Day 05: Donohue Pass to Garnet Lake

From JMT mile 33.1 to 43.9 Total: 11.3 miles hiked 8/03

On the fifth day of my John Muir Trail trek I hiked from Upper Lyell Canyon to Garnet Lake, and visited Donohue Pass, the Rush Creek valley, Island Pass, and Thousand Island Lake.

The three of us (Bob, Keith and I) woke up in the dark and started getting ready. We cooked and ate some breakfast and finished packing up by 6-ish, which was just after dawn. We had to climb about 1300 feet over the next two and a half miles, so we needed to get this done before it got too hot.

Morning in upper Lyell Canyon as the three of us prepare to climb up to Donohue Pass — Morning in upper Lyell Canyon as the three of us prepared to summit Donohue Pass

The wooden footbridge over the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River at JMT mile 33

Then the climbing began. There were stone steps once again, just like we climbed yesterday. Switchback after switchback. But at least the steps were made for humans, not giants. They weren’t total knee-busters. All they required was a steady application of energy, and they passed beneath us. Bob and Keith both used hiking sticks, which supposedly help with climbing. My brother calls them “four wheel drive,” but somehow I never really got into them. Maybe it was due to all the years when I carried a heavy DSLR camera around my neck; I needed to keep one hand on it to prevent it swinging into my belly, making two sticks impossible. I was also very sure-footed, so I didn’t need them for balance. And I have to admit that I don’t have much upper body strength, so that I often felt that I was expending more energy simply lifting the sticks up and down, like wearing too-heavy boots. Plus, it takes time to place them accurately, so they slow down your hiking speed. In fact, I only carry one stick, which I leave in my backpack, and get it out for extra balance when crossing streams, and as a brake on very steep downhill slopes to save my knees.

There was plenty of climbing in store for us on the JMT in upper Lyell Canyon — There was plenty of climbing in store for us

View down into lower Lyell Canyon with Mount Conness in the distance and the meadow below

Heading for the river crossing at JMT mile 34 in Lyell Canyon — Heading for the next river crossing at JMT mile 34

We finished climbing the main headwall of Lyell Canyon and arrived at a river crossing in a basin at about 10,200 feet elevation. There was a shallow pond there, which Keith immediately got excited about. Trout! That’s what he wanted. Bob and I were more concerned about crossing the river with dry feet. We also noticed the second headwall at the upper end of this basin. There was a waterfall there, which mostly disappeared into the talus slope beneath the lip of the wall.

Still water at the river crossing with the next headwall of Lyell Canyon just ahead

Shot of me at the river crossing in upper Lyell Canyon, with the Lyell Glacier in the distance — Shot of me at the river crossing, with the Lyell Glacier in the distance

There were shallow waters in the Lyell Fork but Keith managed to catch trout there

Waterfall in upper Lyell Canyon, with Mount Lyell and the Lyell Glacier beyond

We left Keith down by the river and the pond. He was a few years younger than Bob and I, and we knew he would catch up. If he couldn’t, well, we’d take a rest break until he did. What a shame. The next river crossing, above the headwall, was at 10,500, so only a few hundred feet of climbing. In the sun, of course. Luckily the air remained cool up at this elevation, so it was a pleasant hike. The killer views didn’t hurt.

Shadow-Selfie in upper Lyell Canyon as we finally got into the sunshine — Shadow-Selfie once we finally got into the sunshine

Climbing up the final headwall in Lyell Canyon on the JMT with plenty of granite steps — Climbing up the final headwall with plenty of granite steps

Marks of rock drills on relatively new stone steps on the John Muir Trail in upper Lyell Canyon — Marks of rock drills on relatively new stone steps

Looking back down into the upper valley in Lyell Canyon where we crossed the river — Looking back down into the upper valley where we crossed the river

The John Muir Trail crossed an upper branch of the Lyell Fork Tuolumne River — The John Muir Trail crossed a side creek just before the main crossing

We arrived at the third and final river crossing. On heavy snow years, and in the early Spring, this crossing was known to be waist deep in icy water, thanks to an ice dam at the lip of the canyon. But not today. We even walked over to the lip to get one last shot into the basin below the waterfall. Very pretty. Upstream, we could see the residual snow and ice of the Lyell Glacier. Mountaineers liked to hike cross-country up that way, to summit Mount Lyell. But that wasn’t our plan.

We arrived at the final crossing of the Lyell Fork Tuolumne River in upper Lyell Canyon — We arrived at the final crossing of the Lyell Fork Tuolumne River

Looking back down into Lyell Canyon from the uppermost river crossing at JMT mile 34.6

View down into the upper valley of Lyell Canyon from the top of the highest headwall — View down into the upper valley of Lyell Canyon from the top of the high headwall

The Lyell Glacier from the uppermost river crossing in Lyell Canyon — The Lyell Glacier from the river crossing

Our next stop was Donohue Pass. We had about 500 feet more to climb. Easy Peasy. Or so I told Bob, who wasn’t really amused. But he was still fresh enough and energetic enough to give it a try. So on we hiked. We were near the treeline now, and the only pines left were stunted due to trying to survive under snow for six months of every year.

Bob took the lead as we climbed up the John Muir Trail toward Donohue Pass — Bob took the lead as we climbed up the trail toward Donohue Pass

The three of us ground our way up the final climb to Donohue Pass — The three of us ground our way up stone steps on the final climb

View down into Lyell Canyon, with Mount Conness in the distance from the JMT near Donohue Pass — The tree line was obvious in Lyell Canyon, with big meadows below, and Mount Conness in the distance

All told, this last segment of trail took us about an hour to climb. We could see Donohue Pass up above us, but it never seemed to get any closer! These things are deceptive. Of course we were getting closer. Up near the top, we even passed near a pile of melting snow, left over from last Winter. It was slightly pink in color, due to an algae growing in the melting water among the ice crystals. Watermelon Snow, it was called, and was widely considered unsafe to drink, thought to cause G.I. disturbances. But this may not be true, scientifically, as nobody wants to do the experiment on themselves. If you are thirsty enough, you’ll probably survive on it just fine.

Donohue Pass was up there - now all we had to do was get there! — Donohue Pass was right up there – now all we had to do was get there!

The trail was well made, with only a few giant steps, as we neared Donohue Pass — The trail was well made, with only a few giant steps, which Bob’s knees hated

There was still residual snow in August, down below the trail near Donohue Pass — There was still residual snow in August, down below the trail near the pass

Soon after, we were happy to arrive at Donohue Pass, at JMT mile 35.6 and 11073 feet elevation. There was a small pond up there, known for having drinkable water, even in late Summer. But we didn’t need any yet. I stopped to take some selfies at both the Yosemite National Park sign and the Ansel Adams Wilderness sign.

This is the high tarn at Donohue Pass, which rarely dries up – but we still had enough water

Selfie looking back at the Yosemite Wilderness sign at Donohue Pass, at JMT mile 35.6

Selfie with the Ansel Adams Wilderness sign as we entered Inyo National Forest at Donohue Pass — Another selfie with the Ansel Adams Wilderness sign as we entered Inyo National Forest

We didn’t stop on the summit of the pass, we headed over to the south side. I told Bob and Keith that there was cell signal up there. Lo and behold: Mammoth Mountain was in the distance, twenty miles away, but it had very powerful transmitters on top. We took our phones off Airplane Mode and watched as the strength bars appeared. Then each of us took off our backpacks, sat down, and called our wives. We yakked on for at least a half hour. We all felt better after that, knowing that everything was OK back home, and simply hearing the voices of loved ones. It was a great day after all.

We continued over the top of Donohue Pass on the John Muir Trail — We continued over the top of the pass – Goodbye Yosemite!

We got cell signal on the south side of Donohue Pass so we took a break and called our wives — We got cell signal on the south side of the pass, so we took a break and called our wives

When we were ready to leave, Bob said that his friend called Donohue Pass a “Nothingburger” and wanted to know what I thought, being the Man of Experience here in the High Sierra. I told him it was true. But it wasn’t as much of a Nothingburger as the next pass, Island Pass, which I pointed out to him. Bob sounded a bit worried. This Nothingburger hadn’t been that easy! What were the big passes going to be like? I told him that they were higher, true, but the slope of the trail never changed all that much. This trail was made By Horses, For Horses. It was nothing like back east, on the Appalachian Trail, where you almost climbed straight up. Keith agreed, as he had done the AT in years past. I’m not sure that I convinced Bob of anything. This Nothingburger kicked his butt!

And then it was time to head down the south side, into the bare stone bowl of Upper Rush Creek Basin. There were no trees up here, just rocks, low scrub, and hardy grasses. No shade, either. But at least it was downhill, so away we went. We still had nine more miles to go.

View south from Donohue Pass (11073 feet elevation) - very bleak and tundra-like — View south from Donohue Pass (11073 feet elevation) – very bleak and tundra-like

Donohue Peak on the left from the JMT just south of Donohue Pass — Donohue Peak on the left as we descended from the pass

Looking back toward Donohue Pass from the John Muir Trail as we continue heading south — Looking back toward Donohue Pass as we continued heading south

Easy downhill grade on a well manicured trail south of Donohue Pass at JMT mile 37 — Easy downhill grade on a well manicured trail at JMT mile 37

A few scraggly pines appeared once we neared Rush Creek. I pointed out a campsite that Vicki and I enjoyed, a hundred yards off the trail, back in 2010. Then we stopped and took a short break to filter some water. Keith even managed to catch a tiny trout or two. We were feeling pretty good now that the trail was heading downhill.

We were feeling good after climbing Donohue Pass and the trail was beautiful further south — We were feeling good after climbing Donohue Pass and the trail was beautiful

Looking east from the JMT below Donohue Pass toward the spot where Vicki and I camped in 2010 — Looking east toward the spot where Vicki and I camped 15 years ago, in 2010

We stopped to get some water in the branch of Rush Creek that headed north to the pass — We stopped to filter some water in a branch of Rush Creek

The trail dropped even further, and passed a few side trails. One to the Marie Lakes, one to the Davis Lakes, and the other down Rush Creek, which led to civilization and the June Lakes area. This was a potential bail-out spot, but none of took the opportunity.

Wooden sign at the intersection of the Rush Creek Trail — Wooden sign at the intersection of the JMT and the Rush Creek Trail

Crossing a double-log footbridge over Rush Creek on the JMT at mile 38 near the trail junction — Crossing a double-log footbridge over Rush Creek

We already descended almost 1500 feet since the pass, and now it was time to Pay the Piper. We had another 600 feet to climb in order to summit Island Pass, which was only 10,226 feet high. Yes, I’m calling six hundred feet a Nothingburger. Luckily, I really liked Island Pass. Perhaps I should have called it a Beautiful Burger, instead. There were several pretty lakes on its broad summit, and all of them had great views, either north toward Donohue Peak, or southwest toward Banner and Ritter. Banner Peak and Mount Ritter were both on the same ridge, and were impressive to see. The south ridge of Ritter also was home to the famous Minarets, a series of spiky peaks that mountaineers loved to climb.

It was a relatively easy climb up to Island Pass, but it was hot in the afternoon sun that day

We could see the sky getting lower as we neared the summit of Island Pass at JMT mile 40

View of Banner and Ritter over one of the Island Pass Lakes along the JMT — View of Banner and Ritter over one of the Island Pass Lakes

Looking back north over one of the Island Pass Lakes — Looking back north over another lake on the broad summit of Island Pass

Next Stop: Thousand Island Lake. You might be tempted to call it False Advertising, but it really did have an awful lot of islands in it. Most of them were high points on the granite basin that the lake sat in. Once upon a time, in the Ice Age, this bowl was chock full of ice. Personally, I like it a lot better the way it is now.

We headed down the slope and arrived at the trail junction where the PCT splits off from the JMT. This split lasted for roughly twenty miles, until they rejoined near Devils Postpile National Monument. Then we crossed the Middle Fork San Joaquin River, which was also the outlet stream of the lake. This was Keith’s cue to get out his fly rod. Bob and I continued hiking while Keith dallied with the trout.

Thousand Island Lake with Banner Peak and Mount Ritter from high above on the JMT — Thousand Island Lake with Banner Peak and Mount Ritter from the JMT as it descended from the pass

Stunning view over Thousand Island Lake from the JMT — Stunning view over Thousand Island Lake – no, there aren’t 1000 islands out there

We crossed the outflow from Thousand Island Lake by rock hopping, not the logs on the right

Keith almost caught a huge trout in Thousand Island Lake, twenty inches at least - or so he says — Keith almost caught a huge trout in Thousand Island Lake, twenty inches at least – or so he says

Thousand Island Lake and Island Pass, from the JMT south of the lake — Thousand Island Lake and Island Pass, from the trail south of the lake

Bob was overjoyed to discover that the trail was mellow for a while, as we undulated up and down around the two bowls containing Emerald Lake and Ruby Lake. Last time I was here, I didn’t detect any trout, but Keith caught one in Ruby Lake, so I updated my notes. This was also where we got our wilderness permits checked for the second time this trek. By an Inyo National Forest Ranger, and his dog. The dog was much friendlier than her master, who was a bit stiff and recited regulations at us. He was heading for Thousand Island Lake, intent on finding permit-less campers, no doubt. We were just random encounters on his way to the real prize.

Emerald Lake at JMT mile 42 - we got our permits checked by an Inyo National Forest Ranger here — Emerald Lake at JMT mile 42 – we got our permits checked by an Inyo National Forest Ranger here

Hiking through a talus slope west of Emerald Lake on the JMT — Hiking through a talus slope southwest of Emerald Lake

Keith stopped to go fly fishing for trout in Ruby Lake — Keith stopped to go fly fishing in Ruby Lake

There was at least one last bit of climbing between Ruby Lake and Garnet Lake, our destination for the day. Bob groaned a bit, but he made it OK. Then the view of Garnet Lake appeared, and the climb was forgotten. There was a great viewpoint up there.

We climbed up to the saddle between Ruby Lake and Garnet Lake on the JMT — We climbed up to the saddle between Ruby Lake and Garnet Lake

Selfie above Garnet Lake from the JMT at mile 44, with the Minarets, Ritter, and Banner on the right — Selfie above Garnet Lake from JMT mile 44, with the Minarets, Ritter, and Banner on the right

After that, we arrived at the side trail that led to the “legal” campsites along Garnet Lake. The outlet area of the lake got overused in the past, and camping was now banned within a quarter mile of it. Last year, on my way north, I camped at the very edge of that quarter mile, but I had a feeling that those spots were already taken today, as it was getting later in the afternoon. We chose to take the horrible half mile side trail instead. And it was truly rocky and miserable to hike on, even though it dropped 250 feet along the way. After a long day of hiking, this wasn’t exactly a reward.

We took the side trail to the official camp along Garnet Lake, even though it was far out of our way

Rotten half-mile trail down to the official Garnet Lake camping sites — Rotten half-mile trail down to the official “approved” camping sites

After a long day, we finally arrived at the official Garnet Lake camping zone — After a long day, we finally arrived at the camping zone – now to find three tent sites

The campsite itself was pretty nice, however. There were a few others already there, and they took the best spots. We wandered around and took less desirable locations. We didn’t care much, as we were whupped. I set up my tent, then headed to the shore and scooped up some water to filter. It felt good to take off my sweaty backpack. Soon, the sun dropped behind the ridge to the northwest, and I had to put on warmer clothing.

My tent set up along the north shore of Garnet Lake in the official campsite area — My tent along the north shore of Garnet Lake, with Banner and Ritter in the distance

Each of us got busy cooking our dinners and eating them. There was still a stiff breeze coming toward us, across the lake out of the west, so it made fly fishing almost impossible, as the too-light line would blow right back at you. Keith was sad, but that’s life in the fishing business.

It was breezy until dusk at our camp on the north shore of Garnet Lake — It was breezy until dusk at our campsite, but then it grew calm

We hung out together after dinner for a short time. We talked about the day, and our plans for tomorrow. My original plan called for making it all the way to Reds Meadow, but Bob wasn’t feeling up to it. Luckily, that burger I ate at the Tuolumne Meadows Grill meant that I had an extra dinner on hand, so I was cool with that. That would make the following day super easy, a NERO day in PCT-speak, meaning that it was Nearly a Zero Day. And there were burgers there, as well. But as for tomorrow, I explained to Bob that there would be three climbs altogether, a large, a medium, and a small. We decided to call them the Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear climbs. We already had a feeling which one of them was going to end up being Just Right.

For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page

For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page

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