We hiked to another dome in the park. Dome a dozen. Not quite. We got lost trying to find the trailhead and actually drove all the way to the other side of the park before being turned around in the right direction. Once at the trailhead, we found out one of us had forgotten to bring his shoes to the hike. It was just an excuse to get my feet some fresh air.

Lembert Dome Trail

Some of us used the scented and non-scented bathrooms before stepping foot on the trail.

Lembert Dome Trail

The trail actually leads to other trails such as Dog Lake, we were just interested in the dome today.

Lembert Dome Trail

Jasmin going up the gradual incline of a trail.

Lembert Dome Trail

Taking a short break on the trail.

Lembert Dome Trail

Back to hiking.

Lembert Dome Trail

A golden mantled ground squirrel eating his nut like an old-fashioned typewriter.

Lembert Dome Trail

We followed the path as it skirted around the dome.

Lembert Dome Trail

The trail soon ended at the back side of the granite dome.

Lembert Dome

Jasmin scrambling up to the false summit.

Lembert Dome

Making our way out of the tree line.

Lembert Dome

Jasmin crossing the granite slab that separated us from the dome.

Lembert Dome

Bad approach in slippers up the dome that was named after Jean Baptiste Lembert, who took up a homestead in Tuolumne Meadows in 1865. It was formerly known as Soda Springs Dome by the Wheeler Survey and Glacier Rock by John Muir.

Lembert Dome

Somebody decided to stay put below the dome, as the views were plenty enough.

Lembert Dome

Going up the more gradual approach to the top.

Lembert Dome

Finding the most “climbable” route up.

Lembert Dome

Quan sitting on top of the summit block, with Mount Dana and Gibbs off to the far right.

Lembert Dome

We were sitting pretty at an altitude of 9,500′, which is higher than Half Dome, but with less effort expended to gain the summit. The top is noted for being windy and snatching the hats off unsuspecting heads. No snatching happened today.

Lembert Dome

Jasmin standing against the backdrop of Tuolumne Meadows.

Lembert Dome

Scrambling back down with views of Mammoth Peak and Lyell Canyon in the distance.

Lembert Dome

The girls coming down the slippery slope.

Lembert Dome

Looking back at the roche moutonée (a rock formation with a sheer front and sloping back) that we had just climbed. It was a short, sweet and easy climb.

Lembert Dome Trail

Following the signed trail back.

Lembert Dome Trail

Mari crossing the open meadow and going into the tree line.

All pau

Driving out of the park, I think we spotted Sasquatch. Does anybody have two quarters so we can call somebody that cares? Does this payphone even work?

Post hike meal at China Delight. Friendly customer service balanced out the bland and watered down food.

Photos taken by Jasmin Nepomuceno, Mari Saito, Quan Haberstroh and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.