May Lake is one of the most popular high sierra high camps for the simple reason that it is not all that far off the old Tioga Road. That road was originally built by logging concerns and then given as a gift to the national park after being bought by private interests that included Stephen Mather, the first superintendent of the national park service. It’s use was discontinued after the current road was unfortunately blasted from the beautiful granite shelf on the shoulder of Tenaya Lake. Today the only part of the old road that remains in service ends at a parking area that leaves a 1.5 mile hike to May Lake. It’s all uphill with an area of switchbacks from that direction. It’s quite another matter to reach this area from Glen Aulin as described in the previous post.

May Lake was named after Charles F. Hoffman’s then fiancee, Lucy Mayotta Browne. Hoffman, who climbed the 10,000+ peak behind the lake was with J.D. Whitney of the historic Whitney Survey at the time and the names where given two years later in 1865.

At almost 9,300 feet in elevation the area is a wonderland of granite monoliths and pristine water. In days past it was commercialized to the point that rented boats were available along with fishing paraphernalia. Today the small camp sits more quietly along side the lake. The hike to the Mt. Hoffman summit is popular but has no marked trail. The effort to climb it has always been outweighed by the all the phonographic opportunities the immediate area presents, not to mention the physical effort used to take advantage of it!

At this point in our journey a routine has been put in place and the group now has become aware that instead of resting until the evening meal as most hikers do when they reach camp, we’ll take a break, even shower if there is one (only three of the high camps do) and then head out looking for light, shape, form and texture which I call fine art landscape photography. We’ll do this in the afternoons as long as possible, and then have to hustle through the diner meal  quickly because the camp staff just does not understand that they are sticking this meal smack dab in the middle of the best light of the day! I’ll feebly try and explain to the camp manager that we are not trying to be rude, although most figure being photographers it comes with the territory, but we have to run out before desert is on the table or the great presentations by the staff that follow that. Most hikers at the diner tables look astonished as we do this. If any ask later, and a lot do, I plead insanity, then shrug and mention photographers again. Then it’s back out for whatever is left of that light. All this adds time and energy, not to mention miles, to an already incredibly long day!

Occasionally the lake will remain still at dawn but not usually. At this altitude and with the lake open at one end it doesn’t take much to destroy the mirror reflection. Many times in the predawn I thought I had it only to see the soft breeze just before first light dash all hope. It was my fifth year that I saw this magic scene for the first time. In all twelve years I’ve witnessed this only two more times!

May Lake, Mt. Hoffman and Reflection …..

30 Second exposure at f/11 with a Singh-Ray ColorCombo and 4ss then 3hs being careful not to leave a filter footprint in the tree on the left (not sure which frame I used) making sure not to balance the reflection with what was being reflected.

If you have interest in being a part of this adventure next summer please contact me

Next ……. Sunrise after sunrise at May Lake (or why did the photographer cross the Tioga Road?)