Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite)

I have finally arrived at the primary destination on this nearly 7,000 mile round trip. I am staying this first night up in Tuolomne Meadows, which is a classic alpine meadow at over 8,000 ft elevation. The drive in from the east is amazing. These gigantic granite rock faces are a clear reminder of the power of tectonic movement.

I hiked up to Elizabeth lake from my campsite. It was about a 5 mile hike, and worth every step. The brook trout were literally jumping out of the water as I walked up to the edge. There was complete silence apart from the whisking sound of a fly fisherman's line, and a sporadic "fish on."

Later on I hiked up to soda springs, a carbonated natural spring. Near there, there is one of the original meeting places of the Sierra Club, a beautiful old stone building alone out in a meadow. Near it there was a quote from Ansel Adams that I will always remember..."Only the soul can comprehend what the eye sees." Truer words may have never been spoken, especially in a place such as this.