Young Lakes to Glen Aulen

I'm thinking of a 4-night backpack in late August, 2 nights Young Lakes, then 2 nights Glen Aulen. I was at Young Lakes this past summer with my brother and niece, but will be going solo this year. I'm older, hike at a slower pace, so am curious to know how far Glen Aulen would be from Young Lakes. Because I'll be starting out on the weekend, I prefer to do Young Lakes first, as it should be less crowded than GA. I remember passing the GA trail turnoff en route to Young Lakes, but didn't note the mileage. I prefer not to do more than 7 - 8 miles per day. If it is longer, are there places to camp midway with accessible water? (Last year the two creeks we passed en route to Young Lakes were pretty much dried out at that time of year).

It's about 8 miles from Lower Young Lake to Glen Aulin, and most of that is downhill. If you take the Dog Lake trail to Young Lakes, then you won't even be repeating more than about a mile and a half of the trail.

But once you pass that junction with the Dog Lake trail, there is no camping allowed until you get to Glen Aulin.

Another option, if you are willing to a little cross-country, is to go from Lower Young Lake down into Conness Creek, and follow it to Glen Aulin. That would be shorter in terms of mile, although it would probably take you just as long in time. You can't get lost, as that's where the creek enters the Tuolumne River (at Glen Aulin) and the terrain is a bit steep at first, then quite walkable the rest of the way. And you could camp anywhere between Young Lakes and Glen Aulin if you did that.

Want an even better adventure? On day two, hike x/c over the Roosevelt Lake, then down Conness Creek on day three to Glen Aulin.

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I hiked a similar itinerary last September, but in reverse and with a variation. I'm a young buck myself, but my companion was (is) getting over a chronic health condition, so we took it easy. Here is my (very brief) trip report.

We entered and exited at different trailheads, but it wasn't a problem. We left our car at Dog Lake parking and took the Tuolumne shuttle bus over to Murphy Creek. It cost a few $, the driver was friendly, and there was plenty of room.

Entry: Murphy Creek T/H. We got here about 11 am, if not later, and still had plenty of time for the first day's hike.
Night 1: north side of Tuolumne Peak. The difficulty of the hike is similar to Young Lakes, but with the advantage that if you don't make it all the way you can legally camp in the forested basin behind Polly Dome. If you do make it, enjoy the two little lakelets (not shown on all maps, and the higher one is a bit of a secret, but they're definitely there). Right where the trail crosses over the ridge from the east face to the north face, you can climb onto a low granite knob with near-panoramic views.
Night 2: Glen Aulin. Take your time getting here... it's crowded.
Nights 3, 4: Young Lakes. Just as a note, I found the climb up to Young Lakes from the south much less pleasant than the eastern "main entrance", but it's on your proposed itinerary anyway, and of course Young Lakes is worth it.
Exit: Dog Lake parking