TR - Alder Creek to Chilnualna falls 9/4-9/7

[giulia]

This was a last minute plan B after the permits for Inyo were cancelled on Sept. 1st due to the closure of all CA National Forests until mid Sept. Pretty much we took the only permits still available in one of the few places still open: Alder Creek near Wawona in Yosemite. Having read about the falls, we decided for a P2P with the easy shuttle of 6 miles between trailheads.
The full route is HERE
We already knew that the water in the creeks was scarse, but counted on the website assurance that the Chilnualna creek is running all year around and hoped to find some where we planned the first campsite (see caltopo maps link above) The ranger at the permit station, however, was noncommittal about the water in that part of the creek.
We started at the trailhead around 1pm and reached the first campsite a bit after 5pm - no water whatsoever in the creek bed, so we started considering proceeding to Grouse lake or the Chilnualna lakes. Luckily, one of us wandering around found, just west of where we crossed, some pools of water! Non necessarily the most crystal clear, but filtering does wonders - so we found a good flat area near by and set up camp.

pool.jpg

The next day we proceeded to Buena Vista Lake: a truly beautiful body of water facing Buena Vista Peak - a simple, fan walk up and scramble from Buena Vista Pass which we did the morning of the third day before proceeded toward Crescent Lake.

buenavista.jpg

Since getting from the first campsite to Buena Vista Lake was only a few miles, we spent the afternoon exploring the area just north and trying to reach Hart lakes following the trail running East of Horse Ridge and then going x-country toward the lakes. The later starting time for the exploration made us return before reaching the lakes but we did gain some familiarity with the area for next time there.
The third day, after summiting Buena Vista Peak, we headed to Royal Arch Lake where we had lunch then proceeding to Crescent Lake. After the granite views of Buena Vista, Crescent Lake with its meadowlike look wasn't what we had envisioned for the night - the area most distant from the access trail was appealing but we already had a long exit day and didn't want to add another mile by camping at the most southern part of the lake. After tying out Grouse Lake - meadowlike as well + x-country bushwacking - we decided to return to camp 1 and enjoy a short final day.
It was definitely nice to have less than 9 miles on our forth day because we could spend quite a bit of time by the Chilnualna falls. The water level was incredibly low and we walked around what is the main bed of the falls.

falls.jpg

Back to the trailhead by noon after splashing in the water at the pools and small waterfall that's at the very end of the foot trail ending at the parking lot. It was a plan B, but worked out beautifully!
Some mosquitoes only the third night when the temperature was raising in the 80's. Water pretty much only in the lakes and in the main creek close to the falls - everything else is bone dry.

sunset.jpg

[c9h13no3]

Nice report from a part of the Sierra that we have few reports on . I've always thought this would make a nice spring trip with the waterfalls. Some of those creek crossings look like they'd be non-trivial at peak flow though.

[Harlen]

Nice work thinking your way into an open area. Cool views and photos of the distant dome country. Cheers, Harlen.