Gate opens at Yosemite’s vital Tioga Pass

They lie: Tioga Road is open right now

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Bee
Yippeee!!!!!

Correction: YipBeee!!!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 07:32PM by szalkowski.

Has anyone been there or heard what conditions are like there? How soon can the trails (Cathedral Lakes, Glen Aulin) be hiked. How about the Meadows itself..still snow covered?

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sierranomad
Has anyone been there or heard what conditions are like there? How soon can the trails (Cathedral Lakes, Glen Aulin) be hiked.

That depends on how much you like hiking on snow.

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How about the Meadows itself..still snow covered?

Looking at the snow sensor report I'd say there's very little.

I too am interested in hiking to Glen Aulin. I am new to this area and would like to learn. I hope to go during June. How best is this accomplished. Where to camp, etc? Where can I get more info about current conditions on that trail? Thanks Ken

Traildad:

Your first opportunity to camp will be at Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, and you will need a wilderness permit. The quota is almost for sure booked by now, but you stand a decent chance of getting a "walk-in" permit if you get to the Wilderness Center about 30 minutes before they open (even better chance if you go the day before you want to do the hike/camp). You should get a good topo map. I recommend Trails Illustrated. It serves as much more than a map - it also has contact information for reserving a wilderness permit, areas that are restricted from backcountry camping, bear food control information and much more.

I don't think that snow will be a problem in June. I hiked Taft Point/Sentinal Dome last weekend and the snow was very minimal, just large patches with an occasional large puddle (I was amazed at how many people these puddles stopped, though). Anyway, Taft Point is at about 8100' , Glen Aulin at about 9000'. When the snow starts to go, it goes quickly. The week before I visited Sentinal Dome some friends and I were in Yosemite, and they went to Sentinal Dome and told me that the Dome was completely covered in snow - they had to use their crampons to get to the top. But just a week later there was only one or two patches on it.

BTW, I'm going to be hiking Glen Aulin in June also, the 12th. But will be doing it as a day hike. Have you planned which day you will be there?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2009 06:17AM by sierranomad.

I have not yet decided on a day for sure. Is there camping in the back country only in designated spots? Also I was wondering about camping nearby the day before the hike. Thanks Ken

There are restrictions around heavily visited areas (i.e. Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, the High Sierra Camps). Other than that you can camp where you like as long as you're 100' from water & trail. If you want to camp before your hike you can try for a spot in Tuolumne Meadows campground or one of the smaller campgrounds on Tioga Road.

Delaney Creek may give some people pause early in the year.

If you get a "Glen Aulin" permit you have to camp at the 'campground' in Glen Aulin by the HSC.
If you get the passthru then you are free to camp anywhere.

For gods sake do not build new fire rings. Last weekend there were FIVE in a 1/4 mile radius
that were not there 3 years ago...

Four of those were within sight of each other.

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Old Dude

So if there are restrictions around Tuolumne Meadows then how does that affect the hike to Glen Aulin? Sorry but I am really new to this. Is it possible to make that as an overnight hike without making reservations? Since the campground is closed until July I read, where is the nearest place to camp the night before the hike during June? Thanks

You need permit to camp anywhere in the park except in an official campground. The Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp and all the other HSCs have areas set aside for backpackers use. The actual HSC tent cabins and dining rooms are for people who have reserved those cabins well in advance and are paying like $100 a night each. You as a backpacker are not part of that system. You get to sleep in the stable so to speak.

If you get a wilderness permit to hike out of Tuolumne Meadows toward Glen Aulin you have two choices:
1. A permit that allows you to sleep over in the backpackers area of the Glen Aulin HSC
2. A permit that allows you to "hike through" Glen Aulin but does not allow you to sleep in the Glen Aulin HSC backpackers area. You must move on to some other location to spend the night. Like up Cold Canyon or further down the Tuolumne River or up past McGee Lake. If you have a hike through permit I think there is a minimum distance you must be away from Glen Aulin before you can camp.

There are some campgrounds just outside the east side of the park on 120. It may even be that you can camp at the backpackers campground at Tuolumne Meadows.
eeek may know

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
It may even be that you can camp at the backpackers campground at Tuolumne Meadows.

You can't stay in the backpackers campground until the general campground is open.

Thanks to everyone for the info. It sounds like I have choices on where to camp if I don't have a reservation. Is that limited only by the terrain and not being inside the HSC area? Can anyone suggest a good place to get current info on conditions. I am not hard core and don't have what I would need to do waist high wading on a hike like this. I am hoping to know when the trail conditions are "reasonably" clear. Thanks again.Ken

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traildad
So if there are restrictions around Tuolumne Meadows then how does that affect the hike to Glen Aulin?

The restrictions are for camping. The hike isn't restricted.

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Is it possible to make that as an overnight hike without making reservations?

Yes, about 40% of the wilderness permit quota is first-come-first-served. The best way is to get the permit the day before your hike.

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Since the campground is closed until July I read, where is the nearest place to camp the night before the hike during June? Thanks

There are some campgrounds along Lee Vining Creek. (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=37.932351,-119.135528&spn=0.029245,0.052056&z=15) You should be able to find a spot there.

Thanks, eeek.

So closer trails, like Dogs Lake, Soda Springs, and maybe Lembert Dome, even Lyell Canyon might be relatively free of snow?

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sierranomad
So closer trails, like Dogs Lake, Soda Springs, and maybe Lembert Dome, even Lyell Canyon might be relatively free of snow?

I'd expect snow in the shade. But it shouldn't be hard to walk on.

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eeek

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sierranomad
So closer trails, like Dogs Lake, Soda Springs, and maybe Lembert Dome, even Lyell Canyon might be relatively free of snow?

I'd expect snow in the shade. But it shouldn't be hard to walk on.

If it's hard you should be able to walk on it.

But maybe ask Bee where the trail is...

(and... that, my friends, is what we in the business call the double zinger)

Yeah,

the best deal .. perhaps the easiest thing to manage is to simply get a wilderness permit, and go to any of the HSCs ... plenty of wonderful spots in and around the actual HSC.

I love Glen Aulin ... now that I read here that TR is open ... yikes, I'm packing!

I've been waiting months for this!

About permits, I've always managed to just drive to the wilderness center in the park, walk up .. and get one for the next morning ... as the posts here explain, getting an actual spot in the HSC itinerary is way hard to get without months and months of pre-planning ...

But one can just go b'packing there ...

Glen Aulin is a must do and a must see if you've not yet!

Not sure if its been mentioned but even when the TM backpacker's camp is open it is strictly for wilderness permit holders to use the day before they start on a trailhead or the day they exit the wilderness.

Jim