A Week in the Sierra Nevada

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m sharing photos I took from my trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This past week, I spent camping with my mom, aunt, and uncle. We had a lot of fun, despite a few mishaps. Let’s get into it!

FRIDAY

Our first day was a bit of a mess. My mom and I drove up to our campground, which was just inside Yosemite. We had never been to this campground before–the one we usually stay at was under renovation. We had the smallest site in the whole campground and my aunt and uncle still had to come up too. It wouldn’t have been comfortable with four people.

The bathrooms were not clean and there were very few toilets for so many sites. It wasn’t nice.

It was also really hot, so once we got our tent set up, we got back in the car and drove to find a place to eat dinner. We eventually found a nice picnic area about an hour away. There was a creek which we walked down to after eating.

The first night wasn’t the greatest. There were a few groups a couple sites over who were very loud. There was definitely alcohol involved and at some point, I could hear someone burping and farting from our tent. I eventually fell asleep but my mom said they were up until around 2:30 in the morning.

SATURDAY

We decided to change campgrounds. We had another campground reservation outside the park, on the eastern side, in case it was too smoky from the fires. So, we packed up everything and left.

On the way out of the park, my mom and I stopped at Olmsted Point for a minute. The view was amazing. We also stopped at a campsite to check it out and see what it looked like and we saw a snow plant. They’re really cool and are only located in certain places with certain altitudes.

We stopped by Tenaya Lake, which I haven’t been to in years. It wasn’t very crowded, which was surprising as it was a weekend. It was great swimming weather. Neither of us actually swam, but we walked out to a rock in the lake that you can sit on.

We ate lunch at the lake and I read my book. I also took a nap which felt really nice under the warm sun.

We got to our new campsite in the mid afternoon and it was so much better than our previous one. The campsite was bigger and there was shade! Our table was underneath the trees and it was a whole lot more pleasant. My aunt and uncle showed up a little while after.

SUNDAY

We went for our first hike! We decided to go to Lundy Canyon, which is outside the park. The view was beautiful! It was pretty steep on the way up, but totally worth it. The rocks were shades of orange and red and there was a huge rock slide on the mountain side.

We only went up to the first set of falls since it was predicted to rain later on. It was so pretty, with all the rushing water.

When we got back, we went down to June Lake. The water was cold, but it felt so nice and the lake was gorgeous. The lake is a brilliant blue-green color and these pictures don’t do it justice.

There were also these adorable baby mergansers in the water, riding on their mom’s back. There were nearly ten of them!

MONDAY

We went to Mono Lake! We went to the South Tufa where there are a bunch of tufa towers. We went in the early afternoon and it was predicted to thunderstorm later that day. The sky was so dramatic!

While we were heading back to the car, it started raining. We could see the rain falling from the sky across the lake. It thundered and rolled all the way across the sky.

TUESDAY

We went on a hike to Dana Peak today. The trailhead starts at the entrance to the park on the Tioga Pass side. The elevation at the top of Dana Peak is around 13,000 feet. I have altitude problems, so we went slowly. It was so beautiful. The view kept getting more amazing the higher we went up.

We didn’t go all the way up to the top. My aunt and uncle went to around 12,000 ft, while my mom and I stayed lower because my heart rate was too fast. I did break a personal record, though. I went up to around 11,000 ft, which is higher than I’ve ever gone. Since we were camping at around 7,500 ft, I was more acclimated to the elevation.

The wildflowers were amazing as well. I love this time of year, when all the flowers are blooming.

WEDNESDAY

We went back to Tenaya Lake. My aunt and uncle hadn’t been since they were in Yosemite last. It was a great day for the lake and the water was warmer than it was on Saturday. We picked a different spot on the south side, away from other people. The slanted rock in the photo was a great place to sit and enjoy the warmth of the sun.

We spent a few hours at Tenaya and in the afternoon, we headed back to our campsite. We made a stop at Pothole Dome and climbed up to the top. It’s all granite and overlooks Tuolomne Meadows.

THURSDAY

My aunt and uncle had to leave today because my uncle unexpectedly got called in to work. We were all planning to stay until Saturday, but that didn’t end up happening. After they left, my mom and I went to Tuolomne River. It wasn’t a very long walk and the river was so pretty.

We ate lunch at a different part of the river, after walking down a ways and finding a place with no one else at it. I dipped my feet in the water for a little while, but it was really cold, so I didn’t do it for long.

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We left on Friday and had a long drive back home. The trip was so much fun and I enjoyed getting to spend more time with my aunt and uncle.

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Have you been to any of the places I mentioned?
What are some cool places you’ve visited?