Posted on: 08/13/2025 15 minute read

Introduction

On July 30th, 2025, I departed on my second ever backpacking trip- this time bound to my favorite national park, Yosemite. The trip was planned over 2 months ahead of time with my friend Nelson. We wanted the best multi-day backpacking trail the park had to offer, and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne fit this standard due to its breathtaking view overlooking several waterfalls, valleys, mountains, and unique rock formations. Additionally, the trail offered great rigor for our athleticism and experience with its elevation gain of over 6500 feet, 51 km coverage, and highly fun natural diversity including bears, rattlesnakes, and poison oak. This trail truly forced us beyond our limits and our successful completion of it created memories and friendships to last a lifetime. This is our journey of exploring the best backcountry experience Yosemite has to offer.

Table of Contents

• - New Challenges
• - The Route
• - Day 1 – Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp (HSC)
• - Day 2 – The Awesome Campsite (N 37.932628° W 119.500256°)
• - Day 3 – The Push for Pate Valley (N 37.924028° W 119.614420°)
• - Day 4 – The Race to IHOP
• - Reflection




Preparation

New Challenges

Once we’ve decided that we were going to hike the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, there were new challenges that we needed to address. In Nelson and my’s first backpacking trip a year prior, we were in the desert of Joshua Tree for just one night. This meant that we didn’t need to pack in as much food since realistically, we only needed enough for two meals. Additionally, water was bought from the supermarket and packed in for convenience’s sake. Food storage in Joshua Tree was also far less regulated due to the lack of bears, making preparation easier. However, in our new trip across the Tuolumne, we needed 3 meals a day for two days and breakfast/dinner for the first and last day. This meant carrying significantly more weight and having to pack out more trash. Additionally, due to the prominence of bears in Yosemite, bear canisters (bear cans) are necessary for all “smellies” such as food (sealed or otherwise) and toiletries. It is also not viable to pack in 4 days’ worth of water, thereby necessitating a way to treat water on trail. Fire restrictions in Yosemite were also in effect below 6000 feet, which covered 2/3rds of the trail. Therefore, we needed to obtain a stove to cook food or boil water. To make all these challenges more difficult, I was away for stipended volunteer conservation work in Washington with no access to the internet the 5 weeks leading up to the trip, further tightening the deadlines. As such, I thought it was fair for me to put Nelson in charge of obtaining food for our trip. He purchased 2 boxes worth of United States military Meal-Ready-to-Eats (MREs) for $75, which far more than covered the food necessary for the trip. Nonetheless, we also purchased 4 bags of mountain house’s freeze-dried food to try out. The reason we only purchased 4 despite its weight and taste advantage relative to the MREs was primarily due to its price of $13 per bag, so we just wanted to try it out. Looking back after the trip, buying only Mountain House food would have been the best choice. During my 5 weeks in Washington, I purchased a Sawyer Squeeze (2L) water filter and was able to master it for the trip by filtering more than 22 gallons with it across a myriad of water sources. A good friend of mine from Idaho also recommended to me his Jetboil Flash which can not only rapidly boil water but also double as a stove. I found the versatility of the Jetboil to be extremely alluring and I ended up purchasing one for the trip. Although Yosemite offers bear cans for rent in the park for $5 a can, I purchased my own from Bearvault to save on weight.



My pack was originally light; but with the addition of food, it increased to 45 pounds




The Route

The most popular routing for this trail begins at White Wolf Campground and terminates in Tuolumne Meadows. This arrangement has the scenery become increasingly beautiful as the trail progresses and was our initial first choice. However, as we consider driving time, we noted that it was more convenient for our pickup driver to do the trail reversed so that he could save an hour on the last day. Our plan was to camp the first night in the Glen Aulin backpacker campsite, but the second and third days were simply up to whatever campsite we can find in the general area of “the middle of the trail” and Pate Valley. A lot of our plan for where we wanted to camp was unfinalized, but this was an arrangement I was willing to accept due to my confidence in our ability to find a place to spend the night on such a popular backpacking trail.



The Hike

Day 1 – Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp (HSC)

We arrived in the park at about 9:30 AM through Big Oak Flat Entrance Station. Contrary to what I originally thought, there was no line to enter the park; we did not struggle to find a parking spot at the wilderness center either. Once at the kiosk to retrieve our wilderness permit, we were quizzed on our knowledge of the trail, leave no trace (LNT) principles, and laws within the park. For example, some of the questions they asked us included whether we knew where we were planning to camp, what kind of goods go into a bear can, and how campfires can be appropriately managed.
After obtaining the permit, we drove directly to the trailhead in Tuolumne meadows to begin our hike. In the distance we saw thunderstorm clouds along our trail which worried us because our campsite was still a few hours away. We rushed as fast as we could along the trail but were eventually engulfed in a hailstorm. Since Nelson was underdressed, we made the decision to pitch a tent and wait out the hail. This came to be a great idea because the storm ended up lasting for a little over half an hour and one of us could have had a not-so-fun trip if we got sick. As we got out of the tent following the storm, we were surprised to see that the ground was carpeted in a layer of ice. I felt a tinge of joy, knowing that my summer dream of seeing snow is half-fulfilled.
We continued down to Glen Aulin and the scenery was anything short of breathtaking. There were huge granite formations throughout the trail and vistas overseeing the canyon. The sound of the rapidly flowing Tuolumne River also provided a calm sensation as we progressed. Approaching the campsite at 7 PM, the gushing sound of waterfalls grew louder and louder. As we spoke to some of the other backpackers, we realized that we were one of the last to arrive for the day.
After the tent was setup, we took a seat by the waterfall to have our dinner: the US Department of Defense MREs. Each MRE contains 1500 Calories: a main course, bread, desert, snack, and a drink. Having never tasted MREs before, I fully expected them to taste like cold macdonalds food with the insane amount of preservatives inside the meals. I couldn’t have been more right with that sentiment. Although the MRE was cold and tasted stale, it was edible and filled me up. Nonetheless, I was extremely appreciative because hiking naturally made me hungry and tired.
Before bed, I checked the weather again to find that there would be a low of 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), just 3 degrees above the freezing point. I changed out for my long sleeve wool shirt and had confidence in my Disco-30 degree sleeping bag to keep me alive. Nelson put on some more layers and we went to sleep. In hindsight, I should have put on all my clothing layers because at 36 degrees, my sleeping bag was only rated to just barely keep me alive. The night was restless- waking up 10 times throughout due to the cold. Saying that Nelson had it a wee bit worse than me would be an understatement as his sleeping bag was rated for 50 degrees.

Day 2 – The Awesome Campsite at N 37.932628° W 119.500256°

I woke up at 7 AM. By this time, more than half the backpackers have already departed camp. However, it was not until 9 AM until we actually left the campsite since we slept in a little longer due to the rough night. We didn’t quite know where we were going to camp that night so actively exploring for new campsites. A park ranger suggested that we could camp at waterwheel falls since the elevation there is just high enough for us to legally start a campfire; however waterwheel falls is only 3 miles from Glen Aulin, and for us to make good pace we had to hike about 8 miles a day. About halfway to waterwheel falls, however, I rolled my ankle whilst hiking downhill through the rough rocky terrain. This cut our hiking speed by over a factor of 4 because going downhill became painful and I had to rely on utilizing my hiking sticks for mobility. As much as I wanted to stop and just set up camp for the night, Nelson and I both knew that whatever we did not complete today would leave a crazy amount of distance for tomorrow. So, we continued hiking, looking to cover as much distance as we can given our new circumstances.
As the sun soon began to set, we started actively looking for campsites at around 6 pm. A family of hikers that passed by us suggested that we camp at Muir Gorge- a rocky, wind resistant area in close proximity to the river. Not to mention, the site also had an aura view of the valley. However, as we approached Muir Gorge, Nelson and I found that the Gorge was not as far down the trail as we had hoped and Nelson insisted that we cover more distance for the day. We continued down the trail and the sun continued to set- we became more desperate to find campsites. At one point, we were even considering a campsite in a wooded area (mosquitos) where we’ve heard rattlesnakes. Thank goodness we didn’t stop there, though, because just a few minutes later I spotted in the distance the “Awesome Campsite”. In a short hike off trail, it stands in an elevated position in the valley and is in close proximity to the river. That way, you get a 360 view of the valley as well as water access and ample camp space.
After establishing camp, we decided that since we had a good view of the valley and the sky, that tonight would be the night to see the stars. I contacted my father to find the moon setting time for today, and our plan was to eventually wait for the half-moon to set below the horizon, leaving a clear dark sky. We tried to take some photos with the Milky Way in frame, but the celestial body was being uncooperative. Instead of being down by the horizon, the Milky Way situated itself almost directly above us. Nonetheless, we still got some pretty cool photos.

Day 3 – The Push for Pate Valley (N 37.924028° W 119.614420°)

Legend says (a cool image I found online) that there was a super awesome campsite in Pate Valley that allows you to peer down the valley from an elevated position- all the way down to Hetch Hetchy (the water reservoir that Tuolumne River flows into). Motivated by the prospect of an awesome cliffside campsite, we ventured forth the following day. By this time, my rolled ankle was fully recovered, and I was once again able to hike swiftly. On the way to the awesome campsite, we passed by some hikers who reported seeing a bear and a cub on trail. I was a bit excited about the prospect of encountering a bear because I’ve never seen one in the wild before. Though, I’m also 18 now which means I could go to federal prison if Nelson got injured by the bear and his dad decided to sue me. 👻👻👻
As dusk approached, the Awesome Campsite was nowhere in sight. Instead, all we saw in Pate Valley were occupied riverside campsites. Everywhere we turned there were people and I wanted to be far from them. Backcountry camping is one of the few opportunities for me to experience solitude in the wilderness; if I didn’t care to see other people I would have simply chosen to camp at a developed frontcountry campsite. Nelson and I kept walking past the herd of tents and settled-in backpackers; though, both of us knew that we needed a campsite and we needed it fast.
“We will take the next available one we see, we have to, the sun is just about to set.” I told Nelson. Yet as we kept walking for the next 30 minutes, we weren’t able to identify any more suitable campsites. For the first time on the trip, we were seriously worried that we were not going to find somewhere to sleep. A bear’s roar thundered in the distance; we both heard it- but none of us spoke of it to each other. “Let’s choose this spot” I told Nelson pointing to a TINY clearing in the dense brushing. My recommendation was desperate: it was a clearing just barely large enough to fit our 2-person tent, it was close enough to water for us to be able to filter, and it is just barely able to meet the legal standards in Yosemite. It is in no way desirable besides its survivability factor.
I do not remember who exactly told me this, but I was advised to walk about 20-50 yards further to see if there are any better campsites just down the trail. In our desperate circumstance, I neglected this tip. But Nelson really hated the campsite which was why he insisted that we press forward and abandon this site. Sure enough, after walking for about 3 minutes we found a much better campsite with significantly more space and easier access to water.

Day 4 – The Race to IHOP

Neither of us slept that night. It’s not because it was freezing cold like night one, nor was my sleeping pad uncomfortable (It’s quite comfortable, actually). It’s just that we heard bear roars, sticks cracking, and strange noises so we were on alert all night long. This was quite unoptimal because the very next day we were to wake up at 5 am, traverse 8 miles + 4.1 ft of elevation gain, and all the while finishing by 12:30 PM for our pickup. Considering the fact that we also have to filter water for the day, pack up our gear, and eat breakfast, the expectation that two mid-experience high schoolers should hike this far, this high, this fast, was quite unrealistic.
Our hike out began at 7 and was smooth until we reached the slopes. From then on, there were stairs, slopes, and switchbacks all the way up. When we’ve thought we reached the summit, we’ve found that it was actually a false summit for there was usually another mountain just behind it. What made everything very strange though was that unlike the other areas of the trail, we saw were no other hikers in sight. This made it especially difficult when we’ve reached a part of the trail where the path seemingly disappeared. We were in a dense forest so the GPS was inaccurate, and dead leaves carpeted the forest floor, blocking any trails that may be underneath. Utilizing our best judgement, we picked a direction that seemingly looked like it may be the trail and proceeded deeper into the forest. But before we knew it, all resemblances of a trail disappeared, and we were lost. Since we knew that the trail followed Morrison Creek, we listened for water and walked until the creek became visible; then proceeded along the creek up the mountain. After about 10 minutes, we discovered that the creek forked and we were following the wrong section. I pulled out my compass and began walking directly east, since I knew from my downloaded map that the trail was east of the incorrectly followed creek. Eventually, I thought, we would reach the trail. Again, Nelson and I heard another bear roar. This time, the bear roar sounded a lot closer; yet, none of us brought it up to one another. We could not deal with the stress of being lost and potentially encountering a bear at the same time. So, we stayed alert while cutting through bushes until we’ve finally reached the trail. We were un-lost!
The trek after we finished the slopy section was less difficult because there were no more switchbacks, but there was still at least a thousand feet of elevation gain spread over 5 miles. As I approached Harden Lake, I expected a large beautiful one surrounded by mountains; but instead the lake was small and barely noticeable. It’s just as if the lake was telling us “it’s time to go home.” Following the lake was the final stretch of the trail- which was surprisingly difficult due to our lethargy. We’ve been rushing the uphill so much that it became difficult to stand up straight or for me to maintain pace.
We reached the White Wolf parking lot at 12:33 PM, finishing almost on schedule in under 5 and a half hours. By a permit ranger’s definition, that made us “pretty good” hikers!
Nelson’s father picked us up a few minutes later, and per backpacking tradition, we drove to eat IHOP.

Reflection

If I had asked my parents if I could go backpacking in Yosemite for 4 days just a year ago, they would have never agreed. They would’ve expressed all their valid safety concerns and cumulated them into one big reason for why I cannot go. Instead, they said, I should just stay home and play Valorant wherein the only injury I may incur are digital slurs. That was the world that awaited me- one perpetually in front of computer screens and monotonous white collar robotization. But they let me go on more and more trips to slowly build up my experience. From long mountain dayhikes to 5 whole weeks in Washington, I got the experience I needed to successfully complete this hike with all my limbs intact. It’s thanks to their insistence on safety combatting my impulse that also made this trip as fun as it could be.
This trip wouldn’t have been made possible if it were not for the full support of Nelson’s father. He made the trip to and from Yosemite smoother than I could ever dream of. I didn’t have to worry about anything other than the hike itself nor did I have to worry about waking up at a crazy early time for the commute to the park. I’m extremely grateful to him for making my 18th birthday summer as fun as it was.
I’m also grateful to Nelson for always being so down to go on backpacking trips with me. It’s actually extremely difficult to find people to go on hiking/backpacking trips with me. They’re always concerned about the trailhead being too far from home, the distance being too long, or that they’d just rather stay home and not go hiking. Trips are always more fun with more people and Nelson’s fiery personality made this trip special to me.