Our adventure begins at Backpackers Camp with dinner and orientation.
This trip begins in Yosemite National Park, California. Today you will meet your guides and the other group members at the Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers' Camp just uphill from the Dana Campfire Circle in the middle of the Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Group members must arrive at camp by 4:30pm for a trip orientation, gear check and dinner. Please allow yourself plenty of time as it takes some time to get up to Tuolumne Meadows. Dinner included.
Backpack among the jagged peaks, domes and lakes of the high country.
We enjoy breakfast in our camp before packing up and caravanning a half hour’s drive west to the Ten Lakes Trailhead (7,500’). Before leaving we’ll distribute group gear and food, as well as reviewing techniques for correctly packing & fitting a backpack. Here we begin our 6.4 mile hike to Ten Lakes Pass (about 9,660’) and down to our remote campsite close to Lower Grant Lake (9,258') that will be out home for the next two nights. We will stop for lunch and photo opportunities, and work on skills development along the way. Once at our campsite, we will relax at camp or opt for a swim in the alpine waters. Following dinner, look forward to an inspirational evening campfire program as we watch for shooting stars overhead. All meals and snacks provided.
Backpacking: 6.5 miles; elevation gain: 2,100'.
Continue exploring the backcountry and building skills.
Another glorious day in the mountains awaits us as we don our packs and hit the trail. After breakfast, we’ll leave our camp and take only daypacks as we embark on a 4 to 5 mile exploration of the Ten Lakes Basin. We’ll adventure from lake to lake with many optional swims, hikes and scenic rest breaks. We’ll enjoy lunch at one of the many spectacular alpine lakes in the basin before we make our way back to camp. Dinner is followed by a relaxing, reflective campfire program on our last night beneath the bright Sierra stars. All meals and snacks provided.
Hiking: 3.5 to 6 miles; elevation gain: 1,000’ to 1,200’
Enjoy a final view of Yosemite's granite icons before hiking out.
After a hearty breakfast, we pack up our gear and retrace our steps to Ten Lakes Pass and down the Ten Lakes Trail to our cars waiting at the trailhead. We plan to arrive between 4 and 5pm, but there is no guarantee as trail conditions and other factors can impact travel times. Those flying out of Fresno should plan flights after 9:30pm; those flying out of Oakland should plan flights after 10:30pm. Breakfast, snacks and lunch included.
Backpacking: 6.5; elevation loss: 2,100'.
