Re: Need advice on backpacking in yosimite for beginers

So me my brother and two of our best friends want to go backpacking in Yosemite (June or July ish) we are wanting to take a seven to eight day trip in and out we have all camped before but not backpacked just looking for advice on what trails we should take and what to be prepared for.

Hi. You don't want a 7 or 8 day trip for your FIRST backpack experience.
7 or 8 days o food = monstorously heavy pack.

It's impossible to tell if Tioga Road will be open yet. If you can go late July... then
do that... and then take any trail out of Tuolumne for a first timer. Go for 3 days and
then come back... clean up... then go back out... if you still like each other...

IMO for first timer... the only trail you would want to go up in the valley is MAYBE
the JMT to LYV.
I've seen noobs at the parking lot around noon all bright eyed and bushy tailed...
saying "we're going to Merced Lake today"... uh huh... sure you are.

Good luck

(you should tell people if you've ever been to Yosemite before... if not .. they'll
<and me> will say that you should dayhike a lot... backpack a bit... if you want...
explore Yose Valley... go up Glacier Pt. .. maybe go to Hetch Hetchy.
go to one of the Sequoia Groves...) (get my picture?)

Have fun

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chick-on
(you should tell people if you've ever been to Yosemite before... if not .. they'll
<and me> will say that you should dayhike a lot... backpack a bit... if you want...
explore Yose Valley... go up Glacier Pt. .. maybe go to Hetch Hetchy.
go to one of the Sequoia Groves...) (get my picture?)

Good advice from Chick-on. If you've never been do the above first.

I think this is great advice. I did not follow this approach, however, and had an awesome experience. I must say though, longer stays = heavier packs. Anyone contemplating such a thing, having never done it, should ask themselves a lot of hard questions. For example: what kind of physical shape am I REALLY in? What am I use to doing regularly? What is my pain / discomfort threshold? How will I mentally respond to physical discomfort? How focused / serious / undeterred am I? It is not something to undertake on a whim. I spent a LOT of time thinking / reading/ physical training, etc. To the annoyance I'm sure of many, everything that was knowable I made an effort to know. That said, my first REAL backpacking effort was 11 days /10 nights / 120 miles in Yosemite. It was awesome and then a bunch of awesome things for which the word awesome doesn't suffice. But. Make that a big BUT: I would discourage most of the people I know from even contemplating such a thing -- simply because I know them, and know how they are. There's nothing wrong with them, but the best approach for them would definitely be the one advocated above -- a series of short outtings. So -- know thyself and act accordingly. To not do so is to invite great misery into a potentially awesome vacation.

Backpacking is way different than car camping, definitely recommend a shorter trip for first timers. Totally agree with Chickon if you have never been to Yosemite. Lots to see and do as day hikes.

A good exercise for checking equipment preparedness is to work up a plan where each person is self-contained and no-one's pack weighs more than 35lbs. And have your packs trail ready before you drive to the trailhead parking lot.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
A good exercise for checking equipment preparedness is to work up a plan where each person is self-contained and no-one's pack weighs more than 35lbs. And have your packs trail ready before you drive to the trailhead parking lot.

That is stellar advice right there! You really want to avoid the clusterF at the trailhead of packing up and trying to get everything to fit. My attitude has always been, less time in the parking lot equals more time on the trail or in camp later on.

I echo a lot of the other sentiment here, 7 days out is a long time, especially for a first timer. I'd recommend similar to what chick-on said, stay out 3 nights or so, and then day hike other places in the park.

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oakroscoe
You really want to avoid the clusterF at the trailhead of packing up and trying to get everything to fit.

It's the next morning that I've had the most trouble with. Always seems like things expanded overnight.

Good advice already.

another one - you will have trouble with the bear cans if your food is in packaging that does not mash easily. Cup a soups in ziploc bags, couscous and pasta meals double bagged, trail mix, nuts, dried fruit, all in bags, will fit better than Mountain House propack BRICKS. If you are renting a bear can suggest you plan your trip then go online to Wild Ideas (google the bearikade) and rent by mail one of their Weekenders - if you have three people going for two nights it will work great, you will get it in the mail a couple days before you leave, you can experiment at home with packing it and get the hang of it, and not spend three hours in the parking lot trying to cram everything in a garcia they will rent you in Yosemite.

You will want to fit all your food and toiletries inside, plus trash, so packaging that collapses down to almost nothing helps! Everything but your first day of food (which you will be eating all of, if anything is left over it goes in too!) must go in. DO NOT think you can do without the bear can or leave things outside of it. You will either have a bear or a ranger proving to you that it is not worth your while to try. If you rent by mail and it won't all fit plan to get a second can when you pick up your permit.

Of course, if you decide to make your first backpack an overnight trip to someplace like one of the high sierra camps or Little Yosemite Valley, there are bear boxes to put things in so bear canisters won't be really necessary.

Some good short overnight trips would be Young Lakes, Ten Lakes, Glen Aulin (off Tioga Rd if it is open), Clouds Rest from the Sunrise trailhead at Tenaya Lake (camp near the creek); Ostrander Lake (off Glacier Pt Road, it will be open usually around the end of May); Hetch Hetchy, either up to Vernon if you are feeling really good about climbing or out to Rancheria Falls if the bridges are rebuilt by then.

I concur that overnight or two nights at most, then spending time going around the valley and up to Glacier Point and maybe dayhiking out of the valley would really be more rewarding for a first trip to Yosemite.

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AlmostThere
You will want to fit all your food and toiletries inside, plus trash, so packaging that collapses down to almost nothing helps! Everything but your first day of food (which you will be eating all of, if anything is left over it goes in too!) must go in. DO NOT think you can do without the bear can or leave things outside of it. You will either have a bear or a ranger proving to you that it is not worth your while to try. If you rent by mail and it won't all fit plan to get a second can when you pick up your permit.

I found that buying my own canister helped a lot because I could practice getting stuff in there. I actually eat Quaker Instant Oatmeal on a regular basis, so practicing packing techniques (i.e. letting the air out) wasn't too bad since I could just eat it in the morning. Then when I got to Yosemite I had an insane goof where I forgot to take some extra food out of my pack before the trip started and didn't have enough room in the canister.

For two and a short trip, it might be possible to use one canister for the food and the other for the trash. I remember the ranger who issued my permit telling me that I had to pack my used TP in the bear canister until I could dump it in a trash can. He reassured me that it would be OK if I used two Ziploc bags. I once was thinking of doing a short backpack with my wife, and we were thinking of maybe using a BV350 for the stuff we were a little squeamish about packing in the same container with our food. Maybe the wet wipes could have gone with that.

The only problem with buying when you've never gone backpacking before... if you hated it, you have a canister you aren't going to use.

That actually brings up the other recommendation - rent your pack, sleeping bag, pad, stove from an outfitter like REI. Or borrow from friends. You don't really understand what you need until after you go - backpacking gear is subjective, what's appropriate for me is not the same as what you will want/need.

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AlmostThere
The only problem with buying when you've never gone backpacking before... if you hated it, you have a canister you aren't going to use.

That actually brings up the other recommendation - rent your pack, sleeping bag, pad, stove from an outfitter like REI. Or borrow from friends. You don't really understand what you need until after you go - backpacking gear is subjective, what's appropriate for me is not the same as what you will want/need.

I looked into the rental prices at REI. If you're going to be renting for an entire week, the prices just start getting the point where I'd think it would make more sense to buy. At least if you buy, you have better selection (and could look for items on sale). One could also sell stuff used if in good condition.

Anyone backpacking in Yosemite probably wouldn't want to rent a bear canister elsewhere unless it's maybe a day to see how to cram food in one. The $5 rental (for up to two weeks) in Yosemite has got to be one of the best bargains out there.

I asked the Ranger about the used TP in the cannister thing, and his face twisted up and he looked at me like I was crazy and then proceed to tell me I was crazy. Perhaps it depends on to whom one is speaking. So, I just kept it triple bagged in an Opsak in my pack.

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Frank
I asked the Ranger about the used TP in the cannister thing, and his face twisted up and he looked at me like I was crazy and then proceed to tell me I was crazy. Perhaps it depends on to whom one is speaking. So, I just kept it triple bagged in an Opsak in my pack.

The name on my permit was J Tremaine. He looked to be fairly young - I'm guessing a college student working as a seasonal ranger. I also asked about maybe keeping some unscented wipes outside the canister. He was saying that it might smell like something interesting to a bear, and that the TP might be an attractant. I'm thinking he may have been a little bit eager to dispense some of the rules he learned. I actually ignored this advice for the first night because I'd left extra food in the pack. I don't think a bear would have been terribly interested in some Wet Ones Outdoors wipes.

In the end I didn't actually have any used TP. I've explained this before.

As far as renting bear canisters goes, Yosemite NP seems to have invested in a lot of Garcia 812s. Once I found myself at the Roads End Permit Station at Kings Canyon NP waiting for my wife to use the bathroom. I just chatted with the college-aged kid manning the permit window. I mentioned that I'd done a recent backpacking trip in Yosemite and noticed a photo of the Half Dome cables with the caption "Be glad this isn't Yosemite". They had a lot of Garcias, but this guy was eager to show me what else they had. I got to fondle a Bearikade, which was perhaps the most overengineered canister I've ever seen. He also showed me a BearVault BV350 that was still in the box. I think they don't get a lot of traffic there, and he was eager to have someone to talk to.

I think the general view is "better to be safe than sorry". The rangers seem very consistent with the "if it goes on you, in you, etc" then it should be in the cannister. It was on the issue of "if it comes out of you..." that there was some difference of opinion. I spoke to a few hikers that appeared to be experienced trying to get some sense of what I should do, and they were not into the TP in the cannister thing at all, much like the one ranger. Since we're not bears, and can't talk to bears it's hard to know. However, you'd think that if there were anecdotal stories of bears that went straight for the used TP, people would hear about it.

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Frank
I think the general view is "better to be safe than sorry". The rangers seem very consistent with the "if it goes on you, in you, etc" then it should be in the cannister. It was on the issue of "if it comes out of you..." that there was some difference of opinion. I spoke to a few hikers that appeared to be experienced trying to get some sense of what I should do, and they were not into the TP in the cannister thing at all, much like the one ranger. Since we're not bears, and can't talk to bears it's hard to know. However, you'd think that if there were anecdotal stories of bears that went straight for the used TP, people would hear about it.

I thought the suggestion was pretty strange. However, I didn't get to test it as I didn't use TP until I got to the LVY outhouse.

I was trying to suggest that my wipes were unscented, but the ranger's response was that we had no way of knowing if a bear might pick up on the scent even if humans couldn't. Of course I was also wearing the same sunscreen that I had to store in my canister, and I'm sure that I didn't wipe every last trace of the smell off of me before going to sleep. I did pack the trash into the canister, whick included wipes and paper towels that I used to clean myself, including food residue. However - storing cloths that I'd used to wipe off my smelly armpits didn't quite freak me out like used TP did.

Later in my trip, I did see what looked to be a trash bag from a large group that was ripped open by a bear. They dpo seem to be attracted by empty bags of Doritos.

Ditto the usefulness of buying or trying out a cannister like the ones they rent prior to arriving. I had all my food planned out. Then my cannister arrived in the mail, and I excitedly set about practicing putting my food in it. My entire food plan had to be altered. This would have been a disaster, and an expensive one at that, had I arrived to get my permit and cannister and then discovered this little tidbit of important information. This is more of an issue if you are going to be gone for 5-6 days or more at a stretch. I picked up more food at TM post office on 6th day. Still, it was challenging getting 6 days of food (I took an extra day) in the cannister (actually 5, the current days does not need to be in there). Also, I found that neither I nor my companions ate quite as much as I thought we would. There's something about endless ascent that distracts the mind from eating.

You will also have to carry water, filter water, and plan how much to carry depending on access to sources. That together with a cannister packed to the brim with food and toiletries (let's not forget those things which, because they have to be in the cannister, preclude food), already presents more weight than you'd hope.

One other thought...if you've got 7 to 8 days and haven't backpacked before, consider two short backpack trips w/ day visits in-between. If after the first trip you decide it's not for you, then depending upon what's already taken in Yosemite you may need to visit another area of the Sierra, but that's not a bad thing. And if you decide it is for you, you'll get to visit a couple different areas of the wilderness while still enjoying the day-visit areas that others here have mentioned.

EDIT: on the issue of bears...if the above sounds good then you'd need to store your second trip's food while taking the first trip, and it can't be in your car...don't worry, most trailheads have bear lockers. A few don't, but I don't think those will be among your likely choices as a first-time visitor.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2011 06:35PM by ttilley.

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Jta29
So me my brother and two of our best friends want to go backpacking in Yosemite (June or July ish) we are wanting to take a seven to eight day trip in and out we have all camped before but not backpacked just looking for advice on what trails we should take and what to be prepared for.

I just can't figure why someone would want to make their first backpack trip in Yosemite. If you want to see Yosemite, it can be much more efficiently seen by dayhiking, at least for the initial stuff. If you want to learn to backpack, there are areas (national forests and even other national or state parks) where the process is much easier, distances and elevation gains are less, support is easier, etc. My advice, to check out equipment and skills, would be to plan a short hike to an overnight spot of less than 3 mile in. Set up your equipment, cook some meals, prepare water, set up latrine, maybe do some fishing, etc. Lots of differences between packing equipment and car camping (Forre Stranger has some good pictures of the the equipment he takes for camping in the Valley near his car.).

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2011 07:24AM by Frank Furter.

Franky,
Purty much what I said above... I'd only recommend backpacking in Yosemite if you are really
into backpacking already. The one time we went to Glacier National Park for a week I really wanted
to backpack the entire time.... but the more I looked at it it was just obvious that that would be
really a bad idea. It'd be OK if I lived near that park... but if you don't... then it's a long shot
when you will go back. In the end we stayed in 3 different hotels/motels around the park,
backpacked for one 3 day trip, and dayhiked our butts off. We both said afterwards that
the entire trip kicked butt b/c of how we did it...
With respect to Yosemite I'd argue that one can easily dayhike to 90% of the locations
people are backpacking to on their first day. (I'd also argue most peeps backpack in
about 6 miles on day 1, if that)

Others,
The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it. Then they end up a) leaving the bear can in the car
and/or b) having loads of food outside the can. After that they go to a hot spot for bears
such as Lower Cathedral... and get smacked by a bear... but it's all cool on account they
a) saw a bear and b) got to feed a bear. But they don't realize they just c) killed a bear.
If you can't get a 3-4 day trip into one Garcia for two people you're probably taking too
much food or not repackaging or buying Mountain House crap.

Have fun

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chick-on
If you can't get a 3-4 day trip into one Garcia for two people you're probably taking too
much food or not repackaging or buying Mountain House crap.

Well, plus...I have to put This somewhere in the can...

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ttilley

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chick-on
If you can't get a 3-4 day trip into one Garcia for two people you're probably taking too
much food or not repackaging or buying Mountain House crap.

Well, plus...I have to put This somewhere in the can...

Where's the room for this?



Three people took turns hauling it up to the peak of Mt Tallac.

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y_p_w
Where's the room for this?



Three people took turns hauling it up to the peak of Mt Tallac.

Did they haul it down?

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eeek

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y_p_w
Where's the room for this?

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/9358/snowbankwq0.jpg

Three people took turns hauling it up to the peak of Mt Tallac.

Did they haul it down?

Yeah. I ran into them going up, and saw them again when I found my way back on the trail (after getting lost) as they headed back to the trailhead. They said the thing was 10 liters, and they hauled it with a massive backpack with an oversized flap to tie it down.

Imageshack sometimes has problems, and earlier I couldn't see the full pictures I had up:





The dog didn't take part in hauling the keg. The dog was an exceptional hiker though, and there's no problem with an unleashed dog on National Forests land.

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ttilley

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chick-on
If you can't get a 3-4 day trip into one Garcia for two people you're probably taking too
much food or not repackaging or buying Mountain House crap.

Well, plus...I have to put This somewhere in the can...

"This" does not even remotely qualify for being on the list of the first 'Ten Thousand Essentials for Backpacking.'
[Note: if you plan the trip properly, you can toss it in the river and always retrieve it downstream.]
(SageAdvicedly Yours)
The Marmots




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2011 12:26PM by szalkowski.

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chick-on
The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it.

You mean it isn't supposed to look like the picture here? http://www.ske-art.com/skestuff9/B003ZZWBWC

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eeek

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chick-on
The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it.

You mean it isn't supposed to look like the picture here? http://www.ske-art.com/skestuff9/B003ZZWBWC

Amateurs!

(you put stuff like this in it)

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chick-on

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eeek

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chick-on
The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it.

You mean it isn't supposed to look like the picture here? http://www.ske-art.com/skestuff9/B003ZZWBWC

Amateurs!

(you put stuff like this in it)

How hard do you push to get the bird in?

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chick-on

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eeek

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chick-on
The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it.

You mean it isn't supposed to look like the picture here? http://www.ske-art.com/skestuff9/B003ZZWBWC

Amateurs!

(you put stuff like this in it)

Just goat stickers? I've got mine covered in reflective tape. I mean - lots of reflective tape. It looks kind of like R2D2.

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y_p_w
Just goat stickers? I've got mine covered in reflective tape. I mean - lots of reflective tape. It looks kind of like R2D2.

Beep beep beep bop boop boop boop

y_p, eye real-eee wanna see some new peeekchures from you dis year
(and u a nose what I'm a talking bout)

Dat bear canny is da small one.... here's the Old Garcia:


Now... get out der!
(or at least... hope you can get out der dis year)

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Jta29,

I hope you are not put off by all the comments to your original plan. Believe me, these folks know what they are talking about. Yosemite and much of the High Sierra is extremely rugged country, everything seems further apart than it looks on a trail map, and the altitude can be a considerable factor if not accustomed to it. There is so much to see in Yosemite for firstimers that spending all of of it on one backpack trip to one area would be a shame. One could easily spend 3 days just in the Yosemite Valley/Wawona area doing car touring and day hikes while staying in motels either in Mariposa or Oakhurst. I would recommend doing something like that at the begiining. If you plan for July then you can count on Tioga Road being open to the Tuolumne Meadows area and its access to the higher country trails. I would recommend at least one day hike at this higher altitude. Then as suggested, Young Lakes, Glen Aulin, or Cathedral Lakes area might make a great one-nighter to see what's involved. Then after another day hike you might tackle something longer like a 3-nighter. Just one example would be doing the Vogelsang, Merced Lake, Sunrise loop where you can try both the HSC backpacker's camps or along the trail if you prefer more seclusion. Be aware that you can camp at the Tuolumne Meadows backpacker's camp the day before and the day after any permited overnight trip in that area.

Strong suggestions:

1. Get a good book on Yosemite trails.

2. Get some good maps like Natl Geo Trails Illustrated

3. Visit http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/backing.htm and read everything in that section, particularly the permit process.

4. Understand that with a group your size you are not going to get trailhead permits (for overnights) on a fist come-first served basis. You will have to have all this planned out well ahead right down to specific trailhead dates and get your permits via the advanced reservation system. You can pick up your permits the day before an overnighter while in the area for dayhiking.

5. Ditto a maximum of 35-lb packs and don't forget adequate foot blister prevention techniques. Just one person getting severe blistering can ruin it for all of you!

6. Understand your group will progress at the speed of your slowest member. Can you live with that without wanting to kill?

7. The dry air and 20% less oxygen at 10,000' requires pacing yourselves and keeping your bodies well hydrated.

8. Late June and early July are the months that mosquitos thrive in Yosemite anywhere near water. If this is a serious consideration then think about August instead.

I know, we're hitting you with lots of stuff here but when we hear the words beginners and 7-8 day backpacking our red flags pop up all over the place. We want you to enjoy your experience and come back for more.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2011 09:23AM by tomdisco.

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chick-on
. . . snip . . .

Dat bear canny is da small one.... here's the Old Garcia:


Now... get out der!
(or at least... hope you can get out der dis year)

What railing is that? Where was this taken?

Inspiration Point up the old road along Pohono Trail?
( no no no no no! wrong angle!!!! )

The railing at the switchback on the other side of the rock fall on OBOFR?

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qumqats
The railing at the switchback on the other side of the rock fall on OBOFR?

That's the one. It's just beyond (assuming you're coming from the Valley floor) the big rock fall that took out the zigzags. It was known as Rainbow View (because of the frequent rainbows you'd see on BVF from up here). There was an attempt at one point, to popularize this as "New Inspiration Point" (I think I even saw a picture once with a sign identifying it as such) but, so far as I know, this name never caught on...just as well...there's already enough confusion over Old Inspiration Point vs. Inspiration Point (not to mention the people who think that Inspiration Point is Old Inspiration Point and that Tunnel View (more properly Discovery View, although I've never heard anyone call it that) is Inspiration Point).

--David

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DavidK42
there's already enough confusion over Old Inspiration Point vs. Inspiration Point (not to mention the people who think that Inspiration Point is Old Inspiration Point and that Tunnel View (more properly Discovery View, although I've never heard anyone call it that) is Inspiration Point).

--David

Inspiration Point
Old Inspiration Point
Old Old Inspiration Point.

On the road
Up the trail from the road
Up even farther up the trail from the road

I think it depends on who you talk to, how long they've been around, and what map you're looking at as to what names to use for places.

It's pretty well marked on the USGS map:


I think they changed Discover to Tunnel b/c probably we needed it dumbed down.
Discovery is just too hard to remember... and, cmon... there's Tunnel right der!

I think I lost some bet or something when Old Dude and I were at Rainbow View
and I said Tunnel View was Discovery View or that it wasn't called Tunnel View.
Old People.

Then there's the clowns out there that wanna call something named something else...
"I call it blah blah blah" Reminds me of the wifie thinking The Met was MOMA and
kept calling it that. Kept telling her it's not MOMA, it's The Met... and she just says
she doesn't care and is calling it MOMA.
Now I just call every museum MOMA. (isn't she lucky?)

Ribbon Falls used to be Virgin Tear's Falls... and something prob. more interesting
to you... Oh My Lookout used to be on old maps... but no where near where
the Lower Falls Lookout (which I have yet to see on any map).

Anyway, have fun... the bear can is at Rainbow View

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chick-on
Oh My Lookout used to be on old maps... but no where near where
the Lower Falls Lookout (which I have yet to see on any map).

I've seen Oh My! Point on some of the old maps (although I can't recall off the top of my head if I've seen it on topo maps so the location may be a bit approximate). I've never tried to pinpoint it in relation to today's maps but it was, I believe, either the first point on the OBOFR that you got a view of the Valley (where everybody would ooh and aah and say "Oh My" or it was the point on the road where the serious descent in to the Valley began (when everybody screamed "Holy SH*T!!!" and started to pray (but, in those days, it wouldn't have been proper to name something "Holy SH*T Point" )). Now I'm curious...gotta find it on one of my old maps and get a better fix on where it was.
--David

Look here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/YoseMaps#5568026623649919250

On a related note... Jta29 is probably thinking "Oh, My! These Guys Are Nuts"

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Looks like you've been busy, chick-on...unless I'm mistaken, you've added a LOT of maps since the last time I looked at that page! Thanks (as always) for all the goodies...Guess I know what I'M doing for the next hour or so!
--David K

Been looking at:
"Yosemite: the Park and its Resources Historic Resource Study (1987) by Linda W. Greene"

and on pg. 667 it says:
"32. Site: “Rainbow View” or “Oh My! Point”"

That book is great for old trails too. It even shows some trails I've yet to see on some maps.
You can get a copy here:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_resources/

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bill-e-g
Been looking at:
"Yosemite: the Park and its Resources Historic Resource Study (1987) by Linda W. Greene"

I've been working my way through this fairly gargantuan (700+ pages) report. The writing style is rather dry and reading it cover-to-cover as I'm doing is rather slow going, but for lovers of Yosemite history and especially those of us who are fascinated by what used to be there and what you might find traces of, this is an invaluable resource.

BTW, we should be especially grateful that this can be downloaded for free at the site bill-e-g- mentions. When I first came across it online, I thought "this would be a cool book to own." I found one reseller on Amazon who had it...for $1065.53!

--David K

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chick-on

On a related note... Jta29 is probably thinking "Oh, My! These Guys Are Nuts"

Haha, I know right? Amazing how we can go on and on about the "right way" to pack a bear canister. Obviously its just to smash everything in so it all fits! What you want will always be on the bottom anyways.

On a sidenote, generally after a long day, the 1 serving freeze-dried meals aren't enough to fill me up, so I'd plan on a 2 person meal each day. Backpacker's Pantry, Mountain House and Natural High have been pretty much interchangeable for me. The key is adding a little extra to spice it up, whether it be a taco bell hot sauce packet, round table hot pepper or parmesan cheese packet. Arby's sauce isn't bad either. I haven't had any experience with Packit Gourmet, but I'm willing to give them a shot.

I'm not affiliated with this site at all, but I've had good experiences with Wilderness Dining.
http://www.wildernessdining.com/

"The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it"

Check!, Check!, Check! Bought instead of rented, and Check!
Thankfully, I bought one at home and practiced and reconsidered the whole situation. I still brought too much food because we just didn't eat as much as I thought we would. I got very good at packing it (I think).

And speaking of Mountain House, Yep, I had one pro-pak a day, and LOVED IT. In fact, it was so good, it provided motivation sometimes when we needed it. And actually, the vacuum packed ones are very workable in a cannister, at least I thought so. But... I'm sure it's totally the Noob thing.

I use the ProPaks, and there's some space between the bricks in the can. I fill it up as much as I can w/ various rebagged Trader Joe's trail mixes for lunch. I've also recently tried the Packit Gourmet dinners I had seen mentioned on Calipidder's blog, I think they taste better, though I also think they're worse for space so...only on shorter trips.

Quote
Frank
"The whole problem with the bear can is b/c peeps are SO unexperienced with it. They buy
too much food, bring too much food, buy "Backpacker" packaged food gunk, rent a can
and then have no idea how to pack it"

Check!, Check!, Check! Bought instead of rented, and Check!
Thankfully, I bought one at home and practiced and reconsidered the whole situation. I still brought too much food because we just didn't eat as much as I thought we would. I got very good at packing it (I think).

And speaking of Mountain House, Yep, I had one pro-pak a day, and LOVED IT. In fact, it was so good, it provided motivation sometimes when we needed it. And actually, the vacuum packed ones are very workable in a cannister, at least I thought so. But... I'm sure it's totally the Noob thing.

Frank, I like the Mountain House vacuum packed meals also even though the 1-serving options are limited. I have no problem packing them efficiently. The smaller spaces around them are used for mid-day snack bars, etc.

It's been mentioned on other threads but the small Bareboxer canister is great for up to 3-day trips. Bought one last year and loved it. Bill-e-g uses one and suggested it to me. Link is http://www.bareboxer.com/products.htm . The only slight downside to them is they over engineered the 3 locking mechanisms w/ heavy pot metal (zinc/aluminum).

On the subject of used toilet paper, I use the small odor proof bags from REI and then place them inside one larger odor proof bag and carry it in a side pocket. It never goes into a food canister.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 07:01AM by bill-e-g.

Quote
Frank


And speaking of Mountain House, Yep, I had one pro-pak a day, and LOVED IT. In fact, it was so good, it provided motivation sometimes when we needed it. And actually, the vacuum packed ones are very workable in a cannister, at least I thought so. But... I'm sure it's totally the Noob thing.

You can't get five days of propaks in a Bare Boxer. I can get five days of food in, however, if everything flows together and can take some smashing....

I always repackage the MH meals. A 2 serving package is too much food for me. I always split those in half in freezer ziplocks. In ziplocks, you can squeeze a lot more food than in the original packaging. I keep one of the foil packets to use for reheating.

Quote
DantheMan
I always repackage the MH meals. A 2 serving package is too much food for me. I always split those in half in freezer ziplocks. In ziplocks, you can squeeze a lot more food than in the original packaging. I keep one of the foil packets to use for reheating.

Dan, sounds like good advice. There are other varieties of MH I would like to try that only come in 2-person packs.

By the way the original poster only made one post. Did we scare him off?

I'll throw my 2 cents in here. My first backpacking trip was in Yosemite and it was a total disaster! I was SUCH a rookie. It sounds like you are more of a planner than I am, so good for you! I think Yosemite is a great place to backpack, and who says you have to actually hike every day? Did anyone mention doing the High Camps Loop? It's a really nice hike and you can spend a couple days at Merced Lake and hike Half Dome as a day hike. A couple days at Glen Aulin would be nice also to explore the Grand Canyon of. Tulumune. You could also get a meal or two at one of the High Camps, although it isn't super remote camping, it might be a nice way to start.
Just a thought!

I had backpacked several times before, and only decided to backpack in Yosemite after exhausting all of the popular day hikes and really being tempted by the things on the map I just couldn't get to in one day. I planned a trip in September mirroring the southern portion of the high sierra camp loop (after the camps had closed). Let me now admit that I was definitely too delusional in my plans. I started off down the Rafferty Creek trail, made it 2/3 of the way to Vogelsang, found an impacted site, and called it a day. I made it to Vogelsang the next day and completely reformed my plans. I stayed in Vogelsang the next 3 nights and did day hikes from there (still awesome). I then hiked back down and managed to find a cabin overlooking Mono Lake and day hiked the Tuolomne area for the rest of my trip... My pack was too heavy for the elevation (which I was not conditioned for at the time), I had too much food, and September was a difficult time of year to pack for clothes-wise. It also got redonkulously cold the instant the sun went down which led to everyone being in bed from then until well after the sun came up the next day (no fires at that elevation). I still had a good time, but in light of that trip I offer this advice: Break your 7-8 day trip into two trips. Hike (Backpack) to an area, setup a base camp, and day hike from there for 2-3 days. You'll still get rid of the crowds and see things you couldn't get to from the road/trailheads, but save a lot of effort and back/foot breaking effort for a first timer. Good luck.