Ireland and Evelyn

By John P. DeGrazio

Spending a day in Yosemite’s high country is the cure for all that ails you. Recently recovered from a back injury, I went out on a 20 mile jaunt with my good friend Brian up the Lyell Canyon. The goal was to reach Ireland Lake and hopefully make a cross country run at Lake Evelyn.

We arrived at Ireland Lake and were enchanted by its beauty. It is surrounded by Amelia Earhart Peak, Parsons Peak, and Simmons Peak with a good look at Mt. Lyell as well. From the lake, we climbed up a bench that gave us easy access to Lake Evelyn. We were about to descend to the lake, but there was an unnamed 11,000 peak in our way. What if we climbed up a little ways to get a different vantage point? Just as John Muir found himself one day in 1888 at Mt. Rainier, we “Did not mean to climb it, but got excited and was soon on top.” Incredible views were enjoyed from this spot including the Kuna Crest and one of the seldom seen Hanging Basket Lake.

We continued on to Lake Evelyn and then met up with the Rafferty Creek trail to complete our loop. It was another successful marathon hike with my good friend. The rest of the hike was spent planning our next Yosemite Wilderness backpack adventure. What will yours be?

Photographing with a camera phone was once frowned upon as a lazy way out of making an image. With advancing technology, these phones are becoming more integral in everyday “outdoor” life. I am currently using the iPhone 5 with an 8 megapixel camera, and will share the world of Yosemite through my phone.

Feed from YExplore Adventure Blog: https://yexplore.com/adventure-blog/.