Dana Plateau

Dana Plateau, Sierras, September 2005

And so it started with a desire, perhaps inordinate, to get into the Sierras. While Idaho has mountains galore, and some quite rugged, I still had a desire to experience for myself what I saw in photos of those high mountains in California. I had a slight taste two years ago, when Tammy and I took an evening hike up by Mount Rose between Reno and Tahoe. However, the taste only made me more interested in experiencing it. From what I could see, the things that really intrigued me where high altitude, open ground, good weather, and rugged peaks, not necessarily in that order. So I programmed an extra day to go in and explore on a business trip to Reno.

I was able to pick up a book on good day hikes in the Sierras; but the book happened to be for the southern Sierras with the northern most hikes identified down by Mammoth, which happened to be 150 miles or so south of Reno. However, the area descriptions and photos appeared good and rugged – I decided to give them a try. The area that was most intriguing was as far south as Bishop; actually beyond…it would probably be too far.

Reno got some rain while I was at my meetings but, the day of my departure (from the meetings and into the mountains), was clear and cool. I had learned that I needed to get a permit in the wilderness for overnight travel, so, I went as far as Lee Vining, and checked in to get a permit. I planned to go into the Bloody Canyon / Sardine Lakes area, but I found that it required me to take a “bear can” – a can in which I was supposed to put food, toothpaste…anything with an aroma. Since I didn’t have such a can, they would rent me one, $5, and would also put a $75 damage deposit on my credit card. And furthermore, I had to carry the thing, which due to its size would require me to strap it to the outside of my pack. I decided to ask the ranger about any areas that would not require such a can.

"Well, there is one place ..."

I decided on Glacier Canyon and Dana Lake, just outside the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. Bear cans are not required in that area because it’s so high – well above bear territory. GOOD! I bough some topography maps and headed out. The ranger cautioned me that if bad weather came in - to get out of the area. They expected temperatures in the teens, and the area in pursuit gets a lot of wind. I asked if there were any more restrictions - " ... yeah, no fires ... but at that elevation there is no vegetation, thus no wood, so it wouldn't be an issue."

I found the trailhead and parking area at about 2:30 in the afternoon. The weather was sunny, but with scattered cumulus clouds and cool. So I finally headed out.

Rather quickly, the trail essentially disappeared. I decided to hold the elevation of the parking area and basically contour around into Glacier Canyon. I could see where others had done the same, but there was still no real trail. I was able to make my way across on various game trails, as indeed, the Sierra high country is “open”. The game sign was abounding. However, I decided to sacrifice spotting game and stealth for looking for trail and maintaining progress across and around ....

At Dana Creek I found the trail. Not long after I found it, it started to head away from Dana Creek (and the lake) and up toward the Dana Plateau. The trail appeared and disappeared. But, by the time it completely disappeared, I was on the Dana Plateau.

The Dana Plateau is a fascinating place. Getting to it one must go through beautiful alpine terrain…open timber of diminishing size, quasi-open brush with game trails and other access through, navigable rocky slopes…But the plateau is different, awesome, and fascinating. It “starts” at an elevation of 11,000 feet and so trees are left behind. For a brief while there are shrubs, perhaps 12 to 15 or so inches high, and then just grass, sand, rocks, and boulders, all smooth. The grass height was probably only and inch or so, maybe less. In a way, it was like the desert of Southern Idaho in winter, or almost like a dry lakebed, that is, until you remind yourself of where you are.



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I was now above Dana Lake, which I could not see. The topo maps indicated that the north and west boundaries of the plateau dropped off as cliffs to the basins below.

The passing clouds illuminated a prominence of boulders presumably at the edge of the plateau to the north. I decided to take a look. So far I had made good time. – I was in the heart of the plateau and it was about 4:30 p.m.

Indeed at the edge, the terrain made a 90 degree turn – and dropped of straight down towards the basins (cirques) below. The first basin I looked into had a permanent snowfield that was still covered with snow from the winter before. The road was some 3000 feet below.

The next vantage point was down into a shelf some 2000 feet below with the road some 5000 feet below. I was on top of what I had seen hours before while driving up.



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I found an acceptable place to sleep near the entrance to the plateau – soft sand and some micro vegetation. But as the hour progressed the thought of spending the night, which would come early, last long, and probably be cold, did not sound attractive. I made it a goal to get to a vantage point above Dana Lake by 5:15 (even though I knew it would take until about 5:20, and it did), and then exit by 5:30. I figured with the remaining light that I could make it out.

What I will call the South Sierras are to me stunning in their ruggedness, and heavenly in their color. Gigantic “blades” of white granite jut hundreds and sometimes thousands of feet into the air out of already rugged, high mountainous terrain. Below these `blades’ are glaciers, snow from the winter before, and talus.

The mountains are sterile, in ways both obvious and difficult to explain. Obviously the extreme weather limits vegetation vertically, and the presumably dry, hot, breezy summers limit it horizontally. That doesn’t mean that the Sierras don’t get moisture – they do. Snow. There is also very little soil. But it is exactly this characteristic set that I love – as it allows cross-country travel, and you can see (out). And while the range being `new’ might explain the lack of soil, the same explanation doesn’t seem to cover the roundness of the rocks, especially at high altitude.

The other aspect of sterility is more difficult to explain – ... snip.

So I made my exit. I took the trail off the plateau, and followed it all the way out of Glacier Canyon. I sacrificed the elevation retained by contouring (the way I came in) by being able to follow a good trail – which would be nice if night fell before I made it all the way out. The trail went down to Tioga Lake - I cross-countried up to the car at the pass. The skies had cleared, but it was pretty dark. I made it in perfect timing. It made me realize that perhaps the most important thing in the back country is the time…not necessarily absolute time, but timing in reference to sundown – since in the back country darkness is irreversible.

I drove on to Mammoth…(they skied there this year into July) … and the next day I drove back to Reno, and then flew home.

Endnote: ... here