Written by someone who hiked the trail in 2002, and submitted his story to
climber.org:

I set out one morning in the end of June, 2002, hoping to climb either 
Mt. Conness, White Mtn., or both. Since my plans were to return to 
Tuolumne Meadows via Delaney Creek, I decided to make a loop trip out of 
it and left the Meadows on the western Young Lakes trail. This trail 
leaves the Glen Aulin trail just west of Soda Springs, ascending north 
into the woods over a series of ridges. Though much of the trail is in 
trees and generally viewless, there are clear patches from which 
fantastic vistas south to the Meadows and the Cathedral Range can be 
enjoyed. The general topography of this trail, rising as it does over 
gradual ridges, sticks to a consistent pattern of flat, up gradually, 
flat, up gradually, flat, etc. Personally, I think this is a nice way to 
hike, since the terrain eases up enough to allow for a catching of the 
breath before starting uphill again.

After several miles of hiking like this, the trail wound through some 
sparse forest and started bearing right just beneath a prominent ridge 
line. I walked the 100 yards or so to the ridge, and was awarded with a 
gob smacking view. This is the first point on the trail where one can 
see any scenes to the north, and this particular ridge was 
well-positioned to dish out a wonderful panorama. To the northwest, the 
canyons and domes of north Yosemite stretched out undulating to the 
horizon, where they were capped by Matterhorn, the Sawtooth, and a 
heaping of other peaks. Looking to the northeast, I could see the 
tremendous south face of Mt. Conness rising sharply above everything 
else around. It looked like it was just beyond the closest trees, but, 
as distances and sizes are so deceptive, I knew that it would still be a 
few miles to Young Lakes and the base of whatever mountain I decided to 
climb; drinking a last sip of water, I started back to the trail.

As I thought, it was a few more miles to Young Lakes. The elevation, 
though, was thinning the trees out, and it became more and more possible 
to get glimpses of the surrounding peaks from the trail. Ragged Peak 
climbs straight (seemingly) out of the trail to its eponymous summit 
several thousand feet higher, and Conness seemed always to be lurking 
around the corner, giving glimpses of its glistening white form from 
between whitebark pines or above a nearby ridge line. At the junction 
where this western approach to Young Lakes meets the eastern approach 
(which comes from Lembert Dome and the Dog Lake trail), I met up with a 
few backpackers and chatted for a few minutes. They were the last people 
I would see for 10 more miles of blissful cross-country traveling.

Shortly after the trail junction, the path drops down into the serene 
Young Lakes basin. The lakes are almost completely surrounded by peaks 
(Ragged, White, Conness) and the ridges that connect them. The terrain 
gives away to the northwest, where one can see the incredibly elongated 
Roosevelt Lake resting like a bathtub in its own basin, similarly 
surrounded by peaks.

...

On level ground again, I hit Delaney Creek and followed it into the 
woods and then out into the amazing Delaney Meadow. This is probably my 
favorite meadow I've ever seen, and since it is a few miles from the 
nearest trail it is virtually pristine. The snow-swollen creek rumbled 
through it, picking up speed, while I took my time wandering through the 
thousands of knee-high boulders, enjoying the unobstructed views of 
Cathedral and Unicorn. The meadow gradually fades into a lodgepole 
forest for mile or two, then emerges into another meadow (not as large 
or nice as the first), at the far end of which is the Dog Lake trail. It 
was here that I saw the first hikers I'd seen since way back at the 
Young Lakes trail junction, and I greeted them as I hopped over the 
creek at its crossing and walked the mile or so back to my cabin. A 
great day of cross-country hiking!!!!