Debbie Gerhart's Page

Photo: Nick's rainbow at Wapama Falls from the first footbridge. Trail head: O'Shaunessy Dam parking lot.Elevation: 3728 ft. at the trail head.Mileage: 5.5 miles round trip to Wapama and back. 13 miles round trip to Rancheria Falls and back.Difficulty: Easy to moderately strenuous because of the total length of the hike.Fee: $35/car YNP entrance fee or pass.No dogs on this one. Dinner: Evergreen Lodge or Trail Gate.Last hiked: May 10, 2024.** No YNP reservation necessary for this date. See More

This hike is north of Red Hills Road. The wildflowers should be in full bloom.It's an easy to moderate 6.5-mile clockwise loop that crosses Serpentine Road. The total elevation gain is 640 ft per  mapmyrun.Trail Head: About an1/8 mile beyond the main parking lot across Red Hills Road.Bring the dogs on this one.Dinner: Café Bravo in Oakdale.Last hiked:  3/21/2020, officially. See More

Photo: Jackie on North Dome 2012.Trail head: Porcupine Creek on Tioga Road.Fee: $35/car or Annual Pass. No Peak Hour ticket required.Elevation: 8100 ft. at the trail head, 8340 ft. at Indian Rock, 7540 ft. at North Dome.Mileage: 9.4 miles includes Indian Rock. 8.8 miles w/o Indian Rock.Difficulty: Moderate with a repeated elevation loss and gain of about 800 ft.Dinner: Groveland.Last hiked: 10-06-2012.See More

Photo: Ragged Peak Saddle.** This date requires one reservation per car **Trail Head: The Dog Lake parking lot near the Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station.Fee: $35 YNP entrance fee or annual pass.Description: Moderate to strenuous 10-Mile up and back, partial cross-country. Hike to Dog Lake, Delaney Meadow and beyond to Dingley Creek. Hike off trail to the head of Dingley Creek and lunch on the alpine meadow. Continue off-trail to Ragged Peak Saddle for the view of Mt. Conness and Young Lakes. Bag…See More

Two hike choices: Moderate 8-mile up and back to Thunder Mountain summit. Or moderate to strenuous 12.3 mile loop, taking in the summit and returning on Horseshoe Canyon and Castle Point Trails.Elevation gain on first hike is 1450 ft.Elevation change on loop is 2250 ft.The highest point is Thunder Mountain summit at 9400 ft. in both cases.Parking and Trail head: Thunder Mountain Trailhead, a parking lot on the south side of Hwy 88 between Silver Lake and Kirkwood. Land Status: El Dorado…See More

Photo: Nick's rainbow at Wapama Falls from the first footbridge.Trail head: O'Shaunessy Dam parking lot.Elevation: 3728 ft. at the trail head.Mileage: 5.5 miles round trip to Wapama and back. 13 miles round trip to Rancheria Falls and back.Difficulty: Easy to moderately strenuous because of the total length of the hike.Fee: $35/car YNP entrance fee or pass.No dogs on this one. Dinner: Evergreen Lodge or Trail Gate.Last hiked: Apr 15, 2023.** No YNP reservation necessary for this date. See More

Photo from a previous winter hike.  Trail Head: Red Hills Parking lot off of Red Hills Road.Land Status: Bureau Of Land Management.Description: 8.2 mile moderate loop with 500 foot repeated elevation change.Hunt for wildflowers. Bring the dogs. Fees: none. Dinner: Cafe Bravo in Oakdale.Last hiked: March 17, 2018.See More

Photo: Female #878, fledged in the Pinnacles, fall of 2017. Parents are #569 and #589, photographed doing it in Jan 2017. Description: Moderate 6.1-mile loop through Bear Gulch Cave and up High Peaks Trail, completing on Condor Gulch Trail.Trail Head:  Bear Gulch Day Use Parking Lot.Parking: Bear Gulch Day Use Parking lot and overflow parking behind the Visitor Center with shuttle service to the trail head.Land Status: National Park.Fee: $30.00/car entrance fee paid at the visitor's center, or…See More

Photo: Female #878, fledged in the Pinnacles, fall of 2017. Parents are #569 and #589, photographed doing it in Jan 2017. Description: Moderate 6.1-mile loop through Bear Gulch Cave and up High Peaks Trail, completing on Condor Gulch Trail.Trail Head:  Bear Gulch Day Use Parking Lot.Parking: Bear Gulch Day Use Parking lot and overflow parking behind the Visitor Center with shuttle service to the trail head.Land Status: National Park.Fee: $30.00/car entrance fee paid at the visitor's center, or…See More

Photo from Alltrails.Description: Easy to moderate 4.6-mile out and back to Elizabeth Lake with a 900 ft. elevation gain. Add more mileage by hiking around the lake and walking in Tuolumne Meadows. Trail Head: ** Because Tuolumne Meadows Campground is closed we’ll park and hike from the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. This adds about a mile each way to the hike. Dinner: Groveland. A trailgate may be too chilly.No dogs on this one.Last hiked: It was included in the 9/13/14 Obata Lake hike.See More

Photo: Round Top Lake Aug. 2011 by Nick.Moderate 7-mile out and back to Round Top Lake.Strenuous 9-mile out and back to Round Top Summit.Trail Head: Meiss Meadow Parking Lot.Day Use Fee: $5.00.Elevation at trail head: 8580 ft.Elevation at divide before Round Top Lake: 9429 ft.Elevation at Round Top summit: 10,232 ft.Dogs are welcome.Dinner: Trail Gate at the trail head.See More

Photo courtesy of Yosemite Hikes.Description: 3.6 mile loop, partial cross-country.Destination: Series of cascade falls on the Tuolumne River.Destination: Top of Pothole Dome for 360 degree views.Fee: $30 entrance fee or pass.No dogs on this one.It will be warm this weekend. We’ll take it easy but we can add walks in Tuolumne Meadows or at the Pass. Early Dinner: Whoa Nellie Deli. See More

Photo: Muir Beach.Description: 7.3 mile moderate loop with 860 ft elevation gain.Trailhead: Tennessee Valley Trail Head. No dogs on this one.Dinner: Let's find a restaurant.Last hiked: Never.See More

Description: 6.7 mile moderately strenuous CCW loop.Trail Head: Juniper Campground parking lot.South Gate Rd entrance fee: $10.00.Elevation Climbs: Two. 2840 ft to 3850 ft. (summit) and 2032 ft. to 2840 ft. No dogs on this one.Dinner at a restaurant.Last hiked: Never.See More

Photo: Female #878, fledged in the Pinnacles, fall of 2017. Parents are #569 and #589, photographed doing it in Jan 2017. Description: Moderate 6.1-mile loop through Bear Gulch Cave and up High Peaks Trail, completing on Condor Gulch Trail.Trail Head:  Bear Gulch Day Use Parking Lot.Parking: Bear Gulch Day Use Parking lot and overflow parking behind the Visitor Center with shuttle service to the trail head.Land Status: National Park.Fee: $30.00/car entrance fee paid at the visitor's center, or…See More