"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit..."

~Edward Abbey

So true! Most of my hiking this summer has consisted of local hikes in & around town... which is great, but I really love going deeper in to the mountain wilderness. Last week, a friend I had the same midweek day off... so off to the mountains we went! Our hike started out at the Santa Fe Ski Basin, around 10,000 feet and had us hiking 11 miles up & over 3 peaks~ Deception, Lake, & Penitente. (12,320, 12,409 & 12,249 ft respectively.)

View from Raven's Ridge looking over the burn area from last years Pacheco Fire~

and up to the peaks we would soon ascend.

Climbing higher, we reach & surpass tree line to the summit of Deception Peak... just to the left in the distance.

I am always amazed that these  tiny, delicate, beautiful flowers grow in such high, rugged, windswept country!

We are rewarded for our climb with amazing views in all directions, and breathe deep the thin, clean air.

View into the valley from Deception Peak.

View from Lake Peak down to Nambe Lake Basin.

View from Lake Peak

The trail crosses one of the last snow banks of the season, ascending to Penitente Peak in distance.

View of Santa Fe Baldy from Penitente Peak. I love the scale & how the trees look so miniature.

Back into the valley, we stroll through one of my favorite meadows. 

The remainder of our hike is an easy stroll after the descending the Peaks, and I take in all the detail & beauty that nature has to offer.

:)

High Sierra Loop Part 3

Our backpacking loop was short but sweet~ I'll take 3 days in the backcountry over none any time! Here are some photographs of our last day of hiking~

Large snow field near Evelyn Lake.

Morning sunlight on frozen ponds... yes, it froze during the night at our high camp, though daytime temps were perfect!

Evelyn Lake outlet looking toward still snow covered peaks~

Evelyn Lake reflections.

Saying goodbye to Evelyn Lake,

and Hello to Fletcher Lake... a great spot for a lunch break!

Beginning the descent, looking back toward Vogelsang & Fletcher Peaks.

Further down the trail... it is always amazing to me how quickly the scenery changes in just a few miles!

Looking down towards Tuolumne Meadows... we still had a ways to go to get to the thickly forested area in the distance.

Made it! Our last section of the hike took us back along the Tuolumne river. It was a great trip, and so nice to be up there again. I am always overcome with a sense of gratitude spending time in the Sierra. It is hard to explain, but I think John Muir describes it perfectly when he says "Going to the Mountains is going home..."

:)

Yosemite High Sierra Backpacking Loop: (Part 1 of 3) Lyell Canyon

Have I mentioned that I LOVE being out in the wilderness? Love, love, love it! I hadn't been up to the High Sierra for a couple of summers due to work & school obligations, but I think my absence made me appreciate it all the more. I had started taking my nephew up to Yosemite when he was only 13 on his first backpacking trip. He just turned 18 & this is our 4th trip together. I was surprised when I saw this pic at how much shorter I've become, ha ha! I was also happy to let him carry more of the gear this time around!

:)

Cody & I @ Tuolumne Meadows~ Yosemite National Park

Our hike began in Toulumne Meadows~ this is the trail going up Lyell Canyon. Just gorgeous, isn't it? The sunshine, blue skies, clean air and the smell of forest were just amazing & I think I had an ear-to-ear grin all day!

We saw plenty of deer, though they weren't interested in turning around for a photo- op!

Though I've hiked this trail many times, the beauty never ceases to amaze me. They had an enormous amount of snow this year, & the lakes, streams & rivers were full.

Sitting & soaking in the view at my favorite secret swimming hole along the Tuolumne River.

That's me making a splash! I had to jump in twice before getting my nephew to jump in the icy waters...

 I thought this shot of him going in was a classic.

Farther along on our hike... enjoying views of the forest, meadows & high peaks.

Ha ha ha... I thought I'd put this in for a chuckle. It's me trying to fit all our food in the bear canister, which was a challenge. (The bears will get your food if you try to hang it & it would just be stupid to keep it in your tent, though I've heard people do. Bear canisters are actually mandatory while backpacking in Yosemite.) The mosquitos were so bad in the evening at our first camp, that I donned my rain jacket & tried to keep as much of my face & head covered as I could! (I hate to use that toxic mosquito repellant!)

While we didn't see or hear bears in our camp, there was evidence that they were there when we woke the next morning. The bear can was not in the precise location that I had left it... and the gashes at the top of the can were where he apparently tried to take a bite out of it, which I had never had happen before. Though so far, I have not heard of them being able to break into these cans.

My nephew in "the kitchen." Not a bad place to start the day!

Wilderness Coffee Shop

And what better way to start the day than a delicious cup 'o joe! I don't really go for that instant stuff~ I brought coffee from one of my favorite independent coffee house in Taos, NM! It's a great way to start the day & get ready for the next leg of the journey.

Stay tuned for Part two... coming soon!

:)