Start at the Bridalveil Campground, just off the Glacier Point road. Head up to Lost Bear Meadow and on to the ski hut at Ostrander Lake. This is easy gentle climbing on a well marked trail all the way. Do it in summer when there skiing crowd aren't around. From the ski hut, look out across Ostrander Lake to see Horse Ridge on the other side. You are off the trail now, so plan your route in advance. You will see a break (fault) in Horse Ridge almost directly opposite across the lake. Head around the lake on the right hand side (west side), and make your way up to the fault. It's an easy scramble up through the fault to come out on top of Horse Ridge. It's well worth exploring a little here, it's easy walking along the edge of the Ridge, both east and west. You'll probably find snow here at the end of June, but not much. Keep west along Horse Ridge to the obvious end, past another, very small lake. At the end you will see the larger Hart Lake down below you to the left (north.) Bear left (north) off Horse Ridge and down on to an easy ridge heading north just to the right of Hart Lake. Drop down somewhere about north east till you get down to Buena Vista Creek. Cross the creek and up the other side a few yards to find the Buena Vista trail, an extension of the Illouette trail. Two alternatives now: left towards Glacier Point, then left again over to Mono Meadows and then back down the Glacier Point Road for about 2 miles to Bridalveil Campground turn-off. This is likely to be pretty wet around Mono Meadow. If you go right on the Buena Vista trail, you can fork right again in front of Buena Vista peak ((9709 ft.) and follow the trail past Chilnualna Lakes, right through Turner Meadow (wet feet!), and right again back to Lost Bear Meadow and so back to the Bridalveil campground. If you don't like wet feet, either take the Buena Vista/Illouette trail all the way back to Glacier Point and get someone to pick you up there, or alternatively (and really the best finish to the walk if you can get picked up in Wawona), fork left for Buena Vista Lake (instead of right for Chilnualna Lakes) and over the saddle between Buena Vista Peak (9709) and Mt. Bruce (9128 ft.), returning by Johnson Lake, Crescent Lake and Grouse Lake to drop down by Chilnualna fall to Wawona. You could well get your feet wet crossing Chilnualna Creek at the top of the Fall - one spring I even got my shorts wet on this crosing, and met snow up to my waist out by Johnson Lake. About 25 miles or more, depending on return route. Horse Ridge is well worth getting wet feet.

You could start at Wawona and take the Turner Ridge trail to pick up Alder Creek all the way past Westfall meadows to the Bridalveil Campground, then start at the top of this page. This would add on another 13-14 miles, bringing you close to the magic 40.