Re: Looking for day hike suggestions for this Saturday (May 31st)

I’m looking for suggestions for a day hike for our family (my kids are 10 and 12). We’re camping in the valley in Upper Pines.

We have done the Vernal/Nevada falls hike multiple times. We did Yosemite Falls last year, and really, that’s the extent of our family’s hiking ability. We’d be hard-pressed doing anything more strenuous than upper Yosemite Falls. I have myself done the Nevada falls/panorama trail/illioutte (sp?)/glacier point/ 4-mile-trail hike when I was younger, and while I love that hike, the length of that hike may bore the kids. So that’s the extent of my valley hiking knowledge.

Any hikes you would suggest? Kids love water, so a hike that crosses lots of creeks is a plus. We could drive up to Tuolumne and do any of the fantastic high-country hikes, but then we're spending two hours of our day driving. Though I think there are probably no mosquitoes up there now.

Thanks for any suggestions.

ANY suggestions? OK, how about Sierra Pt?

Not a long hike, and not much on water crossings, but it ends at one of the
coolest places in the park. More of a scramble than a hike. Crowds won't
be a problem.

Steep and fairly difficult, but highly rewarding. They will remember this
one for a long time.

Sierra point is a great suggestion. I had forgotten about it. Ill have to print some good instructions to take with me so we don't totally get lost. May try that on Sunday ... (we'll have more adults with us)

) Mirror Lake and or the loop ( is it open after that rock fall? )
) Take the hikers bus up to Glacier Point in the morning, take in the sites at GP, and hike DOWN ( not up like you mentioned ) either 4-mile, or Panorama Trail to Nevada Fall/JMT and back to the valley. Maybe a detour to Sentinel Dome?
) Take the Shuttle out to El Capitan Meadow ( is it running yet? ) and walk the valley loop trail, either the N or Side of the valley, back to your campsite

just some thoughts
YMMV

If you've already done Yosemite Falls and the other falls, then hike from SEntinel Dome and Taft Point down to Dewey point and back. Great hike, stunning views, and it will put some of the other stuff you done in perspective...

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

Thanks! I will check it out.

I am also considering cathedral lakes (ya, we have to drive up). I'll post regarding that too.

As long as you are thinking T.M., consider Glen Aulin. You are along water a good bit of the way and (you mentioned kids) is an easier hike. In fact you wouldnt need to go all the way to G.A. if it were too far for the wee ones...the whole trail is worthwhile (meaning that you coild stop anywhere and have had a great hike.)

Here is my favorite with kids of that age.
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,34462,65521#msg-65521

You can find some other suggestions by going to the top of that message thread.

Thank you to all for your suggestions on this post and others.

We ended up driving up the Glacier Point Rd, parking at the Sentinel dome parking lot, and hiking to the dome, and then around it to Taft Point and back around the other side to the parking lot. Kind of a big loop around Sentinel Dome.

It was an easy hike with great views. As was recommended, it was fun seeing Yosemite Falls from Sentinel dome, and the whole trail that we had hiked the previous year. Ditto for all the other trails (Panorama, the Nevada/vernal falls, etc). One of the unexpected treats was crossing Sentinel creek and the little turn off from the trail to the vista pt above Sentinel falls (?). Kept in mind the discussion about enjoying the trail versus getting to the destination, especially with the kids. That was the nice thing about this hike; it was short enough that we could afford to just goof off. There is a fun rock somewhere along the trail that's a big rock split in half and you can squeeze in between. I couldn't make it through, but the kids could. They also had fun counting the snow plants and playing in the one small patch of snow we came upon.

There were lots of people at both ends of the trail, Sentinel Dome and Taft point, but amazingly on the trail in between, only one other family and they were behind us for most of the trail, so we had it all to ourselves. Loved it!

After the hike we drove up to Glacier Pt for ice-cream. It was too crowded for our taste. Will skip that in the future. Actually it was ridiculously crowded.

In the evening, again per one of the items I had read on this forum, ended up walking back from Ahwahnee to North Pines and then to Upper Pines. Nice walk.

Walked up to Mirror Lake and beyond on Sunday. Good for kids playing on the beach, but too many mosquitoes on the latter part of the trail.

Our last treat was the Crane Flat fire look out that I recently learned about. Can't believe all these years I didn't know it existed.

Oh and enjoyed ice cream at the Creamery in Knights Ferry. Love that little historic town.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2014 02:32PM by recycling1991.

Thanks for the post-trip report! Sounds like it made for good family memories