High Sierra Solo~ Part 3 of 3: Over Donohue Pass & into Lyell Canyon

"I thank you God for this most amazing day,  for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes."     

  ~e.e. cummings

The perfect quote for my 3rd day of hiking in the Sierra! I have to admit, this is my favorite section of the trail... I'm hiking through trees & meadows, and then gradually higher into the wide expanse of granite that reaches up to touch the pure blue sky. The following pictures were taken as I left my campsite & began hiking towards Donohue Pass. Gorgeous beyond gorgeous these views are, and while the pictures never do it justice, try clicking twice on any image for greater detail.
:)

Above, the clouds appear to be converging over the pass itself.

Climbing the pass, I look into the immense basin below, dotted with trees, streams & rock.

Higher still, everything below becomes "miniature," except the looming mountain ranges.

These views feed my soul, I stop often to breathe it all in.

Donohue Pass~ Elev. 11,056

Reaching the crest of Donohue Pass- it's a big pile of Granite & I love it!

The view to the left...

and to the right... simply awe-inspiring!

Looking to the valley below, I see how far I have to go to my next camp way off in the distance. I also have to descend 2,500 ft or so... a fair amount of down hill.

But that's not a worry... I have miles & miles of spectacular scenery along the way.

:)

Eventually I finish my descent from high & lofty places,

 and walk along Lyell Canyon for the last few miles before setting up camp.

Looking back over the mountains I've travelled, I am glad I am now lower as a quick storm passes through at higher elevations,

while I am settling in for the evening.

When morning comes I am treated to watching the sun come over the mountains to illuminate the day.

:)

My hike out was an easy & flat 6 miles, which gave my body a rest from the previous days of higher mileage with some major climbs & descents. I didn't take any pictures on the hike out, but if you'd like, you can see Lyell Canyon here, as my nephew & I used this trail as a starting point for our backpacking trip last year.

...

On a side note~

I am now back home & have started new clay classes already! I hope to get something clay related posted soon, but I'll also be daydreaming of a really BIG hike I'd like to do next year.

Stay tuned...

:)