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Mount Dana

August 23, 2006. A "warm-up" hike to the summit of Mount Dana (13,053 ft.) from Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park. Turns out I can't go from zero to 13 thousand feet in a single day without getting a bit of a headache. :) The marmots at the summit didn't seem to feel my pain (though they were happy to take our food). (6 miles round trip, 3108 ft. gain)

The Trail (or Lack of It)

[Not Much Scenery]
[Not Much Scenery (1)][Not Much Scenery (2)]
Not Much Scenery: Here is where we parked. This is not where the trail head is. That would explain why we didn't find the trail on the way up. :) But the route was pretty easy to follow --- (1) just head for that lump. (2) Not sure how we managed to miss this gigantic cairn. Must have been the altitude. :)

The Summit

[To Mono Lake]
[To Mono Lake (1)]
To Mono Lake: Just one small range between us and the lake. (1) A 360 panorama from the summit. You can see a lot --- Mono Lake, Tuolumne Meadows and its surrounding peaks, the Mammoth ski area, and Matterhorn Peak, which we would attempt in two days. Interesting cloud cover too (strange looking "pancake" clouds).
[Marmot Profiles]
[Marmot Profiles (1)][Marmot Profiles (2)][Marmot Profiles (3)][Marmot Profiles (4)][Marmot Profiles (5)][Marmot Profiles (6)]
Marmot Profiles: Two marmots at the summit love to pose. They're more golden and less fat than the ones I've seen in Yosemite Valley. (1) Look over here. (2) Marmot and Mono Lake. (3) Marmot and Tuolumne Meadows. (4) Marmots snacking. (5) Uh... marmot shot #5. (6) And marmot shot #6.
[Marmot Close-Ups]
[Marmot Close-Ups (1)][Marmot Close-Ups (2)][Marmot Close-Ups (3)][Marmot Close-Ups (4)][Marmot Close-Ups (5)]
Marmot Close-Ups: More marmot shots! These guys are not camera shy at all. :) (1) No where to hide. (2) Mmmm... hiker food. (3) What you looking at? (4) Cute. (5) Cuter.
[Portraits]
[Portraits (1)][Portraits (2)][Portraits (3)]
Portraits: Me and Mr. Marmot . (OK, just two more marmot shots :) (1) Marmot looking eagerly at my dad's food. (2) My dad with the register. (3) Me.

Last modified: Sat Sep 09 00:15:42 CDT 2006