43. Tuolumne backpack

This last weekend my friend Lynn (whom I walked across England with last year) and I took a few days to backpack 30 miles down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, from Tuolumne Meadows to White Wolf. We spent three nights. The days got increasingly warm as we descended, and a few uphills caught us by surprise—so it was not exactly an easy trip. But it was gloriously beautiful, and it took me out of my comfort zone in a very good way. 

I posted photos on FB, which I'll link to here. Two sets: one from the hike itself, and another from White Wolf, where we had to cool our heels for four long hours while we waited for the YARTS bus to take us back to Tuolumne and our car. (We traversed those last seven miles faster than I could have imagined—in less than five hours—especially given that we had to climb 2,500 feet.)

Here's the hike proper (just a selection of the 150+ photos I took).

Here's White Wolf. 

It was a wonderful long weekend. Here are a random bonus shots:

Lynn at the sunken picnic table we settled in at
at White Wolf

Lynn wishing the store was open so we
could get ice cream!

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and sunset

Sulfur buckwheat

Pine cone

Water-sculpted granite

Pine spikes (a saprophyte)