Recommendation for non-strenuous Tulomne area dayhike?

I will be staying at Yosemite lodge for a Sat night in early october. i have done many harder day hikes and backpacks (last hikes were Pohono trail overnight and halfdome oneday). i had major shoulder surgery 7 weeks ago for a torn labrum, etc so my recovery date for when i can start pushups, pullups, weights, etc is not until phys therapy concludes on Jan 1. i was bummed i did not squieze a Clouds rest overnight in before surgery and thought i was done seeing Yosemite until next year. Anyway my wife suggested i make an overnight reservation just to do a simple one armed bike ride around the vally floor or walk since she knows I miss it (im not allowed for now to lift anything yet heaveir than a cup of coffee and cant start running again until that weekend).

Current plan is to have my first run in 10 weeks on SUNDAY morning in the valley then bikeride for lunch. On SATURDAY though was thinking i could do an easy hike wo backpack in Tuolmne area. any recommendations for a Saturday hike? we would drive there sat morning from the bay area arriving around 9am. Will have a full Saturday before checking in at the lodge Sat night. would mt Hoffman be too hard (never have been there)

Thanks for any recommendations! so excited to get to run and see Yosemite one last time this year! definitely have added appreciation for health having to stop all my activities for a while...

Ted

Hike up Lyle Canyon as far as you feel comfortable, then turn around. http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road/lyell-canyon/lyell-canyon.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2012 11:46AM by hotrod4x5.

Pothole Dome itself would be my favorite. But there is also the hike around it, along the river and on to the the Little Devils Postpile.
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,58404,58404#msg-58404

Also: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,50432,50440#msg-50440

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,57351,57351#msg-57351

The great thing about Mount Hoffman is there are at least 5 places that you could get a great view and then turn around or continue further, if you were up for it. There is a great view of the Cathedral range and even a glimpse of Half Dome, before you even get to May Lake. May Lake is only about a mile from the trail head and not very steep. You can continue past May Lake and head up a bit for great views looking down on May Lake with Mount Conness and the Cathedral range behind.
See video here:



This would be a good turn around point, or you can continue up a bit further to where the trail levels off, and get a view of Mount Clark to the south. You can head up a bit more and the views keep improving. It's not too far to a plateau further up, but it is fairly steep. The trail levels off here, and there are a lot of marmots. I scared one marmot that ran under a rock. The marmot quickly ran back out when a badger chased him out. The summit is not much further, but it is steep class 2.

Can't go wrong with Pothole Dome or Lyle Canyon either.

Although I did not make it to the top of Mt. Hoffman this year when there (for a variety of stupid reasons), I did begin the trek up. I agree completely that this hike is filled with a variety of surprising / unexpected views. Even not making it to the top, it is one of the favorite places I have been in YOsemite. Next time, the top!. As you go up, you get increasingly better views of May Lake, surprising views of distant peaks, surprising meadows, etc. I even ran into some baby Marmots! At the point where I turned around, I think I had 270 degree views of the northern, eastern and part of the southern ranges of Yosemite. It was an incredible view. I was really really really disappointed that I had to turn around and head back down.f


The other disappointment is that we used the TM shuttle to get to and from the trailhead (from TM campground) and on our way back, it was a "no show". This was the third "no-show" for the shuttle we experienced in less than 24 hours. It was a problem. Apparently it is not confined to my experience as a ranger was telling me they've had the same experience, and have even had a shuttle driver drive past a group of people at a shuttle stop who were there with a ranger on a "tour". In that case, passengers on the shuttle complained to the driver and he turned around and went back and picked them up. Not sure what is going on . It's a great service, but it needs to work as advertised. I plan to talk to Delaware North about that soon.

Thank you for the great suggestions! very much appreciated. This forum and the people here are awesome so thanks again!

Ted

Mount Watkins would be another great non-strenuous hike in the area. Wherever did a great write up here.
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,57351,57351#msg-57351
Oops. Looks like Wherever already has that link above.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/2012 11:39AM by yosemitejim.