Clouds Rest Hike in Yosemite
So the first week of July I was scheduled to film the wedding of a friend in Ojai, California, and just figured since I was North that I should also climb a nearby mountain.
Like most of my half-baked plans my LA based adventure buddy who was also going to the wedding agreed to go. Weeeee.
I hadn’t really experienced Yosemite before but the lottery for Half Dome had sailed, so the Clouds Rest hike was the best option. The elevation is actually higher than Half Dome so you look down onto it, and no permit needed!
Things I knew about the Clouds Rest Hike beforehand:
- Start at Tioga Pass Road trailhead, coordinates: 37.8258398,-119.
4706123 - Trailhead: 8150 ft
- Summit: 9926 ft
- Elevation gain: 1800 ft
- There are two forks; we need to keep right at both.
It is 14.5 miles round trip
I don’t really remember giving this mileage a second thought. I’ve run half marathons and done back country trips, the mileage wasn’t super concerning. HOWEVER, we did not really factor in the fact that we would be going to a wedding – which was our friend’s so we were both busy all day. Then not sleeping. Then immediately going into the wilderness to sleep on the ground, which is arguably not the best sleep. THEN going up a mountain higher than Half Dome, where we realized we did not have enough snacks.
So…what I’m saying is be smarter than us. Sleep and bring snacks.
We were so tired at the top that we low key took naps and considered never returning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWOiPTiDROS/
The top is trippy AF
(0:30 – 0:41)
The whole hike you are rewarded with trees, green grass, and a glassy pond slash lake situation. Then you get above the tree line (bring sunscreen) to some nice bouldering rocks. Finally you ascend to the ridge of this mountain and everything feels like it is up and also falling down.
Perhaps it was because we were dehydrated, perhaps it’s because Yosemite valley was created by molten magma so the rock looks like it’s “flowing”. Either way when you’re up that high, there is turbulence and walking on that ridge felt like tip toeing the spine of a dinosaur at some points.
It’s flat-ish enough that you aren’t going to just blow off the side, but looks at these weird rock steps! Tiny Drea included for scale.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHd2kx5hJff/
Those Views though
At the end of the day this hike was totally worth it. Also the nap at the top was glorious. We cursed the whole way down and talked about all the burritos we were going to eat when we got home.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHfQ0kOBq7f/
In Sum
- Definitely don’t plan on any weddings or other sleep-depriving life events before doing this.
- The 14 miles is not so bad if you have enough snacks.
- We did not have enough snacks. Regrets.
