With Yosemite open for day-use access, climbers have been among the first visitors to return to the park. It is reassuring to see vehicles parked at familiar pullouts and see the smiles of climbers as they set off or return from their adventures. We want climbers to be able to enjoy this place they love so much. Thank you for having patience throughout this process of reopening, feel free to reach out to us at yose_climbing@nps.gov. 
Our team is gearing up for a busy season, and although we won’t have our traditional venues for outreach, we are looking forward to seeing you out climbing. We will be writing regular trip reports documenting current conditions and highlighting less traveled routes to help spread use and enable us to maintain social distancing while out climbing.
With the temperatures beginning to climb, Tuolumne Meadows provides an escape to sub-alpine bliss. On 6/18 climbing rangers made their first foray into Tuolumne to patrol Lembert Dome. With the season beginning late, it is strange that the first taste of Tuolumne is one of a fully-formed spring. The meadows are juicy, with vegetation bursting forth, and mosquito season hasn’t quite arrived. Restoration projects in the meadow are showing signs of success. Water is pooling in old meander bends and once worn paths through the meadow have repaired themselves. Rising from the eastern edge of the meadow, Lembert Dome provides timeless views across the pristine meadows and gleaming domes. Brandon Adams and Eric Lynch wove their way up the NW Face of Lembert via the route Crying Time Again. The crisp breeze left them wanting one more layer, but meant the sunshine on the summit was that much more welcome.
Brandon linked the first 4 guide book pitches into one mega pitch, mainly due to the inKNOBvious nature of the climbing. The recommended pitch breakdown is to link from the 3rd class ramp past the small corner/flake on the 3rd pitch in the book. The bolted belay is far to the right and hard to see. The next pitch climbs the small arete/corner feature directly above the ledge and can be linked into the 
steep, well-bolted face above. The final two pitches continue straight up the well-bolted golden headwall, using horizontals and knobs, Tuolumne at its finest. Kudos to Dan McDevitt for yet another fantastic rock climb.
The following day Gena Wood and Eric Lynch meandered their way to Cathedral Peak. The approach, passing over slabs through a healthy lodgepole forest, is enhanced by the well-established access trail. Implemented in conjunction with volunteer groups this ongoing trail project has helped channel use into a single pathway allowing the surrounding vegetation to heal. The usually crowded SE Buttress of Cathedral Peak had only 2 parties on it. We were able to socially distance by climbing one of the numerous variations. Eric lead up a nice left facing corner just right of the standard start and was able to stretch it all the way to just below the chimney. A party was leaving the belay as Eric arrived allowing him to belay without sharing the ledge. Gena lead up to the final headwall, 
leaving the 5.9 splitter and summit glory for Eric! Never having climbed that variation, he swam past glorious hand jams and finger locks all the way to the summit. After the essential summit snack we continued over to the Nordwand of the Eichorn Pinnacle. Gena lead us past 3 bomber pitons through the low, exposed 5.4 crux, before continuing up the path of least resistance to another memorable Cathedral Range summit. The setting of Cathedral Peak, between the Lyell range to the south and the expanse of rolling domes and meadows to the north, provides the ultimate motivation for any foray into the mountains. Perfect rock and spectacular views, Cathedral Peak does it again! The walk off follows another leg of the trail project, concentrating what once was a spiderweb of paths into a single obvious trail. Thanks to everyone for cooperating and helping us mitigate our impact!
One final PSA, make sure to hang your backpack at the base, or better yet don’t leave anything at the base! Even though we removed all tasty treats, marmots still chowed down on the straps of our pack. They are seeking salt, a rarity in the natural ecosystem, from our sweat. Please don’t leave any food, sunscreen, or other scented items behind, and take care to not damage vegetation when hanging your back pack.