Unveiling Hidden Gems and Creating Lasting Memories in Yosemite National Park
I’ve returned to Yosemite’s high country for the past seven summers, each trip revealing new wonders among the granite peaks and alpine lakes of the High Cathedral Range. I’ve trekked through the rugged beauty near Mt. Conness and North Peak and swooned beneath the Cathedral Range’s inspiring peaks, soaking in this iconic landscape’s splendor. But this trip was different. It wasn’t just another adventure—it was a deeply personal journey that had been on my bucket list for years. Not because it promised the best views or the most challenging routes but because it represented a chance to connect more deeply with Yosemite National Park.
With my oldest son by my side, this four-day trek over Vogelsang Pass to Bernice Lake and beyond became more than just another check on my list. It was an opportunity to truly immerse myself in the soul of Yosemite and share that experience with him. This accomplishment left me in awe and filled with a greater understanding of this place I thought I already knew.
This past February, when I booked this route, I had plans to introduce my cousin to Yosemite by showcasing the backcountry on our way to Yosemite Valley. When he could not make it, my oldest, who loves to explore new places, and I mapped out a route highlighting two lakes we have been longing to explore, Bernice and Washburn Lakes, on our way to the valley.
Day one: A Familiar Trek with added exploration
Day one was a familiar trek for both of us, as we had traveled the Rafferty Creek trail four years earlier during COVID with a group of friends and my youngest son. On that trip, we stayed at Boothe Lake one night before scampering across to the Ireland Lake region after a day of exploring all the lakes in the Vogelsang basin. Much like that first trip, our day would be filled with few people. We saw two backpackers leaving the Wilderness on their way down from Vogelsang and eventually a team of Yosemite trail workers up top for a short time. Rafferty Creek Trail is a beautiful trail that follows Rafferty Creek up to Vogelsang High Camp and features a great section in the middle that highlights the ongoing battle between forest and meadows in the high country and then a picturesque final mile that showcases Fletcher and Vogelsang peaks in the foreground as a solid trail line carves the vast meadow up to the highest parts of the region.
On this trip, we would only stop at Boothe Lake for a quick lunch and a swim as we had determined that we would travel a bit out of the way to experience a night at Emeric Lake at 9700′, approximately three miles west of Vogelsang High Camp. A scenic but dusty route from Boothe to Emeric left us a bit weary but excited for our first night in the Yosemite wilderness. Emeric Lake presented us with a warm welcome as the meadow was already dressed in its fall color palette, and an established camp spot right off the trail gave us a chance to relax quickly upon arrival.
I was slightly disappointed to find a shallow grassy lake that was not showing an open invite for swimming, but as the evening approached, we lay on the grass and stretched a bit before dinner; those thoughts quickly subsided, and we were able to adjust and soak in the Yosemite high Country quiet.
Day 2: Climbing up and out of Vogelsang to Bernice Lake
After a tranquil and peaceful night’s rest, we refueled with freshly pressed coffee and oatmeal before heading back into the Vogelsang High camp area via a cut-off that followed Fletcher Creek up the ravine to camp. We were mentally set to Climb roughly 1200′, then drop 500′ before climbing again 400′, yet found this opening trail a bit of an emotional toll of cruelty as it felt like the trail designers made it much more demanding than needed to reach the High Camp. (Maybe I was just still tired and whining). I have always enjoyed the High Camp area, especially the region just below Fletcher Lake and the high camp, a great little meadow creek area that has to be crossed before climbing up to Vogelsang Lake, which is teaming with wildlife.
We spent little time dawdling around and proceeded to Vogelsang Lake for a morning break. The short climb to Vogelsang Lake seemed easier, even though it was steeper than the trail from Emeric. Maybe the sight of the region lifted my spirits. Vogelsang, as bright, clear and blue as ever, was a great sight to see again. We propped ourselves under the shade with our new Clear Creek Hex lounge backcountry chairs and enjoyed a few snacks before refilling our water for the next part of the trip.
While we waited, an osprey, we believe to be a hawk, took an interest in the Lake and dived near the center for a nice breakfast catch. Missed! The large bird took off and we thought catching that view was amazing. Then, suddenly, we see it again. This time dove a little harder and seemed almost to get stuck in the water for a minute before taking off with a solid 8-inch trout from the Lake. Isn’t the Wilderness incredible?
Refueled for the climb
After seeing a small group of day hikers ascend towards Vogelsang Peak ahead of us, we decided it was time to complete the pass and enter the backcountry. From the Lake to the top of the pass is only about 350′, so we quickly churned up the hillside with fresh, rested legs, only stopping for a bit of air and taking photos of the area, including a cute Marmot family about halfway up.
The top of the pass is a scenic wonder of Yosemite. Visuals of Glacial carved valleys, lakes and our first glimpse of the Clark range all are within view. Our destination for the day is beaming a royal blue hue against the granite slopes across the valley.
The next steps on the trail would represent the furthest we had traveled on this trail before, so new experiences awaited us for the remainder of our trip, first off an 800-foot descent into the Lewis Creek basin.
Lewis Creek and Bernice Lake
Descending 800 feet in 1.3 miles goes by quickly when you support 40lb packs on your back. But the visions of Lewis Creek and the stunning little meadow ecosystem at the base were rewarding. We decided to catch lunch here and take in the scenery a bit before heading up to Bernice Lake. The region’s size looks much more significant here at the creek level.
After lunch, our next little bit would be the hardest for me today. The climb to Bernice Lake is about 350′ through a forested, grass-covered slope with granite outcroppings. Yet in the heat of the day at 10,000, I admittedly struggled and sent Brandon up ahead of me. Upon reaching the sapphire blue shores of Bernice Lake, my tired and ecstatic emotions poured out as I immediately peeled off the pack and sweat-filled clothing for a quick icy dip and shot a video capsule that found me feeling extraordinarily blessed and emotional about finally reaching this Lake that I saw four years ago and just had to see first hand. It did not disappoint.
Brandon found a camp spot a few hundred yards away and came back to gather his pack and me so we could get set up for the evening and enjoy a few well-earned hours of rest and relaxation at the Lake for the day. Day 2 was beautiful.
The Stars
I have spent many nights high in the Sierra, starring at the stars. They are so bright in the sky at this altitude. But until today, I don’t recall ever seeing lights so bright and water so still that the night sky reflected perfectly in the Lake so that you could stand there and get lost in space, watching the twinkle of light below your feet. Bernice Lake was turning into something extraordinarily memorable and exciting for me.
The following day, I awoke around 5 am after another quiet and peaceful night in the Wilderness. It was warmer last night, but I still lay there snuggled with my quilt, unsure if sunrise photos needed to take place on this day. Around 6 am, I succumbed to my inner spirit of missing out and dragged myself down to the lake shore for a splendid morning photographing the cloudy sunlight skyline as it reflected off the Lake and mountains around.
Day 3: The Start of our epic Decent
After another quick coffee press and oatmeal breakfast, we quickly broke down camp and packed for our day’s adventure. Today would be our longest day on the trail ( a little over 11 miles, we think), but we had many promising sights potentially ahead. As we left Bernice Lake shores, I secretly hoped to see her again; I think I’ll take a Zero-day here and enjoy the backcountry scene a bit more next time. Still, the pace we set out with was amazingly refreshed, all downhill for sure but we were not holding back and found ourselves covering almost four miles the first hour on the trail.
The granite walls continued to climb higher in the skyline as we dropped in elevation following Lewis Creek. We also started to notice an ecosystem change with trees and plants along the trail—a theme we found fascinating on this entire journey to the valley floor. We came upon a stream crossing and water feature from Florence Lake above that allowed us to pause from our trail pace for a moment. A Beautiful water fan down the granite slab into the forest floor and across the trail before joining forces with Lewis Creek in its torrid pace toward the Merced basin.
A short distance later, we get our first glimpse of Merced Lake; all be it still a thousand feet above the Lake; the canyons are so big back here. We can now see the canyon coming down from Emeric Lake (The Short route) and stumble upon an Instagram-famous picture/camp spot on the ridge line about a mile out from the Merced High Camp area. The trail in this section is painful on our feet. It is a true trial marvel, but we understand that the cobblestone trail is not friendly to downhill hikers.
Finally reaching the intersection of the Emeric loop to Vogelsang High camp, we are excited to be entering the Merced Basin and our next bucket list location on this trip. When we reached the Merced Rangers Cabin, we met four young packers who were reviewing an off-trail route to lakes high up in the Clark range and enjoyed a refreshing few minutes of rest and water refill in the large old-growth forest that surrounded the old cabin. The next stop would be a long 2.1-mile route detour to Washburn Lake.
Washburn Lake and a debate on favorite Lake features in Yosemite
The hike to Washburn Lake is labeled at 2.1 miles and follows the headwaters of the Merced River up a canyon that is heavily forested with old-growth timber. The trail is a bit sandy this year, but as we reach the back of the canyon, my tired legs start to feel the weight of three days of miles, and the relative humidity is bothering me a bit, so I sent Brandon an ahead and just said, ill see you at the Lake. The next mile seemed like three, but after following the river and its multiple water features and pools, I eventually came to Washburn Lake, and with an exhausted body language, I dropped my pack and stripped down for a cool-down dip before lunch. This lunch break will need to be a bit longer if I hope to finish the 4-5 miles we have left for today’s travels.
As we sat eating lunch and getting refreshed, Brandon took his turn in the Lake and started discussing how he and his wife would need to come back here because it was instantly one of his favorites and certainly would be Ambers. That started a great discussion on preferred styles of lakes in the Wilderness. With my more in favor of the granite high-altitude lakes such as Bernice, and he loves the tree-lined lower-elevation lakes such as Washburn.
The wind started to pick up, and soon, we found ourselves packing up just in time for a small intermittent rain shower that would last for the next couple of miles. The cool rain felt great in the humid forest. But the lunch rest was good for me, and our pace down to Merced was once again refreshed and with purpose. Reaching the ranger’s cabin and turning towards Merced High Camp seemed like an essential chapter in this journey. Our focus, determination and conversation seemed to swing towards Yosemite Valley and how this river would dominate the remainder of our time in Yosemite.
Merced High Camp is Quiet
As with each summer since COVID, the Merced High Camp is closed this summer, so I suspect the quiet nature of a Friday in Merced was fairly unique. I can see why its a popular place to hang and base camp from. The Lake is beautiful, and the granite wall on the south side of the Lake makes a picturesque backdrop. A quick stop for water and to take in the scenic area and we are off again with about an hour left in our day’s hike. The scene quickly shifted to granite-carved valleys in battle with the Merced River daily for territory. We can only imagine what the sound and power must feel like in spring, as the mighty Merced at this time is tamed by a long summer and is simply flowing along a granite shoot into the forested valley ahead.
Echo Valley – an evening of river bliss
The Echo Valley ahead was a much denser forest canopy than I expected. It was yet another ecosystem we would discover on this trip, with a thick pine forest locked in by granite 360 degrees around and a flowing river flowing through its middle. All other seasonal creeks like Echo Creek are long dry this year. The thickness did not provide much hope of finding camp until we reached the Cathedral Lakes / Half Dome East junction. As we crossed over yet another dry creek bead, the trail to the west towards the valley started to show signs of potential camping areas.
We eventually settled on a location across the river just before entering the Brunel Point region. It was a nice, quiet, out-of-the-way location that gave us privacy for a creek side wade/swim, a nice, quiet dinner with the trickling sound of the Merced and forest cover from evening winds. My son notes how Hiker Hunger is manipulating our trip at this time, noticing my cranky demeanor until that first bite of super hits the belly and my camp shoes are on instead of boots. It provides relief and laughter as we both realize that our tired bodies will force us to bed earlier than usual, and we discuss plans for the early morning.
At 5 am, I am awake and rummaging the cooking gear in the shadows of the Merced to make fresh-pressed coffee before our final day in Yosemite Valley. I feel pretty good after a good night’s sleep, only awakened once by a deer walking through camp. As discussed the previous night, my son awoke to the smell of coffee, ok maybe it was my noise, but coffee brings everyone’s attitude and focus in a positive trajectory for the day. As we scarf down oatmeal and start to pack, another deer, maybe the same, comes strolling up next to camp again to cross the creek. This deer would be our only real encounter with wildlife on this trip, so it seemed worth watching and enjoying.
Off to the Bunnell Point, Cascades and Little Yosemite Valley
Not long after, we are all packed and crossing the river back to the trail. We discover that we are less than half a mile from the Bridge crossing that leads into the Bunnell region of the trail and enjoy an early morning stroll up and across a massive granite wall that hovers you over the Merced below. As I follow Brandon across the granite, the unique change in the region to the high country strikes me. The granite here is much more solid looking and less fragmented; its breaks seem larger and smoother, as if shaped more by water than wind and weather. As we start our switch back decent down below Bunnell Waterfall, we begin to notice the burn feature that will play a role in the next couple hours of our trip through the Lost Valley and into the boundaries of Little Yosemite Valley.
The Merced River through this area is dynamic, and once again, we can only discuss and imagine the power that must be on display here in May and early June as the Merced roars with life. We discover multiple Waterslide sections of the granite into large pools that I am confident have been enjoyed by many over the years in the late summer and early fall seasons.
The sun, barely risen, cast long shadows through the rejuvenating burn scar. Shrubs and wildflowers claimed the trail, while birdsong filled the air. The Wilderness was reclaiming its domain, reshaping the landscape. Yet, the towering granite walls and Moraine Dome to the east offered respite from the warming sun and a sobering reminder of our descent from Vogelsang Pass just two days prior. A brief pause beneath Moraine Dome ignited a conversation about our proximity to Yosemite Valley. The vast meadow’s outline, now visible, beckoned us towards the Little Yosemite Valley campground and the well-traveled trail to Half Dome.
We slowed our pace a little, walking through this meadow valley, golden in color now. The unique burned-out trees, tall granite walls, and occasional wind gusts up the valley provided a unique sound of Wilderness that we did not seem to want to miss or relinquish. We became aware that the solitude and quiet peace that we had enjoyed so much of our past four days was about to be abruptly halted with visitors and guests to one of Yosemite National Parks most prized day hiking areas, the Mist trail and Half Dome trek. A deep breath and a satisfied glace back into the Wilderness as we see the outlines of Little Yosemite Campground.
People! EEWK!
The vibrant Saturday crowd in Yosemite Valley starkly contrasted the solitude we’d enjoyed the past four days. As we ascended towards Nevada Falls from Little Yosemite Valley Camp, we encountered countless hikers, their paths converging with ours on their way to Half Dome and other iconic destinations. Despite the bustling atmosphere, we exchanged polite greetings and continued our travels until reaching the Nevada Fall intersection, where the noise and crowds intensified. We attempted to savor a leisurely lunch at the summit, a first-time experience for Brandon. Unfortunately, I later realized that my enthusiastic descriptions of the falls’ springtime grandeur had inadvertently dampened his enjoyment. Determined to make amends, I vowed to return with him in the future to witness the falls’ full glory.
Reluctant to miss out on the unique experience of the Mist trail, we chose the less traveled route down Nevada Falls and the Mist Trail. Although riskier, this option would not have been preferable if Brandon hadn’t been a first-time visitor. The descent was as breathtaking as always, though we couldn’t help but notice the disregard for safety rules exhibited by some fellow hikers. We paused only occasionally for quick photos or to assist young children in navigating the challenging terrain.
Before long, we found ourselves at Happy Isles, where a refreshing dip in the Merced River was in order. Our celebratory swim and snacks were briefly interrupted by an unfortunate fall that resulted in a minor injury to Brandon’s knuckle.
Hikers Camp and Curry Village
One thing I have never done in all my years of visiting Yosemite was to stay int he Valley for a night. So heading out for Hikers Camp to set up then enjoy an evening dining and playing the tourist part at Curry Village seems exciting.
We soon found our base camp for the night and learned the ins and outs of the Hikers bus for tomorrow before heading to Curry Village for pizza, burgers, beer and Ice cream. As we sat in the village, almost oblivious to the hundreds of people around us we smiled, laughed and shared our tales of the last four days. The evening was relaxing and memorable for me as I just soaked in a great evening with my son and enjoyed life in Yosemite Valley. It’s different here than in the backcountry, but if I mentally relax a bit, Yosemite Valley is still a special place.
As evening takes over, we make a slow walk back to camp, admiring the climbers perched on the walls with their headlamps. How small and insignificant we must seem to such daring and brave accents.
A solid night’s sleep at Hikers Camp was welcome, but the excitement of fresh-brewed coffee and pastry before catching the bus was warranted. We were up and moving by 7 a.m. to Curry Village.
Closing Thoughts on this Magical Adventure
A pleasant bus ride up out of the valley with like-minded individuals was shorter than we expected, and soon, we did find ourselves at the Tuolumne Lodge discussing the trail with a couple of hikers heading in on the same route. We were quickly back at the car and heading back to Highway 395 for our trip home. As we sat at the base of the mountain enjoying a delicious meal at The Basin Cafe in Lee Vining. Fresh Lemonade, Burger and dessert all in order after 40 miles of backcountry hiking.
Yosemite National Park again delivers a memorable experience. Its depth, diversity and majesty seem to have no equal in my book, but it is the experiences that I have with family and friends that cement Yosemite’s transformative memories of life.
