The Sierra Nevada claimed me, aching knees and pumping heart, as one of it’s own. Here, like nowhere else, I’m home. — Chris Robertson
Last week I headed into Yosemite for my annual season-opening shakedown trip to Chilnualna Falls, and it turned out to be exactly the kind of trip I needed before the heart of the 2026 backpacking season begins.
The drive from the bay area to the sierra’s is always peaceful. I love driving through the San Joaquin Valley’s little towns. It feels like America!
The trail to Chilnualna Falls starts near Wawona and climbs steadily through pine forest alongside Chilnualna Creek. This was my third shakedown trip on this trail, and it remains one of my favorite early-season destinations because it offers a little bit of everything: waterfalls, granite, forest, solitude, and enough elevation gain to remind you whether your winter training was adequate. On my first day of climbing, I saw no one. No one. Where else in Yosemite can you say that?
Lower Chilnualna Falls is only 1/2 mile from the parking lot
The primary goal of this trip wasn’t simply to enjoy Yosemite—it was to test gear before longer trips later this summer. A shakedown trip is where small problems reveal themselves before they become big problems deep in the backcountry. Fortunately, my gear performed exactly as expected. My pack carried comfortably and my sleep system kept me warm despite temperatures that dipped lower than anticipated.
What I wasn’t expecting was snow.
The week prior, temperatures had been above normal, so I was surprised to find temperatures at the trailhead in the 40s when I started hiking. Furthermore, the cloud cover was low. So low in fact, that I could not see anyting besides the trail in front of me. Thankfully I have seen this view a few times before, but today was different.
By the time I finished lunch, I was downright cold. I had passed a familiar camping area a few miles earlier, so I decided to backtrack and head off-trail toward it.
Rain started, followed by hail. I found a large rock with a campfire ring nearby and some dry wood. I took off my pack and built a small campfire. The warmth felt amazing, and I sat by the fire until I exhausted the supply of dry wood. Afterward, I safely extinguished the fire with water and continued wandering off-trail until I found myself in familiar territory. Before long, I located a fantastic flat campsite with a fire ring and plenty of room to spread out.
After setting up camp, a late-season storm began moving through. First came rain, then hail, then sleet. Then came about 30 minutes of nonstop hail. I hunkered down beneath a tree and waited it out.
Around 6 p.m., the storm finally cleared. Although everything was wet, patches of blue sky appeared overhead. I took advantage of the break in the weather and cooked dinner. That night’s meal was a Stowaway Gourmet Thai Shrimp Green Curry. It was fantastic and easily one of the best dehydrated meals I’ve ever had in the backcountry.
It was still incredibly cold, so I cleaned up camp as best I could and climbed into my tent to listen to a book. I soon fell asleep while listening to The Last Season. Despite the weather outside, I slept warm and comfortably through the night.
The next morning, I woke up and FaceTimed my girlfriend to tell her about the previous night’s conditions. While talking to her, I noticed the top of my tent was wet and the sides were frozen. It must have continued precipitating overnight.
Then I unzipped the tent.
To my surprise, there was a good five inches of fresh snow on the ground.
The entire forest had transformed into a quiet winter wonderland.
I packed up quickly, though all of my gear was soaked, and made my way off-trail until I reached the trail intersection. As I descended, I gradually worked my way below the snowline and eventually stopped at the top of Chilnualna Falls. There, I pulled out my stove, brewed a cup of coffee, and enjoyed the view.
I had the falls completely to myself.
Upper Chilnualna Falls from Trail
