Washburn Lake is 3 miles up the canyon from Merced Lake. It makes a great day hike if you do as we have in some years and spend an extra day at Merced. Washburn Lake is for all intents and purposes the headwaters of the Merced River. The River of Mercy as translated from the Spanish continues through Yosemite Valley some 13 miles away and then into the San Joaquin Valley, one of the largest farming “bread baskets” of the U.S.

Merced Lake high Sierra camp is the furthest from any of the other high camps and the only one that is more than a full days hike to a road. In any direction except for a 13 mile hike to the valley floor is UP! From 7,000 to 9,400 feet if your destination is Sunrise high camp or a 3,000 + elevation gain if going to Vogelsang high camp! As I’ve expressed before, mileage means little in this terrain but stated quietly, the numbers are almost as daunting!

If headed in this direction you have a choice of routes. Both have different rewards and depending on direction, number of days on the trail and shape and disposition of the group a decision is usually made the evening before after our sunset shoot. Up over Vogelsang pass is one of the greatest routes in the park and should not be missed! The view from the pass of the entire Clark range is simply overwhelming. The same can be said of the Fletcher Creek route with creeks, lakes and meadows. Approaching the pass from the Merced direction with very steep switchbacks an become a “one step at a time” ordeal. I prefer the Fletcher creek route and usually do the pass headed the other way.

Once in the meadows Fletcher peak comes quickly into view and the terrain becomes less challenging but somehow Fletcher peak usually becomes a mirage for me. It simply seems to shirk in size or stays the same distance despite the fact that I’ve been glancing at it for hours!

Finally at the foot of the peak, with just outside of a mile to Vogelsang high camp I’m once again reminded that it’s a climb no matter if coming from Tuolumne Meadows or Merced Lake. At the end of long day knowing that this trail ends where the birds sing (the translation of Vogelsang) and is considered by some as “the alps of Yosemite” the spirit soars even if the body won’t!

Image ….. Vogelsang Lake From The Pass.

The view in any direction from Vogelsang Pass makes one glad you are alive .. and there! Always in any image of a vast vista the problem is how to show scale. A vertical in 35mm format will draw attention to foreground which is usually the easiest way for me to solve this problem. The size and detail of the subject is immediately recognized by the proximity of the foreground elements and carries to a distant focal point. Of course inserting a person will do also. I refer to people in my vista compositions as “Perspectives!”

Here a Singh-Ray ColorCombo was used to cut the tremendous glare off the granite and deepen the wonderful earth tones of the newly dried up pond before me.

Next ……… Where the birds sing!

Workshops? …… open ones are here