Beyond Tuolumne Meadows …
Have you ever thought why does the JMT take this hard western turn at Tuolumne Meadows? Well the answer is obvious – to lead hikers to & from Yosemite Valley. But what if the trail continued north, where would it go? There are big lakes, glaciated valleys, the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The more I looked into it, the more I started to think the JMT should actually carry on northward.
I love Yosemite Valley. When I moved to California in 1988 it was the first place I wanted to explore. On many Friday afternoons I would drive to the valley and simply beach my car and explore for the weekend. Over time, I could see there was so much going on. In those early years, the valley was my proving grounds. But slowly I could see how it inspired so many … young couples, retirees, Europeans (coming to discover the American experience). I could go on. I remember seeing a raft of young men floating down the Merced celebrating in full Mardi Gras decor. The valley supports the very best of us. It’s wonderful to see and experience. And I’m mentioning just the human element of the Valley before all the natural wonders it has to offer. Ok, I had to say all this first before I state, I tend to avoid Yosemite Valley now. And so it was when I was planning out a hike in 2015 and asked the question … what if the JMT kept on going north after Tuolumne Meadows? Does the Sierra experience really end there?
Actually, Yosemite Valley had opened another door – by now I wanted to seek out the glaciated valleys of the Sierra Nevada. Hetch Hetchy is one but it is submerged within an ill-advised placement of a reservoir. There are a few more to the south such as Evolution Valley and the Kern Valley but the granite into those areas is softer. But from Google Maps, you can see the region directly north of the Tuolumne River has something to offer. If you look carefully at the topo lines surrounding Kerrick Meadows and headwaters of Rancheria Creek, you will see they are backed tightly together.
And what about the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River? The name itself invites the question … Is it Grand? Is it compatible to the canyon in Arizona? And what about this lake they call the Riviera of the Sierras? That’s quite a statement too. And there is this unmarked area referred to as the Muir Gorge along the Tuolumne. Also as I’ve read about how the Paiute natives had settled in the Pate Valley along the Tuolumne.
And there is one more thing that promised to be quite different on this “northern-extension” of the JMT – it’s lack of popularity and what follows — the the lack of fellow hikers. On the JMT itself you’ll never have a feeling of complete isolation. To an experienced hiker, isolation adds to the excitement. It adds excitement to your overall consciousness, and it adds excitement to your discoveries. And as I suggested here, there is a lot to discover.
If this piques your interest, as it did mine, I encourage you to read about this suggested itinerary connecting segments of the PCT and other trails within YNP.