more than excited to be at Gaylor Lakes. We were so excited to be at the trailhead that we jumped right into hiking. Water? Check. Food? Check. Sense of...Read More

After a very long detour, we finally made it onto Highway 120 a.k.a. Tioga Road a.k.a our destination! Our very first stop: Ellery Lake. The lake pull-out is right before the entrance to the park (if heading west) or right after leaving Yosemite National Park (if heading east). We were already feeling a little winded from the altitude change, but we were too...Read More

Another result of our unexpected detour? A lovely surprise view of Mono Lake! I've seen numerous pictures of the lake in all sorts of settings and was so surprised that we had a nice vantage point from above and from the visitor's center. Mono Lake has no outlet, and is fed by runoff by creeks and streams from the nearby mountains. The lake...Read More

I never expected to say this, but we picked up hitchhikers for the first time. Here's what happened. After leaving our stretch break at Stanislaus National Forest, we mustered the strength and energy to keep going. We had the windows open for fresh air, and we see some people alongside the road (speed limit is between 25-45 mph in the mountains), and we...Read More

Here's what not to do on a road trip: Plug in Tuolumne into the GPS and let it take you there. We put too much trust into the GPS and it was my fault for not looking up the directions earlier. The GPS calculated the distance and took us into Stanislaus National Forest via highway 108. (We later found out we missed the...Read More