Yosemite Sierra Hiker

Introduction
California USA

An Inn & Tent Cabin Hiking Adventure
Explore two of California s finest natural wonders, Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, located along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada.  Encompassing sparing peaks, alpine lakes, and stands of giant sequoia trees, these parks provide a stunning landscape where mountains extend into a seemingly endless sky.
This trip has been created with plenty of flexibility to accommodate a wide range of individual interests and abilities. We have chosen non-technical day hikes for the reasonably athletic, and that best reflect the variety and scenic beauty that make up these extraordinary parklands. So join us for a week of active days and luxurious nights that is sure to quench your appetite for adventure and relaxation.   

Inn Highlights:
Beautifully crafted of cedar and stone and located within Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge is perched on a rocky outcropping some 7,200 feet above sea level with panoramic views of the high Sierra. Situated on the banks of the Merced River and at the doorstep to the national park, Yosemite View Lodge provides all the comforts of home. The Toulomne tent cabins bring back memories of Yosemite as the pioneers experienced it.

How difficult is this trip? ... Really. This terrain on this trip is hillier and more challenging than our Easy tours. It is intended for the average active adult who feels comfortable exercising 5-8 hours a day. The hikes are 4-12.5 miles, with additional miles optional, and include climbs of up to 1200 feet with options of up to 1500 feet.

Accomodation

Beautifully crafted of cedar and stone and located within Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge is perched on a rocky outcropping some 7,200 feet above sea level with panoramic views of the high Sierra. The Appletree Inn is a quaint cottage style resort situated on 11 wooded acres. Situated on the banks of the Merced River and at the doorstep to the national park, Yosemite View Lodge provides all the comforts of home.

Day 1 and 2: Wuksachi Lodge
Day 3 and 4: Yosemite View Lodge
Day 5:          Tuolumne Tent Cabins

Riding

Itinerary

Day 1. Hike to Giant Forest and Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge
For a real taste of solitude, we begin with a hike into the backcountry of Sequoia National Park. From Giant Forest we meander through one of the most majestic stands of Sequoia trees in the world. The General Sherman Tree, the world's largest living thing, towers above our path. Stroll through beautiful Crescent Meadow where brilliant wildflowers adorn its lush grounds. John Muir is said to have called this lovely, grassy open area the "gem of the Sierra". Now we connect with the High Sierra Trail, with incredible breathtaking views that make this a favorite of the Sierra's backcountry enthusiasts. After an exhilarating climb up Moro Rock, complete with steps and railings in places, we shuttle just a few miles to Wuksachi Lodge, located in the heart of Sequoia National Park.

• Hike from Giant Forest to High Sierra Trail and to Moro Rock [up to 6 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain/loss]
• Moro Rock option [600' climb, then descent]

Day 2. Hike to Pear Lake, Sequoia National Park,Wuksachi Lodge
After a hearty breakfast and a short shuttle to the trailhead, we ascend through rich forest of white fir, cedar and sugar pine enroute to the high country. We’ll be traveling along the famed Watchtower route where we can see far into the Tokopah Valley, where the biggest waterfall in the park, Tokopah Falls, tumbles over 1000 feet. Above tree line, Heather, Aster, and Emerald lakes will welcome us along the way to Pear Lake. After enjoying lunch at our high country location, we descend back to the trailhead and enjoy a second relaxing evening at Wuksachi Lodge.
• Pear Lake hike [12.4 miles; 2250 feet of elevation
gain/loss]

Day 3. Hike in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite View Lodge
After a morning shuttle to Yosemite, we hike in Mariposa, the Park's largest of three groves of Giant Sequoias. Mariposa Grove contains several hundred of these monarchs, including two of the 25 largest trees in the world. We begin the hike at The Fallen Monarch which fell more than three hundred years ago and continues to resist the process of decay.
The Bachelor and Three Graces are a group of four trees, three of them growing very close together with the fourth a little more distant. Their roots are so intertwined that if one of them were to fall it would likely bring the others along with it. The Grizzly Giant is the Grove's oldest tree and most commonly thought to be the largest but that title goes to a less inspiring tree named The Washington Tree. Estimated at 2700 years old, the Grizzly Giant is 209 feet tall and 25.5 feet in diameter. The California Tunnel Tree was cut in 1895 to allow coaches to pass through it (and as a marketing scheme to attract visitors to the grove), and is now the only living tree with a tunnel in it since the fall of the Wawona Tunnel Tree in 1969. The Faithful Couple is a rare case in which two trees grew so close together that their trunks have fused together at the base. The Telescope Tree has been left completely hollow by decades of repeated fires. In spite of that, the tree is still living, as Giant Sequoias do not require a whole trunk to survive. It is possible to walk inside the tree and to look up at the sky. The Columbia Tree is the tallest tree in the grove and in Yosemite National Park.
We continue our day with a late afternoon shuttle to Yosemite Valley, the site of our lodging for the next two nights.

Day 4. Hike the Panorama Trail from Rim to Valley in Yosemite National Park, Yosemite View Lodge
You couldn't ask for a better way to experience the majestic splendor that Yosemite has to offer than by hiking the Panorama Trail. As its name implies, this trail offers incredibly panoramic views of Yosemite's cascading waterfalls, soaring granite monoliths and of the verdant valley floor below.
Beginning with views of Half Dome and Clouds Rest from Glacier Point, the trail crosses behind Illilouette Fall after two miles and continues partially uphill along the Panorama Cliff. At the top of Nevada Fall, we descend past Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail, concluding at Happy Isles Nature Center.

• Panorama Trail [8.5 miles, 3200 feet of elevation loss]

Day 5. Hike to Lower Cathedral Lake from Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, Tuolumne Tent Cabins
Following a shuttle from the Valley to the high country of Tuolumne Meadows, we begin our hike to Lower Cathedral Lake. The trail is an ancient Indian Path and is now part of the John Muir Trail, a famed backpacking thoroughfare. Lower Cathedral Lake is among the most impressive of Yosemite's granite-wrapped High Sierra Lakes. It's surrounded by Cathedral Peak to the east and by Echo and Tressider Peaks along the southern shore, all over 10,000 feet in elevation.
The eastern shore of the lake is a wide rock shelf that, besides being picturesque in its own right, makes a great place to hang out and recover from the swamp crossing we executed to reach it. If you trek to the far end of the lake, look west, Tenaya Lake lurks below.
We stay tonight in the Tuolumne Meadows Tent Cabins. Our stay here evokes the early days of travel to Yosemite. The canvas-covered tents are wood-framed on a cement platform. There is no electricity but candles are provided for lighting. Shower and restroom facilities are located in the center of camp. The dining room, situated alongside the Tuolumne River, provides rustic a la carte dining for breakfast and dinner.

• Shuttles from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows [1.5 hours]
• Lower Cathedral Lake Hike [7 miles, 790 feet of elevation gain/loss]

Day 6. Hike from Tioga Road to Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, Fresno
Our final hike provides a spectacular conclusion to our week together. Beginning at Porcupine Creek Trailhead off Tioga Road, we hike through red fir and lodgepole forest, follow Lehamite Creek and cross Indian Canyon Creek before arriving at Yosemite Point. From here we have a commanding view of Yosemite Valley and of Yosemite Creek hurling over the edge of the hanging valley in a spectacular and deafening show of force. At 2425 feet, Yosemite Falls is North America's highest waterfall.
We then cross Yosemite Creek on a footbridge and begin the steep descent past the Upper Falls (1430 feet, alone one of the world's highest), "the cascades" (675 feet) and finally the Lower Falls (320 foot drop).
Following a shuttle to Fresno, we say our farewells at approximately 5.30pm in Fresno.

• Hiking [9.5 miles, 4000 feet of elevation loss]
• Shuttle to Fresno [2 hours, 15 minutes

Rates and Dates for Yosemite Sierra Hiker

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: 8:00 a.m. at the Courtyard Fresno Airport
Airport: LAX, Fresno
Transfer: Fresno

Climate: