Re: May Lake to glen Aulin to Tuolumne Meadows 08/05, 08/06, 08/07

Hi there. I spotted the thread about the backcountry conditions but I'm hoping for some more up to date information if it's available.

My group will be hiking from May Lake to Glen Aulin next Friday (08/05); sleeping at Glen Aulin; doing a day trip down stream into the valley there on Saturday and hiking out to tuolumne meadows on Sunday.

Fitness isn't an issue and casual hiking is common for this group but none of us are back country experts (all with some experience though).

In the other thread somebody mentioned the necessity of compass skills. Do you think the trails will be clearer next weekend? I've done this route twice before (2009 and 2010) but only in September and there was no visible snow then. Additionally, a link to a reliable source for a high country weather forecast would be amazing.

Also, I'm planning for the worst, but, any current mosquito info from anyone who's been up there in the last few days?

Thanks for any tips. I apologize for redundancy w/any other posts but I feel like its a fast changing scenario up there right now and I'm hoping for the most current info (or even a well seasoned estimate).

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Scogg

My group will be hiking from May Lake to Glen Aulin next Friday (08/05); sleeping at Glen Aulin; doing a day trip down stream into the valley there on Saturday and hiking out to tuolumne meadows on Sunday.

... a link to a reliable source for a high country weather forecast would be amazing.

That valley downstream from the Glen Aulin HSC (High Sierra Camp) IS Glen Aulin:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/place_names_of_the_high_sierra/g.html
(The HSC was initially in the valley but was relocated to its present site because of a mosquito problem.)

Here is the NOAA website link for the area around May Lake:
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.84720589601068&lon=-119.48936462402344&site=hnx&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text
(You can move the forecast area by clicking on the map.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2011 09:47AM by szalkowski.

Thanks for the links Szalkowski. The forecast is exactly what I was after.

I guess I knew that valley was Glen Aulin I was more trying to differentiate it from the camp there.

Thanks again. Any further info would be appreciated.

The only thing you should worry about is mosquitos...

(we were just in the general area last Sat-Tue)
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,42824

There will still be small patches of snow here and there... but if you can't keep the trail...
Also... if you are going up Hoffman the gully by the lake is still holding snow...

Next weekend the weather looks purr-fect (as usual)

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Thanks Chick-On. The trails are pretty well defined so I was having a hard time imagining there still being enough snow to make them invisible. That post about compass skills had me wondering though. We'll be fine.

I've got my DEET and Permethrin ready and my fingers crossed that the weather holds.

This trip is for my mom's 60th birthday. She's spent a lot of time in the woods in OR but never CA (and never Yosemite). She's going to love it.

Hopefully May Lake Road opens by then so you can drive to the closest TH and not
have to walk the road. (it wasn't open last Saturday)
Expect a weeeee bit of snow.... but IMO if you lose the trail... you're trying to...

Happy Bird-day 2 your mommy

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The map and compass comment was probably from me. I was on that trail three weeks ago and a few miles of trail between Glen Aulin and May Lake was completely snow covered.
By now most of it will have melted out, so navigating by just following the trail should be fine. I would still never venture out into the back country without a map and compass and the skills to use them however, but that's just me.

A nice thing about a compass is that many of them are lightweight, and they don't require batteries!

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plawrence
A nice thing about a compass is that many of them are lightweight, and they don't require batteries!

I just bring a sewing pin and make one if I really need one.

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A compass is one is one of those things that's been nagging at me for a bit now. Maybe I'll snag one for this trip and figure it out as I go It's clearly not wasted weight.

Thanks for the clarification and reminder Katy.

Quote
Scogg

A compass is one is one of those things that's been nagging at me for a bit now. Maybe I'll snag one for this trip and figure it out as I go It's clearly not wasted weight.

This is the one I carry around in the wilderness with me. I'm very pleased with its functionality: Suunto M-3D

@katy: Personally, I just pray for direction. Like Faith Healing but applied to route finding.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2011 01:38PM by Scogg.