The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and Falls

Near the bottom, we came across this cascade, which must be quite a sight if you got there early enough in the season. This is looking straight up! Don't get a crick in your neck. This cascade bed, a white gash on the mountain, can be see from many places on the trail below

Almost There...

The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and Falls, June 2004

It was definitely getting warmer as we left the conifers behind and entered sun exposed transition zone scrub oak country. The trail continued to zigzag crazily downward, very tedious now that I was a bit tired. Still, the views were nice, and I would rather be there than anywhere else back in civilization.

From below the cascade wall, this is looking back along the trail. A dramatic change of flora.

At one point the trail passed beneath a tremendous granite chute that disappeared somewhere thousands of feet above me in the forest way above. Water was running down it, and I can only imagine what it would be like there with thundering water early season when it would be very difficult to get there due to protection of snow cover ridges and closed roads.

The canyon bottom draws near as this view down the Tuolumne River reveals.

I looked back up trail, again glad I was not traveling in that direction. If I had to, I sure would get an early start. Well, I did worse climbing out of Tahipite Valley, a 4000 foot climb (but fewer miles). And the current day was nothing to sniff at either.

Below, the bottom was without a doubt much closer now, so I set off on the last leg of the descent. Camp awaited.