white wolf > Ten Lakes > Tuolumne Peak ?

Does anyone have any experience hiking from White wolf, east past Ten Lakes, Tuolumne Peak, and on to trail jct near Polly Dome Lakes, from which one can exit via May Lake, Tenaya Lake, or Glen Aulin > TM ?

I'm wondering if there are any viable alternatives once in Pate Valley to the nearly waterless Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and was considering this. This path though is ~ 32.5 miles vs 19.5 to exit via GCT, which adds another day. It may be that GCT is the only viable option.

Quote
Frank
....the nearly waterless Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne ....

There is still a river flowing through the GCT so getting water will not be an issue at all this year or really any year unless there is a very severe drought.

Water sources on the WW-> Tuolumne Pk -> Polly Dome will be more limited. They are Middle Fork of the Tuolumne, Yosemite Creek (and tributaries), Ten Lakes, South Fork of Cathedral Creek, Tuolumne Pk tarns, & then depending on where you go Cathedral Creek and the Lakes would be your water sources. As for availably of water, that depends when you are going. Now you will still be fine, but in a few weeks the smaller stuff will start to dry up. In september you may have to rely more on the lakes and reports from hikers. Yosemite Creek dries up every year, but usually there are pools of water still available to filter for a while afterwards. I wouldn't think S. Fork completely dries up nor would the Middle Fork. But that is a while out so harder to predict.

Hiked it a number of times. Nice area, Ten Lakes and Tuolumne Peak are the highlights. It is a bit of up and down, see the South Fork section, but worth it. Grand Canyon is great too, even without the waterfalls booming. Lots of awesome swimming holes.

I didn't read Frank's question as a concern about _getting_ water, but as a concern that hiking the GCT may not be optimal this year for someone flying to the area from out of state, and wondering if he might adjust his trip.

I haven't done what you're asking about, but like many people I've been to Ten Lakes, and that area's nice. Here's some pics I took in 9/2009.

ttilley is correct. I'm happy doing the GCT, and it is likely that is what I"ll have to do since I'm not sure I"ll have the time to get back to TM any other way. But, having never done the hike, I just have no idea whether being in the canyon for 2 days will still be interesting, scenic, and a great note on which to end the hike without significant water flow and the interest that provides. I'm sure, as TomDisco noted in another thread, that it is subjective. Periodic rewards for hard work when hiking is helpful. I''m curious as to whether such rewards exist when the Tuolumne is running extremely low in the GCT. I have a feeling I"ll be able to answer this question definitively very soon. Departing in a couple days.