area, a steep loose granite slope. Witnesses reported that Decker was scrambling up a Mt. Backpackers set up shop in the woods south of the lake, and this is the place to go if you’re camping. This series of switchbacks is the steepest part, but … Distance: 4.8 miles | You can’t always expect a helicopter rescue, fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering, Can a person who is prescribed an epi-pen risk going into the wilderness? Nell Shaw Cohen 201 views. There are now a number of different paths that diverge and re-emerge later on, creating an unnecessary braid of trails that makes route-finding harder than it needs to be. Click here to read the current CDC guidelines for traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Don’t start for the top here, it’s easier further up the trail. If you’d like to escape the crowds, head … Afterward, you can pick up your permit at either the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center or the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center. If you like the backcountry and hate backpacking, this is the way to go. Towering above May Lake, Mt. In addition to the sweeping views south across the upper reaches of Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, and the Clark Range, along with the eastern view toward the Cathedral Range and Sierra Crest, you now enjoy unparalleled views north across the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne toward high points above Virginia and Matterhorn Canyons and the Rancheria Creek watershed. and in assuring the overall success of the operation. If you’re only interested in hiking to May Lake and don’t have the appetite for Mount Hoffman, make a point of continuing beyond the camp. The left hand trail past a tiny restroom building is the one you want for our hike. Instead of keeping right to reach the High Sierra Camp, keep left to skirt the southern banks of May Lake. You can pick up your backpacking gear on your way back down the mountain. After 0.4 mile, the trail breaks through the forest cover for views east toward the Cathedral Range and south toward Clouds Rest and the Clarks Range punctuated by conifers. Hoffmann Hiking Time: 1.5 - 4 hours Why hike to May Lake? Hiking from May Lake toward Mount Hoffmann Posted by: Candace Gregory November 25, 2018 0 2,625 Views “Ramble to the summit of Mount Hoffmann, eleven thousand feet high, the highest point in life’s journey my feet have yet touched.” (John Muir: My First Summer in the Sierra, 1911, p. Hetch Hetchy - Explore John Muir's Yosemite - Duration: 2:02. On a mid-July visit we saw snow and wildflowers along the shore. The mountain is named for the cartographer Charles F. Hoffmann, who was part of the California Geological Survey of the Sierra Nevada. 199.) Yosemite Mt Hoffman via May Lake ( GoPro HD) - Duration: 3:25. This short trek (less than two miles to the peak) is steep with a boulder scramble to the top. To reach this lake the trail winds along the granite flank of Mount Hoffman. The trailhead begins between the pit toilets and a small pond. Required fields are marked *. and the proposed new trail for comparison: The views are great from here if you don’t want to conquer the top, such as Clouds Rest and Half Dome (with binoculars or a good telephoto you can see the hikers on the cables). The creation of new cairns inspires later hikers to follow those newer cairns off of the main route, which reinforces a new informal trail on sensitive mountain habitat. High Sierra Camp in the Tuolumne Subdistrict reported hearing cries for Mt. Hoffman's Thumb, an i… (Previously there was a rule about no swimming allowed near the outlet of May Lake as that is where the High Sierra camp gets water. Although the terrain is easy to negotiate, some confusion will occur as hikers have created multiple parallel paths that distract from the primary path. Today’s camps feature meals provided by camp cooks, more evolved lodging on cots inside tent cabins, and access to beautiful destinations. You first hike from the trailhead off Tioga Road to May Lake, a 2.5-mile hike roundtrip if only going to May Lake, a 6-mile roundtrip trek if going to the top of Mount Hoffman. Location: 37.843233, -119.50345 Hoffman just before 10 a.m. on Park at the end of May Lake Rd. Just as you reach May Lake, the trail forks; take the left fork and it'll lead you all the way to the ridge. Here (photos by Manny Respicio, 2004 trip) the view down to May Lake from the top and for a sense of the space and distance shown in that shot, a closeup from that shot of hikers on the mountain. There is an informal and well-traveled route leading to Mount Hoffman, but over the years, hikers have wandered off of the trail only to create new cairns to help them find their ways back. Hoffmann Elevation: 10,845 feet (3,305 meters) Elevation Gain: 500 feet (150 meters) to May Lake; 2,000 feet (600 meters) to Mt. The trail to the top was never built or maintained until 2008, when the Yosemite Fund built a real trail. Four photos below by/from Chris Throm (2003 trip). As we leave May Lake, we’ll also leave the crowds behind as we climb to the alpine home collapsed lung. At that point, you’ll be prompted to pay for your permit. They found park concession employee May Lake Elevation: 9,270 feet (2,825 meters) Mt. Employees of the camp and rogue backpackers tend to sleep on the ridge, under the stars. Do the hard work of locating and sticking to the original path reflected by the GPS track here. route when he fell over 100 feet, striking his head. 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