Here are a few photos from a spectacular backpacking trip that involved doing a loop around the southern half of Yosemite.  I covered around 50 miles in 4.5 days of hiking and 4 nights of camping in some of the most beautiful spots between 7000 and 11000 feet on a route that took me from Mono Meadow (near Glacier Point) counter clockwise over the Clark Range and around to the finish at Tenaya Lake up on Tioga Road.   

Geologically different from the surrounding glacially carved mountains, the high lakes, streams and snow melt of the Clark Range form part of the headwaters of the Merced River. My first destination is the notch you see in the center of the picture known as Red Peak Pass, approximately 11,200 feet in elevation. This photo was taken from just under 10,000'.   

Climbing over the pass you get this first glimpse of the Sierras in the distance.

A little further along the trail after crossing the pass, this is the view that you see looking northeast.

The view from my campsite along the Merced River.   In September the river is so low that you can walk right across it without any problem.   You can just barely make out the river in the shadows in the bottom of the photo.



Hiking back to Tenaya Lake on the last day of the trip you are above the Merced River Canyon and get fantastic views all around. Here is Mt. Star King and surrounding area.

Along the trail I passed numerous lakes but found most streams to be dried up and the wildflowers gone this time of year.   However, the benefit of going in September is that I only passed 2 or 3 people on the trail each day and had no one camping within miles of me each night.  The only sounds you hear are the birds, wind and water and you see a lot more wildlife since there are so few people to disturb them.