Camping at Cathedral Lakes -> Climbing Southeast Buttress Beta

Hey everyone,

Since Tuolumne campgrounds are closed for this year, I decided to base our tuolumne climbing adventures around Cathedral Lakes as our basecamp. I read some threads about how the approach and descent between cathedral peak and the lakes is possible and "cruiser" but no specific information or a gps track, since it is basically cross country scrambling. I want to be as prepared as possible for any challenges we may face on the approach.

Can anyone share some very specific beta for safely getting to the southeast buttress and back from cathedral lakes? I intend to go from 07/26 - 07/28, when hopefully Tioga pass will have opened. 

Thank you in advance for any help.

It is as chill and straightforward travel as you could get, wrapping around the south side. Dropping back to Cathedral Lakes from Eichorn's is a bit more involved, probably easier just to head back to the base and return that way to camp. 

How many hours should I allocate for the approach to and from the base? And I'm assuming that camping at the Upper lake instead of Lower lake is the way to go, right?

No disrespect but get a map and some experience navigating in the backcountry. But rule of thumb is 2-3mph not bushwhacking and 30m to 1 hr extra per 1000 feet gain

Daniel S wrote:

I intend to go from 07/26 - 07/28, when hopefully Tioga pass will have opened. 

It certainly will be interesting to see what the situation will be for climbers in the Meadows this year.  The road may be open for pass thru traffic, but who know what the condition of the pullouts and parking will be, if overnight parking on the roadside will be allowed at the end of July?  Add to that the uncertainty of the snowpack  - I'm hearing reports about various cliffs in the Mammoth Basin that I typically go to, still being inaccessible.  I can't remember where I saw this photo, but I think it was a recent photo of Saddlebag Lake at 10K still being buried in snow.

Given all those uncertainties, it might make more sense to just camp on the east side of Tioga Pass and drive in and do your climbing 1 day at a time - whereever the conditions permit.  I can't even begin to imagine how bad the mosquitoes will be around those high lakes this month.