Soda Springs – Yosemite National Park – Hiking California

After completing hikes to the summit of Lembert Dome and the shores of the pristine, subalpine Dog Lake, there is one more short, interesting hike we can do without moving the car from the very busy parking lot at the east end of Tuolumne Meadows.  A short, straight, northwest, gravel, stretch of road is plugged with parked cars along one side.  At the end of the short road is an equally jammed parking area and a gate with a trailhead sign for our hike to Soda Springs, the Parsons Memorial Lodge and the McCauley Cabin.

The Soda Springs trail is a round trip of 1.5 miles (2.4 KM) and elevation of about 70 ft (21.3 m).  This is a pleasant walk into Tuolumne Meadows with a wooden bridge crossing of the Tuolumne River.  This hiking trail is also the beginning of the substantially more aggressive, world-renowned and spectacular Glen Aulin Trail along the transcendental Tuolumne River past rapids, cascading waterfalls and crystal pools to terminate at Waterwheel Falls 12.0 miles (19.2 KM one-way) later.  Most of the cars en route are lined up on this beautiful Friday to backpack the Glen Aulin trail over the weekend.  Backpacking permits are required.

The Glen Aulin trail is outside our scope of operation for this mission but Soda Springs is near the beginning and it becomes visible soon in a very colourful surrounding of mineral saturated ground.

Unicorn Peak is prominently visible in the background.  Naturally carbonated water bubbles from several springs clustered in brilliant, rusty-red soil enhanced with white salt borders.

The primary cluster of springs is sheltered within the reconstruction of an old log cabin which was originally built here by Jean (John) Baptiste Lembert in 1889 as a winter dwelling.

A short distance further is the stone and timber Parsons Memorial Lodge built in 1915 by the Sierra Club.  Its namesake is Edward Taylor Parsons (1861 – 1914), an early Sierra Club high mountain adventure guide who campaigned with John Muir to save Hetch Hetchy.  More to come later.  Parsons Lodge was constructed in his memory.

Just to the south of the Parsons Memorial Lodge is the McCauley Cabin, a pioneer cabin constructed in 1897.  Following Jean Baptiste Lembert’s death, the McCauley brothers purchased his land in 1897 to use for pasture.  Subsequently the land was acquired in 1912 by the Sierra Club.  It has been necessity upgraded and is currently used as a Ranger cabin and meeting room.

From the location of the Parsons Memorial Lodge and McCauley Cabin we have an excellent view of the Tuolumne Meadows and the Tuolumne River running through it.  Our original intent was to return on the trail and road we had used for access, but after visiting the beautiful stone bridge over the Tuolumne River, Mel and I decide to hike back along the north shore of the river.  It is a good decision.  The beauty of this river is magical.

Lembert Dome, which we climbed at the beginning of this day is frequently visible as we hike above the shoreline of the twisting Tuolumne River on the return to the parking area.

Prior to leaving the Tuolumne Meadows area to return to Lee Vining for our final night of accommodation, we drive the short distance west on Tioga Road (Hwy 120) to the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center.  It is the nerve center of east Yosemite National Park.  Nearby is a Gas Station and Store, a huge campground, the Wilderness Centre, a Post Office and Tuolumne Lodge.  The Visitor Center is a historic building constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp. (CCC).

We return to Lee Vining, California.