Hello,

My g/f and I will be going to Yosemite for the first time this summer. We are fairly fit 40+ trail hikers, though we do not do any backpacking or backcountry camping. We have been looking at taking a long day hike, following the trail from the Porcupine Creek trailhead to North Dome, and then all the way down to the valley through Yosemite Falls. We would take the shuttle bus back to the trailhead.

Through a bit of research, we have not found a lot of people that have combined these two trails as a day hike. We feel that since we will be descending, we will be able to get it done in one day as long as we get started very early. Do you have any advice for us? Thanks in advance.

-lroadie from MN

I've done that hike. Go for it.

You could take the shuttle to the trailhead and leave your car in the Valley. However - if you're intent on getting to the trailhead early in the morning, the shuttle takes a while to get there - maybe 10:30 AM. When I took the Tioga Rd shuttle in 2007, I met a couple that had backpacked from Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley floor and were taking the shuttle back to their car.

I haven't done most of that, but I have done the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail as a round trip dayhike. The hardest part is on the knees going down. It's just absolutely pounding, and a good anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen or naproxen) might help with any knee pain. If there's still any snow or it's wet, you can slip going down. I fell on my butt several times.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2010 10:11PM by y_p_w.

'shuttle bus back to the trailhead"?

on the same day? or the next morning?

When do the buses run?

Doing the hike in a day is easy. I think most people on top of North Dome have come down from Tioga. It's also largely downhill which makes things easier.

I'd also say 'Go for it!" Getting back to the trail head in the same day is the only thing that worries me.

p.s. I'll echo the comment about being careful going down the Yosemite Falls Trail. Even when it's dry it can be VERY slippery. The trail construction uses large rocks as cobble stones. Sand and gravel gets on the rocks and act like ball bearings. The result can be VERY dangerous. Make sure you bring lots of water and flashlights. Plan to be down off the trail before dark, but bring the flashlights just in case. This is NOT a trail you can navigate in the dark.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2010 09:32PM by qumqats.

Quote
qumqats
'shuttle bus back to the trailhead"?

on the same day? or the next morning?

When do the buses run?

I interpreted that as driving to the trailhead in the morning and coming back for it. I wouldn't even have to be the next morning. The couple I met who were going back to their car at TM spent a few days in the Valley without a car. It's not that bad with the Valley shuttle.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/Activities_GuidedBusTours_TuolumneMeadows.aspx

They have the 2009 schedule up (like the rest of the DNC Yosemite website, you'll need to click to expand it). The regular pickup points are Curry Village, Yosemite Village, and Yosemite Lodge, although they'll pick up from the Ahwahnee if there's an advanced request. I think the schedule is a little bit fast. I found that I didn't get to Tenaya Lake until about 11 AM.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2010 07:59AM by y_p_w.

Thanks for the very quick replies!

Quote
qumqats
'shuttle bus back to the trailhead"?

on the same day? or the next morning?

When do the buses run?

Sorry if I wasn't clear. We want to get back the same day. We will be staying in the Mammoth Lakes area, so we would enter the park from the east and drive right to the trailhead on Tioga Road early and go from there. We won't be driving all the way around to the valley first.

The shuttle bus I'm referring to is the YARTS bus, which actually goes all the way back to Mammoth, but we would only need to get back to our car. It leaves the Yosemite Valley Visitor's Center at 5PM, so it could be kinda tight...! Unless there is some other way back, but I haven't found one.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2010 12:06PM by lroadie.

Quote
lroadie
Sorry if I wasn't clear. We want to get back the same day. We will be staying in the Mammoth Lakes area, so we would enter the park from the east and drive right to the trailhead on Tioga Road early and go from there. We won't be driving all the way around to the valley first.

The shuttle bus I'm referring to is the YARTS bus, which actually goes all the way back to Mammoth, but we would only need to get back to our car. It leaves the Yosemite Valley Visitor's Center at 5PM, so it could be kinda tight...! Unless there is some other way back, but I haven't found one.

That would worry me. If you've got a medical emergency or perhaps you just underestimated the amount of time you would spend on the trail you could be stuck in Yosemite Valley without a place to stay or without a ride back to your car. There's also the chance that the YARTS bus is completely full. I generally like plans that involve getting back to your car on foot or the flexibility to get back later, as opposed to hoping that you get back in time to catch a bus the same day.

If the Tioga Road shuttle is being run, I'd really recommend parking your car in Yosemite Valley and taking the DNC hikers' shuttle to Porcupine Creek. You would have to get in early, but I don't think traffic is a big deal that early in the morning. That way, you'll know if you've got a ride on the bus and you have flexibility with the time you get back to your car. You could also spend some more time in the Valley and even get dinner before returning to Mammoth Lakes.

I would think it would be pretty easy. It's only 12 miles.