Getting up to Tuolumne Meadows in early October

Hello all,

I'm so excited to be visiting Yosemite in a few weeks with my boyfriend and we are planning a one way backpack trip starting at Cathedral lakes and ending in Yosemite Valley 4-5 days later, starting on October 9. We've got permits, all the equipment for the sort of weather in October we might get (aka anything!) and tonnes of excitement. We've just come across one snag which we are hoping some folk who know the park well could help us solve. We need to leave our hire car in the Valley and get a ride up to Tuolumne meadows to start our hike but it's now clear the buses will have stopped running by then. Has anyone done this? Is there a cab company someone knows of or a local guide who we could pay for a ride? We were originally going to hitchhike up there but it seems that it may not be the most sensible idea given the Californian laws. Any knowledge or ideas would be really really appreciated as we really want to make this work and I've had hiking in Yosemite on my bucket list for a long time!

Thanks so much for you help

Kind regards

Fern
UK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2018 07:53AM by fernadams.

Federal Districts
Note:All land regulated by the National Park service prohibits hitchhiking under the Code of Federal Regulations Title 36 section 4.31: Hitchhiking or soliciting transportation is prohibited except in designated areas and under conditions established by the superintendent.

Yosemite National Park:
Hitchhiking is permitted in the following areas under the terms and conditions noted:
All areas of the park when the person is off the roadway surface and when public safety and traffic flow are not adversely affected
When vehicles may safely pull off of the main traffic lane
When not under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs
When hitchhiking behavior is safe and not a nuisance
Except in residential areas where signs exist establishing the area as residential areas only and discouraging public traffic

haven't tested this yet, and you'll probably lose an argument with a ranger, though you might catch a break 'cause you don't speak American. probably better ways to arrange a ride.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2018 10:40AM by mkbgdns.

You always make a full stop and signal at a red light before a right turn? Who hasn't jaywalked?

I would think you could hire an Uber or Lyft driver in Merced or Manteca (if not closer to the park) to drive up to TM, explaining that you first need to drop off your rental vehicle in the Valley and the they'll take you from there. Will cost you a bit (plus another entrance fee) but it should work.

Alternatively, you could re-route so that you do a loop from and to the CL TH, leaving some time for the YV after you finish your hike.

As long as your trip ends by October 15, I'd also recommend starting/ending at or near your trailhead--why spend precious vacation time trying to hitch a ride during the off-season when you can be hiking? Cathedral Lakes -> over Cathedral Pass -> Sunrise -> Merced Lake -> Vogelsang -> out via Rafferty is a nice classic loop. Leave an extra day at the end to see Yosemite Valley if you want to see it

Do note that most minor creeks will be dry by October; the Merced River and lakes will be the only reliable sources of water. And, in case you are not aware, camp fires are not allowed anywhere in the Yosemite backcountry due to dry conditions, so don't rely on needing a fire to stay warm or to cook. And "anything" weather-wise could include freezing conditions and/or substantial snow--but the weather forecasts are usually pretty good for a 4-5 day window, and most likely it will be cool and dry.

+1 for everything that Basilbop said. Do the loop and a day trip to the valley. Was in Tuolumne Meadows last weekend it was below freezing on day 2 (Saturday night) with ice chunks in our water bottles.

Our group has hitchhiked for shorter distances in the park around Tioga pass rd and while I wasn't aware of the regulations mentioned above, it's mainly pointing to safety concerns with people abruptly stopping (to offer a ride) etc...

I was up in that area earlier this month, and Basilbop is correct. All the small streams were not flowing. There were small pools, but they were few and far between. Even the outlet to many of the lakes were not flowing. We had to carry more water than planned since a few of our camps weren't at lakes. Fletcher Creek and Merced were flowing pretty well.
Enjoy and stay safe!