Re: Water near Clouds Rest

Does anyone know what the water conditions are like on the way from Sunrise Lakes to Clouds Rest? Got a trip planned for August and am wondering. Will there be water in the creek after the sunrise lakes junction? Thanx.

I was about to post the same question about the North Rim, where I'll be hiking this weekend. The Wilderness Conditions page hasn't been updated since July 6th:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildcond.htm

But back then, they said early July conditions were more like late August conditions, that seasonal creeks are dryer, and small named creeks may also be dried up. I hope we see an update before the weekend, but I'll post back in this thread when I get back to let you know what we run into.

Regarding the North Rim... this may not be very helpful, but a few years ago I did that trip in mid/late August and there was water in Lehamite and Indian Canyon (either one, the other, or both, can't remember exactly), and of course Snow Creek and Yosemite Creek. So if conditions are comparable, I'm thinking those locations will still have water this year. Not sure about anything west of Yosemite Falls because we didn't go that far.

Quote
KC
Does anyone know what the water conditions are like on the way from Sunrise Lakes to Clouds Rest? Got a trip planned for August and am wondering. Will there be water in the creek after the sunrise lakes junction? Thanx.

I've never seen it dry but certainly very slow. With the rains we've been having I would say that there will be a reasonable flow as the terrain that feeds that creeklet holds rain water and dribbles it out over a long period more like a spring.

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Old Dude

I went through here in early July and was worried about the same thing then. I found this page to be useful, giving you a general idea of how much water is draining into the Merced River. The data on that page obviously represents the cumulative rain/snowmelt over the whole drainage area rather than current conditions of a specific creek/pond, but its real & current data. As of today its about back to where it was in the first week of July, and the usual supply locations for the Sunrise to CR trail were all in good shape then.

Merced River, current conditions at Happy Isles (USGS)

If you mean the creek 1/2 mile before the final trail junction coming from the Tenaya Lake side, there was plenty of flow on July 11 or 12. There was also water in the pond just before there


It was a great trip, helped by the advice on this forum about the usual flow in the creek, and where to camp below Clouds Rests

This is the catwalk on the east approach. It took a little focus for an older woman like me to get up, but a great way to celebrate
my 60th birthday. Thanks to those who gave me advice- Mr Condron, Chick-on, and anyone I may have forgotten.

The rest of the photos, with a narrative, are here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lschaaf55/sets/72157655872690862

Thanks for the link to your photos.

Looks like it was a wonderful trip. Indeed, a great way to celebrate your 60th birthday!

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Gorgeous shots of Sunrise Lakes and Clouds Rest.

28 days and counting.

lovely pics indeed...glad you mentioned ...camp below CR and not ON CR, as some people have done.
judging by the last photo, even Rangers have trouble getting decent broadband connection.

Everyone, thanks for the advice. There was plenty of water everywhere. I was surprised by how much I saw since it's pretty dry up in the Tahoe vicinity. Spent three nights out and went from Tuolumne Meadows over Vogelsang Pass to Merced Lake, then took the High Trail to Cloud's Rest and out Tenaya Lake. Driest area was near the burn area before the JMT/Forsyth junction, but that was only for a couple miles. Other than a little rattlesnake encounter, it was a wonderful and water-full trip.

Yay!!! Glad to hear u had a wonderful trip!!