Backpacking Lyell Canyon, Day 1

We left for our summer backpacking trip early Sunday morning heading to Lyell Canyon in Tuolomine Meadows.  By early afternoon, we were in Bishop, CA where the world famous Shat's Bakery is located.  We stopped in for some delicious turkey sandwiches and giant cookies.  The bakery opened in 1903, and the pictures and decor are amazing and rich with history.  We especially loved the eclectic look of the collections in yard surrounding the property.

We began to see mountains and snow as we passed Mammoth Mountain and Mount Whitney.  We expected heat, but we could tell that it was still cool in the higher elevations where we were headed.  We entered Yosemite at the Tioga pass which is at 9,945 feet, and boy was it beautiful.

Our first night's stay ended up being in the Tuolomine campground where we slept to acclimate to the elevation.  It was pretty tough to walk up the small incline to the bathroom, but by the next morning, it was easier.  I must add that the $65 hammock purchase the night before we left was a good call.  The girls loved it, and Kelly and I took our turns as well.  Pretty sweet.  We were pretty tired from going to bed late and getting up early, so we turned in before the sun went down.  That is the only downside to our trips to these beautiful areas...we can't stay up long enough to see the starts because were too darn tired.