![]() They were bad at the beginning of the hike (if you were foolish enough to stop), but about half way through we really didn't see any.With an elevation over 1000 higher than Half Dome and massive bare walls that slope thousands of feet down into Tenaya Canyon, Clouds Rest is an impressive peak that can be seen from all over the park, including Tunnel View and Olmsted Point. I was worried about mosquitos, as we were warned about these. I normally assume a descent will take half the time of the ascent, but with this hike it was more like 80% of the ascent time. One particular challenge of this hike is that the ascent is not all up, so the descent is not all down, making it a bit harder than we expected. Due to how forested Yosemite is, don't expect spectacular views all along the way like you would in Glacier NP. The hike starts off in the forest, and gradually gets more mountainous. We read that you can see Hawaii from Clouds Rest, and we think we could see an island mountain range far to the west, so we're claiming that we saw Hawaii. The summit is about 1500 feet higher than half dome, so you are looking down on that peak. This is the best view of Yosemite we experienced. We had 6 people in our group, from 45 years old to 15. Took 7:42 total time, with about 45 minutes at the summit. This hike was a highlight of our trip (June 17, 2021). At least we didn’t see any kids up there. All the 3D view you get to see is so rewarding and beautiful. ![]() ![]() You have a full view of everything around. It won’t take you more than 5 min to get along the spine and reach the very top. The trick is not to look down and take the left side. Was so ready to abort the mission when the alarm went off later on in the morning, but somehow did it. I would freak myself out one night before the hike looking at you tube videos :). The spine itself is not that bad as you could see on the videos. Also another bad part is the mile before you get down at the spine part. It gets kinda hard after mile 1.5 having to go fully up hill for another 1.5 miles. My boyfriend and I did all way up for a little less than 3 hours including a couple of pretty quick water stops. ![]() Don’t rely too much on the mileage signs along the way. That was a f$$$ing awesome hike of 12.6 miles in total. ![]() But on our day…perfect! Cold start, 30 degrees, no mosquitos, could navigate water crossings without changing into sandals as I used my poles for balance. The previous day had been bitterly cold, windy and even some light hail as told by some hikers who climbed Half Dome. Sitting at the top, having lunch and resting, the views are incredible! Going down you still have occasional elevation and the length of the hike can start to get to you so pace yourself and stay hydrated! The rockyīoulder area was where I took my time and patiently navigated it. I climbed straight up the ridge line and took my time but in the way down stayed to the right and it was definitely easier to navigate. The climb up the spine is breathtaking and while scary it isn’t that bad. The altitude and distance gets to you requiring you to take smaller steps and rest along the way. The hardest parts are the rocky boulders about 1.5 miles in where you ascend 1000 ft in 1 mile and then of course the last 3/4 mile to the top. Absolutely crazy wonderful hike! You go through various terrains and underground footing from dirt to rocky boulders to sand. ![]()
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