Devil’s Dance Floor

Devil’s Dance Floor 6836′
Sierra Nevada
Total Time: 3:45
Distance: 6.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 3050′
Crux: Class 2
Trailhead: Big Oak Flat TH- full services in Yosemite Valley

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On the far western end of Yosemite Valley where the north rim starts to fade into the rolling foothills is one final granite dome named Devil’s Dance Floor. The summit is easily climbed out of Tamarack Campground to the north, and this is the most commonly used route. However, Tamarack Campground is only accessible when Tioga Pass was open, and I was very aware of the fact that if Tioga was open, I would probably be spending my day in the high country rather than chasing this dome off the north rim. So instead I looked at the option of climbing it from the south via the Big Oak Flat trail. It would involve a bit of cross country including a section through an old burn scar, but it still looed like it would be a fairly easy outing. It was also a good option for the day after a rain storm, giving the rock in the Valley a chance to dry for some afternoon climbing. There was no one at the trailhead when I pulled in mid morning, not surprising as one of the less popular valley trails. The trail immediately entered a burn scar and the terrain was thick with buckthorn and manzanita.

Although it would be possible to take a direct line to the summit from the southwest, it would have been miserable and thorny bushwacking, so I continued up the trail, hoping to ascend a non burned line from the southeast. Devils Dance Floor looked surprisingly close early on, and it was tempting to head off trail in some of the more lush canyons, the running water saving many of the plants from burning. As I continued east, it was difficult to pick out anything resembling a well defined ridge like I was hoping for, the terrain more gentle forested slopes leading up towards the dome. So when I started to feel like I was going to far, I left the trail and angled northwest towards the granite dome poking through the trees. Initially, my line of ascent worked out fine, a few downed trees here and there but nothing overly difficult. That was until I hit a stand of young pines, all having sprouted from the same fire and maybe about 10-15′ tall. The young trees were packed closely together, many just a few inches apart. They were flexible enough to push through, but I quickly found myself soaked from the morning dew and the previous day’s rain. I was about 1/3 of the way up when I cleared the young pines and entered a more open old growth forest.

Although the grade steepened, I was able to move faster with minimal brush to contend with. It took me a bit under 2 hours to get to the eastern base of the granite dome with the high point easy to pick out through the trees to the west. Hopping on slabs now dried by the morning sun, it was quick cross country up to the summit. It was easy to see how the peak got it’s name, the summit quite flat and the size of several football fields. It would definitely make for an incredible backcountry campsite, with the snowy Clark Range to the southeast, Yosemite Valley and Cascade Creek to the east, fog blanketing the Central Valley to the West, and snowy peaks along Sonora Pass in the distance to the north.

I had an early lunch sunning myself on the open slabs before planning my descent. From the summit, it was clear that the southwest ridge was indeed bure buckthorn and manzanita and would be hell. It looked like I could stick to more old growth forest if I started back to way I came, but kept a bit further west halfway down.

So I decided to give it a go, starting down the same ridgeline but trending to the right as I descended. It was by no means perfect and I still had to push through a few small pockets of brush, but it was far better than my ascent line.

I popped back out on the trail and turned right, heading back to the car and getting back to the trailhead in under four hours, hiking at a very casual pace. The rock seemed to be drying out, so I headed into the Valley for some climbing around Royal Arches before heading back home for the evening.