Joe, Me and the Vogelsang

(Pictures should expand if you click on them.)

After watching Kasey and Rodney's wedding the evening before, my brother Joe met up with us in South Lake and he and I rushed south in the hopes of getting a wilderness permit and spending the rest of father's day weekend in the back country. My first thought was to head into the Cottonwood lakes area so that we could make an attempt at Mt. Langley (and so that I could actually see New Army Pass in the daylight...without lighting...with flashlights...long story...), but considering the snow levels we weren't too excited about having to deal with ice axes and crampons. So, after stopping at the famous Burger Barn in Bridgeport, and filling up in Lee Vining, we went into Tuolumne meadows praying that we could get a permit.

(BTW, if you thought gas was expensive where you live, try the Eastern Sierras!)

We arrived five minutes before the permit office closed. I hastily asked the ranger what trails were open and if she had any recommendations. I think she took this as a sign that we might be less than experienced so she asked where in Yosemite I have been. I started to map out trails with my finger on the map. After a minute we realized that I had covered just about everything north of the road (for those of you who know Yosemite there is a main road that cuts the park in half). So, she suggested that we head south into the Vogelsang area by way of Lyell canyon, which sounded great to us. We just wanted to get a permit and get moving. She then asked for my name and entered it into the computer which holds a record of all the people who have had wilderness permits in the past. What she found obviously displeased her because the inquisition followed:

"When was the last time you were here?" "Last August, we came in through Hoover"
"How are you going to protect your food from bears?" "We have canisters"
"What kind?" "Bearvault"
"Do you have the ten essentials?" "Yes"
"You do know that you have to be four miles out before you camp?" "Yep, got it."
....etc...

Of all of the times I have been to Yosemite very few times will the permit have been in my name so it seems that she saw that only a few permits were registered to me and assumed we were backpacking novices. She kept giving us these skeptical looks and asking strange questions.

After escaping with our permit in hand we threw what we had in our packs and headed out. It was 6:30pm on Saturday afternoon. The weather was great, sunny and cool. Deer and marmots were everywhere.

We found a great camping spot just above a number of small waterfalls at the turnoff for the climb into the Vogelsang. We built a nice campfire and we talked until the stars came out, while we ate peppered salami, with havarti or gouda on toasted ciabata. Mosquitoes were sparse and the weather was cool. I slept well in my hammock until the early morning. First, there is nothing like sleeping in a Brazilian style hammock. Second, using a ten year old, trail worn, down sleeping bag doesn't work well when the temperature falls. In the early morning I had to move to the ground next to Joe, where the ground was soft and flat. The funny part was that since there was no moonlight, vision was limited and when I started to setup my bag near Joe he saw me, jumped and screamed.

The next day was when we did the bulk of our mileage and we made our way into the Vogelsang. The views were wonderful!



We hiked through the area and down into a lake that was at 9500'. Fires aren't allowed any higher in Yosemite so we wanted to be low enough to play with fire. It turned out to be the best decision of the trip.

Joe and I were marveling at the view and building a fire ring worthy of Steve I. and P.S.B. when I remarked, "Bro, looks like the mosquitoes took the day off." He pointed up and remarked "it seems you haven't noticed." Right above us, waiting to sweep in and suck us dry if only the smoke and heat from our fire would lessen was an enormous cloud of the blood sucking pests.If we moved away from the fire we were immediately under attack. (The attached picture is from right above my head, and hardly does justice to the swarm.) So, we threw in the yule log and kept the flames sky high! Ahh....boys and fire!



Thankfully, after the sun went down the wind off of the lake cooled everything down and the mosquitoes took off. We had a good nights sleep and then we got up before the sun and completed the ten miles that would end our loop through Vogelsang.

When we were nearing Tuolumne we came across a few stranglers from a large group of young backpackers. I pointed out to Joe a guy who was the quintessential example of how not to pack a backpack. I was really excited to get a picture, but just as I was preparing to take a quick clandestine pic he staggered over to a rock and dropped his pack. The poor guy had a 6000 cu. pack filled to the gills with all sorts of things lashed to the sides...like a tent...and a sleeping bag. What was amazing is that things were so off kilter that the haul strap was over his right shoulder. (Seriously, you could walk up to the guy, from the front and grab the haul strap!) Poor guy, you could see that his whole body was wracked with pain with every footfall.


We made it back to the car at 10:30am. So, 25 miles in two days, not bad. It was great to spend some time with Joe, trying to pry into his personal life. :)



Sadly, we heard on the radio on the way out that someone had fallen off half dome.