Yosemite National Park is a place of Granite Domes. Mel and I drive in early morning from Lee Vining, through Inyo National Forest, up Tioga Road, through Tioga Pass, and past immaculate Dana Meadows to the parking area for trails to Lembert Dome and Dog Lake. We park in the busy lot. Lembert Dome looms directly in front of us.
The trailhead to Lembert Dome is visible and nearby. The trail is interrupted with a section over rock and we miss the next trail sign which is tucked in behind trees. After wandering about aimlessly for a minute or two, common sense kicks in and we are on our way over well-used, good path with very modest elevation.
The trail swings around the back side of Lembert Dome. Beneath the sheer cliff face there is a pristine pond a short way off-trail that is easy to miss.
A spur trail delivers us to the approach after we have hiked about 3/4 of the way around Lembert Dome.
There is no trail, not even a wear pattern on the surface of the dome. The surface appears smooth but is surprisingly gritty with good ‘stick’. Appropriate footwear is essential. We enjoy perfect weather. If there was a possibility of rain, I would not walk on this surface. It is rock with plentiful lichen growth on the surface. In the presence of wet and windy weather the surface slopes could become very slippery and would be at a risk level I would not personally assume. In a thunderstorm, lightning could be a serious and fatal issue. It will not be a factor this day and we climb straight up until the second ridge then keep left to find the line which will moderate ascent angle as much as possible. This takes us past the summit but provides a reasonable line to the top with a single switch back. The possibilities are plentiful. It is a matter of personal comfort combined with a level of risk which can be adjusted from safe to dangerous.
Dog Dome adjacent to and below the top of Lembert Dome.
Elevation gain from the parking area to the summit of Lembert Dome is 850 ft (259 m) on a round trip route of about 3.2 miles (5.1 KM). The glacial-polished granite dome is named after Jean (John) Baptiste Lembert who built a cabin nearby in Tuolumne Meadow and raised goats here in the late 1800′s. The 9,450 ft (2,880 m) summit offers premiere views of Tuolumne Meadows and surrounding peaks including Unicorn Peak, Cathedral Peak, Mount Conness, Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs. The top is characteristically breezy. Tie down the hat and glasses.
The final switchback approach to the summit of Lembert Dome.
Sweeping 360 degree view of Tuolumne Meadows and surrounding mountains from the summit of Lembert Dome.
Dog Dome below from the summit of Lembert Dome.
Without a route to follow the down hike is interesting but we find something similar to our ascent with a couple of adjustments. Directly below us are a couple of small granite domes on the other side of Tioga Road. Downside footing is less comfortable than climbing. Normal.
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Barry. I have just come back to Oxford from the Cromwell Road in London. The hike with its dangers seems bliss to me. Thank you so much for sharing your hikes. It is lovely to be able to return from congestion worse confounded and think of you and your colleagues making words for the views you see… Central London. I suppose it could be hiking territory. I went to see the Degas at the Royal Academy of Art and strangely enough, Degas would have happily walked with you…..why….something to do with the movement. He chose ballerinas but then what would he have chosen had he seen the movement of rock?
I am not familiar with London but it sounds like risky business to me. The urban environment presents more risk to me than the wilderness. I agree Degas would have enjoyed our mountains. Thank you for your comment, Sandra.
Barry I was delighted to have Leslie and Keith spend a morning with us a week ago, before they travelled to the Gold Coast. I have been an avid reader of her blog since 2009. Such an amazing person with so much energy and zest for life, and like you, sharing her adventures to make you feel a part of them. Her GOW race report is up this morning – another great read!
I will certainly check out the race report. We are fortunate to have her Canadian participation and I am sure she is a wonderful ambassador. I occasionally encounter Australians in Canada. It seems we have a mutual passion for travel and it is apparent we blend well together. Fellow adventurers.
Wonderful post Barry. It has been years since we were up there. You have me daydreaming about a return to Yosemite.
Great to know we both have wandered on such terrain and we each share similiar musings about those experiences…
D
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Perhaps our best experiences at Yosemite were near the east entrance as we were staging from Lee Vining. The hikes near Tioga Pass were significantly less crowded than the Valley in spite of our travel time in early September. The High Sierra Nevada hosts some of the most beautiful terrain I have ever seen and the short drive from Lee Vining to Tioga Pass is the most impressive approach to a National Park I have ever experienced. As we progress through other locations and features of Yosemite National Park, I hope the photographs bring back some good memories for you, Good to hear from you, D.
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