Mount Dana - Yosemite National Park - 8.26.2012
Start this hike from the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park... the hike is 5.8 miles roundtrip, gaining 3108 feet of elevation.
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I parked at the Gaylor Lakes trailhead... just inside the Tioga Pass entrance to the park.
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From the Gaylor Lakes trailhead I walked the very short distance back to the Tioga Pass entrance... where I will look on the east side of the road for the unofficial trailhead for Mt. Dana.
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Just east of the Tioga Pass entrance I found the unofficial trail for Mt. Dana... the trail starts just to the left of this sign.
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My general route to the summit... the trail is very obvious until the last 600 feet of elevation.
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In Dana Meadows... looking at Mammoth Peak at the north end of Kuna Crest.
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Passing by a tarn in Dana Meadows.
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Gaining elevation now... and looking at Kuna Crest.
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Looking north... across the Tioga Road... Mt. Conness, White Mountain and North Peak on the far right.
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On the trail and heading up to a shelf at ~11,000 feet.
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I've reached the shelf... looking north to Mt. Conness, White Mountain and North Peak... Excelsior Mountain is behind Saddlebag Lake.
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A closeup Conness, White, North, Shepherd Crest and Excelsior... plus Saddlebag Lake.
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A nice wind break... and a good look at the final pull up to the summit... Mount Gibbs to the right... with Koip Peak Pass and the Kuna Crest on the far right.
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Getting closer.
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Looking south to Mount Gibbs (left) and the Kuna Crest.
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Looking SW across Dana Meadows to the Cathedral Range.
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Still some work left to reach the Mount Dana summit.
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On steep terrain again... looking south to Mount Lyell (the one with the largest glacier)... Mount Maclure is right of Lyell... Mount Florence is the big one on the far right... part of the Kuna Crest is in the foreground... with Kuna Lake on the right.
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On the Dana summit (13,053')... the second highest point in Yosemite National Park... at 13,114 feet, Mount Lyell is the highest point in the park.
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Looking across Dana Plateau to Mono Lake.
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Looking south... across Mount Gibbs to Mount Wood, Parker Peak, Koip Peak Pass, Koip Peak and Kuna Peak.
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A broader view to the south and SW.
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Looking west and SW at the Cathedral Range... with Dana Meadows running into Tuolumne Meadows.
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ragman on the Mount Dana summit... with Mono Lake behind... I'm bundled up for a reason.
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Heading back down.
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