Wednesday's Word - Tuolumne

From Native American origin, the word Tuolumne has a few meanings attributed to it, most likely having to do with stone houses. Whether specifically referring to manmade structures or caves found in the area is unknown. It's believed the word was from the Yokutsan language spoken by the Yokut people who populated the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Sacramento to Bakersfield. The group comprised a number of separate tribes who all spoke the same language.

Tuolumne Meadows is a popular way to access the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite National Park. It lies along both the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and there are numerous accessible peak summits in the area. It serves as the gateway to many of Yosemite's high country classic climbing routes and peaks. The Tuolumne River starts from Tuolumne Meadows and flows into the Hetchy Hetch Reservoir, providing much of the fresh water for San Francisco and California's Central Valley.