Climbing Yosemite's Central Mountain

Yosemite's 10,850' Mount Hoffman is claimed to be the park's premier viewpoint as it lies right in the middle of the park and is surrounded on the north, east and south by the park's highest peaks. Many notable features are laid out before you such as Cloud's Rest, Half dome, Mount Clark, Cathedral Peak, Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Meadows, Mount Dana, Mount Conness, the Matterhorn and Tower Peak. A few years ago I climbed just shy of the summit with my niece Lauryn and friend Arnie. Staying the night before at May Lake I finally summited the mountain on a solo climb in early August 2014. It's a 1500' walk-up ascent on a "ducked" or cairn-posted unmaintained trail to the base of the summit block. Then its a few hundred feet of scrambling on sloping slabs to the top which has a park radio repeater antenna crowning its summit. Two forest fires were visible from the summit, including the 'Dark Hole" Fire, which I include two photos of. Enjoy this photographic climb and return to May Lake. By the way, May was the wife of the 19th Century geologist Charles Hoffman for whom the peak is named. P.S.: If you left click on the first image you get a filmstrip you can click to view the next or any slide you want.