Glen Aulin Trail in Yosemite National Park

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The next two days would be amazing! I took off from my car parked off of a gravel road near Lembert Dome. After dropping some of my supplies in one of the bear boxes I headed down the trail. For the next four hours I would hike the Glen Aulin. The trail started fairly easy. A slight climb in elevation lead me past meadows and trees, there were great views of vistas of some of the peaks inside the park and over streams. Then the trail headed over bald faces that were a stark contrast to what I had witnessed earlier. Finally I reached the double bridge leading me past the first of three waterfalls before the trail started a fairly steep descent down to the high sierra camp at Glen Aulin. For the next 1.3 miles the switchbacks made for some tough hiking but the views made it completely worth it. The waterfalls were beautiful and as I rolled into camp I felt super accomplished having hiked just over six and a half miles in a little over four hours. That isn’t fast by any means but my back and legs were thankful as I shed the forty pounds of gear I was carrying (yes I over packed) and started to set up camp for the afternoon and evening.

After spending a fairly solitary evening listening to the rain that came down and eating an early dinner I started back on the trail. I was worried that the hike out would be harder than the day before but I found that ascending the 700 or so feet in elevation was actually easier than coming in the day before. I even got to see some deer as they started their morning in one of the meadows along the trail. As I came back to my car fairly exhausted I took some time to figure out my next move…on to the Redwoods of northern California.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Deer forage for food in a meadow along the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Scenes from the Glen Aulin Trail in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Lembert Dome in Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.

Lembert Dome in Yosemite National Park in California on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.