Yosemite Wilderness, California, USA Spring came late this year to the High Country in Yosemite. After a record winter, the snow was finally cleared from Tioga Road, which opened July 1st. The ground is soaked after all that snow melts, so there are lots of convenient ponds to reflect on. Below the map is another story, map, and pictures from nearby Lyell Canyon. Rarely does a backpacking trip go exactly as planned.
Mapped landmarks can look similar, and trails are sometimes rerouted.
You may suspect your map is wrong, or you could be mistaken. The idea was to hike South, crossing the Lyell fork of the Tuolumne at a footbridge, then take the John Muir Trail West. Lacking a map for the Northern part of the hike, the Dana Fork of the river seemed like the Lyell Fork. There was a nice footbridge, but then the expected trail intersection was not on the other side. Farther South, just before the footbridge at the Lyell crossing, the trail crosses an area of solid rock, where there is no visible trail.