Re: Trail to Vernal Fall

I'm going to Yosemite Valley with a few friends who have never been to Yosemite on April 14, 2012.

I was wondering if anyone knew if the trail that leads even up to where the bridge is (below Vernal Fall) would be clear and open?

"The Weather Channel" has a ten day forecast, showing that particular Saturday being sunny with some clouding, but with a 20% chance of percip in the valley, but I don't know anything about whether the trail is open yet.

I also imagine that there won't be any climbers for them to see on El Cap either this early in the year?

any info would be appreciate.

It doesn't close. Clear might be another matter...

i hope it is... it would be great if the Mist Trail was, but i'm pushin' my luck now. lol

Isn't there a way around the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls? I thought some one had mentioned that.

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jackolive
Isn't there a way around the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls? I thought some one had mentioned that.

Yes, you just go up the JMT top Clark Point and then down the connector trail to Vernel.

Yeah, that's it. Thanks eeek! Should they all be open by now anyhow?

To the bridge, heck... all the way to Nevada will be clear and open.
Yes, a storm is a coming, already there... but it will still be clear
and open in a day or two afterwards.
There were a zillion people jumping the gate and taking the Mist
Trail to top o Vernal yesterday.

Have fun

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The trail before the bridge I have seen covered in snow and ice, but that was in December 2010 when we had that big snow year. I doubt there is anything on it now.

We will be taking my nephew and his girlfriend to Yosemite the week of April 30th, so unless something crazy happens, is The Mist usually open (offically) by then? Also, any guess on Glacier Pt Rd? Our other hope was to do Senitnel dome to Taft Pt.

We are also going to check out some trails around Hetch Hetchy later in the week, thinking of Wapama Falls. I know we need to be careful with water flows over the bridge there, but any other suggestions/tips? Is there a geo marker by this trail by chance?

Thanks all!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2012 11:23AM by JRo27.

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JRo27
We will be taking my nephew and his girlfriend to Yosemite the week of April 30th, so unless something crazy happens, is The Mist usually open (offically) by then? Also, any guess on Glacier Pt Rd? Our other hope was to do Senitnel dome to Taft Pt.

We are also going to check out some trails around Hetch Hetchy later in the week, thinking of Wapama Falls. I know we need to be careful with water flows over the bridge there, but any other suggestions/tips? Is there a geo marker by this trail by chance?

Thanks all!

I don't think Mist is usually open by then. And typically not the GP road either.

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JRo27

Also, any guess on Glacier Pt Rd? Our other hope was to do Senitnel dome to Taft Pt.

Very unlikely that Glacier Point Road will be open to visitor vehicle traffic before May. Even if all the road is plowed by then, the Park Service usually takes at least one week or two to fix up the road and cut down and remove any trees that might have fallen in the winter, or had been weaken to pose a danger to people traveling down Glacier Point Road. But with this year's amount of snowfall, I wouldn't be surprised if the road maybe opens a week later AFTER your visit.
.

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JRo27
We will be taking my nephew and his girlfriend to Yosemite the week of April 30th, so unless something crazy happens, is The Mist usually open (offically) by then? Also, any guess on Glacier Pt Rd? Our other hope was to do Senitnel dome to Taft Pt.

We are also going to check out some trails around Hetch Hetchy later in the week, thinking of Wapama Falls. I know we need to be careful with water flows over the bridge there, but any other suggestions/tips? Is there a geo marker by this trail by chance?

Thanks all!

I'd expect the Mist Trail to be open by then. It could have been open Tuesday. There were grandma's and four year olds on it.
(I'm not kidding)

Geo Markers. Ok, along Hetch Hetchy Road itself... if you want to do a small "fairly simple" xcountry trek you can find one
atop "Poopenaut". Parking may be somewhat of an issue and it may be somewhat difficult to find without a good topo map.
If interested I can give more details. Kinda neat b/c those are stamped Poopenaut.
On the dam itself ... on the water side, south where the main road is. There is a HHWS marker.
On the other side right before the tunnel on the canyon side is a bench marker...
Then on the first switchback is another marker.

Here's Gmap4 with Bench Markers

If you find anything other than those ... please tell... I have only seen one Bench Mark on the dam itself

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Others have already mentioned but...I went up there on April 5th with a first timer. The bathroom and sink were closed down but the trail was fine. Pretty chilly during the day unless your movin around. Mist trail was closed.

was it closed because it still has a lot of snow on the trail? or for other reasons?

Closed for other reasons. It looked like some construction was going on. Up until the bridge there was no snow at all and totally clear.

The other reasons are ice and ice. Both falling from above and from the mist itself freezing overnight
or due to a cold front blasting thru. As long as the steps are visible it CAN be pretty safe if you have
the correct gear like microspikes or kahtoolas thing-a-dings. Of course you should not follow
what others do just cause they do it. Do what you are comfy with.
At times of the year the Mist is actually safer than the JMT with the snow.
Last Sat. it looked like this:

The steps from near the dead tree ... thru the rock and till you are out of the mist were
covered in a layer of ice. There is a guy in those goofy five finger footy things in this photo off
the trail... we blasted by him with spikes on. He said to us "guess I picked the wrong footwear".
Last Tues there was zero ice on the trail.

Have fun

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It's snowing in the valley right now... so ... well... you do the math...

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