I'm getting ready to make my first trip to Yosemite and am wondering what my hiking options are going to be...especially given the slow melt of the snow this year. It looks like its the perfect time to come view waterfalls and raging rivers...but maybe not the perfect time to hike.
No surprise...number one on my list was the Half Dome hike. I'm arriving this Friday (June 11) and departing the following Friday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cables will go up next week. This one is out of my hands. If they don't...oh well...it will give me a good excuse to make my second trip to Yosemite.
I'm wondering if many of my other trail options are available or not. For what it is worth...I consider myself an intermediate to advanced day hiker with many miles logged in the Smoky Mountains, Acadia, etc., including some winter hiking here in Tennessee. However, I recognize that there are significant differences between the Smokies and the Sierras. The trails in the Smokies are (for the most part) easy to navigate, even when the trail is snow covered. Plus there are fewer places where you will fall 1000 ft to your death if you have a misstep.
That being said, I had a list of hikes that I had hoped to do. Included were
* North Dome
* Cathedral Lakes
* Upper Yosemite Falls
* Cloud's Rest (as backup to Half Dome)
* Panorama
* Sentinel Dome/Taft Point
The NPS website indicates that many of these trails will be snow covered. I know this is a somewhat open question...but are these trails out of the question for a Yosemite novice with the current conditions? Are the trails fairly well defined even if there is snow (e.g., are there blazes on the trees and/or cairns)? Is special equipment (e.g., crampons) needed to safely hike these trails?
I'm looking forward to whatever hiking I can get in. I would especially like to have some hikes to get out of the throngs that will be hitting the trails down in the valley.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Brian