Taking advantage of our first three day weekend in Yosemite to run away to the backcountry, Katie, Naomi and i set our sights on the Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne. Being way too bad ass to walk down the canyon like normal people (read... hannah's knees did not want to walk downhill all that way), we started in White Wolf and spent the next two days hiking up the river past the incredible waterfalls and amazing views. Combined with testing out every great swimming hole, eating lots of yummy food, reading the whole Sunday Times at the Tuolomne store, and getting to hang out with two wonderful friends, it was a fantastic weekend.
Naomi and Katie crossing the Tuolomne River near Pate Valley.
A successful hunt for the secret pictographs. It is amazing the number of things that exist in this park that do not show up on any maps or guidebooks and require knowing someone who knows to even hear about. We were given directions to this amazing wall of pictographs that required a short detour but were clearly well off the beaten track. The whole wall was covered in drawing and handprints, providing an incredible connection to the long human history of this place.
Another swimming spot with water slides and all. 
Yeah whatever..... more beautiful waterfalls.
Our second night was spent camping just above California Falls, right at the edge of the valley overlooking the whole canyon. Although our first evening had been pretty warm, the temperature dropped sharply this evening and we quickly made dinner and crawled into bed. The next morning began with yelling as we tried to fight the cold to get out of bed and ended with us skipping the whole breakfast thing, packing up in a record of about fifteen minutes and hitting the trail well before 6:30, trying to find some sun. 
Naomi and Katie above Glen Aulin; with the sun finally up, we were almost finally ready for some breakfast. 
Heading into Tuolomne Meadows with Cathedral and Echo peaks in the background. 
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