060816 Lower Cathedral Lake - Yosemite National Park

The hike to Lower Cathedral Lake from Tioga Road is among one of the favorite hikes for people who visit the top of Yosemite Valley. The trailhead on Tioga Road is 1 mile away from Tuolumne Meadows vistor center and the parking space is very limited there. To Lower Catherdeal Lake, you'll need to follow the John Muir trail southbound from the trailhead. After 3 miles into the hike, turn right at the junction and hike anohter 0.5 miles lower to the Lower Cathedral Lake. Keep going straight at the junction will lead to Upper Cathedral Lake instead. The round-trip normally takes about 4-6 hours with 8 miles of distance in total. During my trip to Lower Cathedral Lake, I had an unexpected close encounter with a coyote somewhere near the junction of lower and upper Cathedral Lakes. I first mistook the lean coyote as wolf but later learned that there is no wolf in the Yosemite eco-system. I yelled to scare the coyote away but it actually started approaching me. As the final mean, I waved my hiking sticks higher and yelled louder, finally the coyote decided to leave. This was quiet an unusual experience which reminded me of the potential risk of hiking alone.

Type: Out-and-back round-trip hike
Length: 7.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,000 ft.
Duration: Less than 6 hours
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Start / End: Trailhead on Tioga Road one mile away from visitor center

Route:
Trailhead -> John Muir Trail -> Junction to Cathedral Pass -> Lower Cathedral Lake -> Junction to Cathedral Pass -> John Muir Trail -> TrialheadGPS track recorded by Garmin GPSMAP 60CPictures taked by Canon Powershot SD10