Day 5

At Glen Aulin 

We cut cross country over Virginia pass into the spectacular Spiller creek basin. The whole valley was smooth and symmetrical with steep sides, the kind only very huge glaciers can make. It was open and swimming with wildflowers. We spent a lazy afternoon reading and sleeping in the meadow where we camped.
The next day we followed the creek south down its valley into the Yosemite highlands. McCabe lake, where we spent the night was just two miles off the PCT, but entirely deserted. Perhaps the hill up is too much. Dinner and sleep, hough not enough of either.
Day five. We had a long hike south to make it to Tuolumne Meadows the next morning for a resupply. The country was woody and gently rolling for most of the 13 miles. The huge granite domes of Yosemite valley rose above the trees in the distance. At Glen Aulin, we stopped for a swim before following along the tulmultuous Tuolumne river as it shot down towards Hetch Hetchy.