Re: Cloud's Rest Feb. 5-8th

Technically hiking the 6-8th, but going in on the 5th. A buddy and I are planning on conquering Cloud's Rest in a few week and am looking for advice on a "base camp" for Cloud's Rest. We've never been to the top of Cloud's Rest, but it seems pretty awesome! I'm looking for tips, pointers, anything really on the route. We are both pretty advanced in the winter backpacking realm and this isn't anything new for us, just a new location. Anyone here done this?

Been up there a few times in winter and snow covered...

Here's one:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,63796,63796#msg-63796

---

Oops... I missed Bearpoof's birthday...

sigh...

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,78228,78228#msg-78228

(you can see animated gif of him summiting CR)

---

Awesome trip, love the animation! So, Chick-on, you guys summited and then camped at the top?

Quote
VengeanceASX
Awesome trip, love the animation! So, Chick-on, you guys summited and then camped at the top?

Yes. First day was top o Clouds Rest... there is a pix of Bearproofs Tent and myself there in that thread link...
We got lucky in that it wasn't TOOOO terrible to get on the top... pretty much I headed more into the rocks
rather than trying to kick steps in the snow... thus the animation of Bearpoof tired-er than heck
coming up over the rocks... it was safer imo than staying more to the left...
Anywho... maybe an ice axe and crampons would be safer... but def. should not be needed until the
very very top... you can setup shop in a number of places below CR... 1/4 domes... or
below the Pinnacles... (I've been meaning to camp on top of the west pinnacle... haven't done yet tho)
with snow... those CAN be easier... or... very dangerous... YMMV
Anywho... the 2nd night we camped over near Watkins:

the wind REALLY blew there! ... so camping on top of CR is a crap shoot on wind...
have bailed off CR one time b/c I just didn't want to deal with wind pummeling me...
Anyway... am hoping to get up there sometime soon too... will post something if do.
If you go OVER CR... then it MAY be interesting... def. it is doable... but you need to b confident.
Can say more... if desired...

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2016 02:58PM by chick-on.

I will be taking crampons and an ice axe, but the guy coming with me won't have an ice axe, only crampons. Does the wind get bad on the Pinnacles? What tent is that?

The green thingie... Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid. Dunno what Bearproofs tent is...
I just know he went running to get some twigs on the 2nd night on account the wind
was whipping... and he had to put his tent back together-ish...

We got lucky imo at the Clouds Rest summit night... it was not windy at all...
if you look at this picture...

you can see the wind sculpted the snow...
it would be safer to camp just a bit lower there in the trees... but ...
yeah... it was pretty kewl to camp atop CR in winter...

getting to the north side... there some photos in that thread above... can be interesting...
went up with my wife in April one year... and we just dayhiked up from just below... on account
I really didn't feel like watching her do the "knife edge" kinda thing...

here is what it looked like then:


here I am along there...


have had winds when forecast said "winds light and variable" ... so ... you hope for the best...
and prepare for the ...

---

As weather progresses, I get the feeling that if I do the loop to Tenaya lake then back and around through Snow Creek trail that I will have a hard time with Olmstead Point unless I would like to ride a pile of snow down. Any one know an approximate time to go up and around Via the old Tioga rd (I think) towards the May Lake TH then back down Snow creek to avoid the avalanche danger? Any other options?

With only 3 days... I would not plan to HAVE to do that loop. Bearproof in mind that
when him and I did that loop in 3 days... we were able to hike without snowshoes...
to near the Pinnacles... before putting on snowshoes... and we also were able to go
up The Mist trail in entirety... and the snow was compacted which made busting a
trail ... well pretty much... we didn't have to "bust" trail all the way up Tioga Rd.
The only busting we did was from Top o Clouds to Tioga Rd... and it wasn't very
difficult... we have been having lots of snow storms... this year... and it is
VERY hard work and slow going ... so...

Anywho... first of all.. the areas that I would be VERY VERY leery of are... here:
Olmsted:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.814778,-119.482010&z=16&t=t4
Here:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.813337,-119.494456&z=16&t=t4
and Here (Clouds Rest View):
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.812506,-119.504498&z=16&t=t4

I would not take the time to go around to May Lake Trail head...
I would dive into the woods below Olmsted... effectively on the summer trail... here-ish:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.815151,-119.479264&z=16&t=t4
from there I would head to the Olmsted Pt. parking area... zip up on the road...
and head to BM8469... if it looks ok... I would stay on the road... if not.. I would head
back down into the woods... and pretty much stay on the summer trail until here:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.800520,-119.507695&z=16&t=t4
from there I would hit this saddle...
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.797451,-119.509884&z=16&t=t4

from then on... there is ski trail...

That is what I would do... as said tho... please be aware that there is a LOT of snow...
and with storm after storm... it can be crusty a bit below the new snow... which
is avalanche prone... Sorry if I state stuff you know... but I have no idea what you
have done in the past and such...

I would think that getting over Tenaya Creek will be a non issue due to the huge
amounts of snow out there now... should be lots of snow bridges...

Hope this helps you... there is possibility head to towards CR before then...
if so... will post something...

Have fun

---

Well, I think I'm ready. My pack is good to go weighing in under 40lbs with bear canister, snowshoes, crampons, ice axe and shovel. The weather is going to be beautiful! High 40's low 20's, little wind until Sunday night. Should have some good harder stuff to walk on in the mornings. I will be giving a full trail report when I get back. We will be leaving after work today and hiking out in the morning and will be back on Monday. Can't wait!

Have a great and safe adventure! Looking forward to seeing the tr!

-Kevin

Quote
VengeanceASX
Well, I think I'm ready. My pack is good to go weighing in under 40lbs with bear canister, snowshoes, crampons, ice axe and shovel. The weather is going to be beautiful! High 40's low 20's, little wind until Sunday night. Should have some good harder stuff to walk on in the mornings. I will be giving a full trail report when I get back. We will be leaving after work today and hiking out in the morning and will be back on Monday. Can't wait!

Under 40lbs is pretty cool with all that extra winter gear. How did the trip go? I am tempted to a a trip to cloudrest as an overnighter in March.

We were going to try CR in late March if you want to join us. We might go for a loop like Vengence but that depends on the conditions.

Quote
KevinD
We were going to try CR in late March if you want to join us. We might go for a loop like Vengence but that depends on the conditions.

Awesome! Appreciate the offer. Heading to Badger pass area this week and will see how it goes from there on. If you guys are doing an overnight for Saturday and Sunday, that could work.

Hey guys, haven't forgotten! My wife and I bought a travel trailer and we have been busy with that and just got back. I am in the process of uploading an album. The trip was awesome! Weather was beautiful with plenty of sunshine, unfortunately it made the snow pretty dangerous up towards the top of Cloud's Rest and made it REALLY slow going! We stop at the pinnacle and ended up listening to the Superbowl there and then hiking back down to Little Yosemite Valley. We had a great time, but were a little disappointed. The glissade back down was pretty awesome and turned a 3 hour climb up into a 30 min ride down.

Can't wait to see thr photos! It seeked pretty warm that week. Was the snow slushy? Also did you just go up and back? Or was it a loop similar to chickon trip?

Our trip changed pretty much that morning. The ranger said Olmstead was pretty bad with the new snow, heat of the day, combined with freezing at night. We were trying for the Pinnacles the first day, but had to stop for the night at Sunrise Creek. We were sinking 2-3 feet in the afternoon with snowshoes on! the next day when we headed up, it was perfect until about 10AM, then the snow started melting and it was wet slush again. The ascent of Cloud's Rest had us in chest deep snow at times with our snowshoes on. It had to have been around 55 degrees. It was still a great trip, and we didn't see a soul after Little Yosemite Valley and broke trail the rest of the way. The hike back down was river along Sunrise Creek and the trail down Nevada Fall was too.

Goodness gracious that sounds horrendous ahaha. Hopefully with the lowering temps it will be ok. You think my 25in w/ tails snowshoes should be ok? We are planning on night hiking it summit bid style.

Yeah, I'm 200 lbs with 40lbs (240 total) of gear and I was using 25in MSR Lightning Ascents. I probably should have put my tails on, but it should be fine as soon as the sun goes down.

Phew I should be good! I'm only 145lbs without gear ahah

Our view in the valley the morning we left.





Add about a mile for the winter route



Vernal Fall from the footbridge



A nice little ice fall



Vernal Fall



Nevada Fall



Sunset from our tent in Little Yosemite Valley



Sunrise next morning





Easy going after I broke the trail...



Our view as we start up, notice they're is no trail



The goal



About even with Half Dome



My buddy checking things out, again...no trail...



Our view during the big game! Base of the Pinnacles









Can't forget that tunnel view on the way home!

Thanks for the follow up report. It looks like a fun trip even though you didn't make it all the way up.

Yeah, I was a little bummed at first, but it's so hard to stay that way when you're in a place like Yosemite! There is always next time!