Re: North Rim backpacking/hiking

Hi,

For all the time I've been to Yosemite, both hiking and backpacking, I've somehow never managed to get atop the North Rim. (Yosemite Falls, Snow Creek, North Dome, etc.)

Wondering if you might share your favorite trips (starting from either the Valley or Tioga Road)...

1. Day hike. (4-14 miles)
2. Backpacking trip. 2-3 days, 6-12 mi/day (depending on trail conditions)

We are pretty strong and experienced backpackers. Some x-country route-finding, offtrail camping, or a bit of water-carrying to camp somewhere with a great view...All good. Escaping the insane crowds could be good too.

LisaT

my first sierra backpacking trip was last june. got lots of advice from the good folks on this site. my son and i started up old big oak flat trail, with the intention of going all the way to tenaya, across clouds rest, half dome and back down to happy isle. however, with flight delays and the remaining snow cover, we ended up shortening the loop - coming back down snow creek 3 nights later. we spent 3 glorious nights making this abreviated loop -- fantastic! obofrt was really cool and provided great views of el cap, bridalveil falls and the rest of the valley.



after loosing the trail to ribbon meadow, we cross-county'd a while and spent the first night well south of the meadow. the next day we found the trail again and popped out on el cap. really incredible feeling to know what you're standing on top of. we lingered, mesmerized, a while and made our way to yosemite falls. lingered a bit more and then headed up to yosemite point where we lingered, mesmerized. finally moved on and camped on north dome - awesome views of the valley and sunset. for a night on north dome, you do need to gather water in royal arches creek or the smaller creek that crosses the trail just after.




the next day we headed toward snow creek, lost the trail in the snow around indian ridge and cross-country'd around indian rock until we ran into the trail again along snow creek. followed the creek past the bridge to the valley's edge -- oh my, the views of half dome, cloud's rest, watkins, basket dome and glacier point were, well, mesmerizing. we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and camped there that night, and while the skies were clear, we experienced gale-force winds which kept us up most the night -- awesome.




the next morning, we decended snow creek trail and spent the rest of the day on bicycles, touring the valley floor. the day ended with pizza con cerveza on the curry village deck, before a night in backpacker's campground. the following morning, we hiked up the mist trail and camped around jmt/cr jct. on the last day of our magical week, we did half dome and returned to the valley for more pizza before driving back to fresno for the next day's flight back to indiana.

the north rim loop, highly publicized in backpacker magazine a few years ago, was a great introduction to yosemite and the sierras for us. in fact, we're returning next month to do a loop up the merced, back around tenaya lake and over cloud's rest -- can't wait!!!

EDIT by : bill-e-g - added [ img ] and [ /img] around faux toes



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2012 07:52PM by bill-e-g.

North Dome as a day hike from Porcupine Flat. Beautiful hike, great scenery and views of the Valley and Half Dome.

Read about it on our website.

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

You can't go wrong. Of course my Fav-o-rite is Chick-on Basket Dome...
when no one else is even thinking of going up there...

A great loop is Porcupine Flat to ND to Yose Falls to Yose Creek CG
and then the old overgrown road back up to Porc.
Done that a couple of times. It's sweet. YMMV

Out and back from Yose Creek Campground to top of Yosemite Falls and
then over to Eagle Peak. Purty sweet.

Tamarack Creek CG to top of El Cap and back.

Up Snow Creek...

It's all really nice. Pick pretty much anything and go for it.
You really can't go wrong.

Lots of trip reports and pictures and stuff on this site.
I can find a number of links if you like... ???

Have fun

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Quote
chick-on

A great loop is Porcupine Flat to ND to Yose Falls to Yose Creek CG
and then the old overgrown road back up to Porc.
Done that a couple of times. It's sweet. YMMV

I presume the old road you're referring to is Old Tioga Road. If it is, do you by any chance have photos of the road where it departs Yosemite Creek CG towards Porcupine Flat?

When I was there last fall, that part of the road (near Yosemite Creek CG) looked completely overtaken by downed trees. It was a lot more traversable farther away from the campground.

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Quote
plawrence
I presume the old road you're referring to is Old Tioga Road. If it is, do you by any chance have photos of the road where it departs Yosemite Creek CG towards Porcupine Flat?

Yes, Old Tioga

The last time I hiked that road was in 2005... trees fall... so maybe there is more.
In 2009 when we went down Yose Creek I didn't investigate much ...
They reopened that section of the campground so I guess it's time to go look again.

What I remember from the 2 times doing the road was a lot of smaller trees lining the
road at the beginning with maybe a few deadfall to start. The major deadfall area
was further up. I'll put up the photos I have for you.

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See.. I don't remember...
I put this set together quite a while ago for ... maybe you ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/yosemite.chick.on/OldTiogaRdYoseCreekCG

Mind you, this isn't "real backpacking" according to some people.

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It looks like your "keepin' it real" to me!

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"It is all very beautiful and magical here - a quality which cannot be described. You have to live it and breath it., let the sun bake it into you" - Ansel Adams

Thanks for the photos, I don't recall seeing most of them (though I do remember seeing the one with bear warning sign before).

If I'm guessing the locations correctly, it's around the area of these two photos of yours where the old road is a lot more obstructed with new deadfall. The road further east looks pretty much the same as it did when you took your photos of that portion of the road.





I think I had already posted a link to this 360º panorama of mine in a previous thread, but based on a couple of your shots in your Old Tioga Road set I think it's apropos:

Photosynth.net: 360º View from Old Tioga Road


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Here's one I posted last November: Snow Creek/Mt. Watkins Trip. Given the direct sun on the Snow Creek trail, I was really happy it was late November.