Logistical questions for GCT backpacking trip 8/5-8/9

Many questions for our first Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne trip coming up. We’re going in at White Wolf, first night Harden Lake, then on to canyon and Tuolumne meadows.
Trail conditions: Any recent news/reports? Are there any difficult river crossings or other things we should be aware of in the canyon? And is TM a meadow or a marsh?
Parking: Can we park a car at the TM Wilderness center? Can we park another car at White Wolf? Is the parking at WW right at the trailhead?

Thanks for any info and help!

Ken

re parking at WW--with WW lodge closed this year (every year?) there's normally parking in small lot in front of lodge. assume gate into campground will be closed, since campground will remain closed this year. question is status of access road between tioga road and lodge, about a mile or so in. yes, you can get right on trail to Harden from the lot. starts as a fire road. I recall seeing cars parked along tioga when access road closed, so you can still loop by adding a mile's walk-in.

The road in to White Wolf is not currently open, and the Wilderness Conditions report from 7/26 does not give an estimated opening date. It may be open by the time you start, but you should be ready to hike roughly one mile from the Tioga Road to White Wolf. If the timing worked out, you could try taking YARTS from Tuolumne Meadows to White Wolf to avoid leaving a car there.

I seem to remember reading somewhere (an earlier wilderness conditions report, maybe?) saying the creeks were flowing strong along the Tuolumne River, and that Return Creek was the most challenging crossing.

Thanks for the help.
We got a campsite at Tamarack Flat for the night before we go in and we'll take the YARTS shuttle to White Wolf Road and Tioga and hoof it from there to the trail head since the road is closed.
The YARTS Shuttle Stop is next to the TM Store. So I think we will plan to park at Lembert Dome Trailhead parking since that's the closest to the Store and we will be coming out on that trail at the end of our hike. Make sense?

Ken



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2023 09:08PM by klsmith1953.

So forget what I said about White Wolf road being closed... it opened this weekend. I had not seen or heard anything about it going to open up, so I was surprised when I drove up to Yosemite on Sunday and was able to drive all the way in to the Lodge/trailhead parking lot. If you want to stage a car at TM and drive another to White Wolf, that would certainly work, and probably be the most convenient. There was plenty of parking available this morning (Monday, 7/31) along the road from Lembert Dome parking to the TM stables.

If you still want to try YARTS, I would confirm where they are picking up at in Tuolumne Meadows. The TM store is not open, so I'm not sure if they are still using that location for pick up. I'm also not sure if they'll drive in to White Wolf proper or just drop you off at the Tioga Rd/White Wolf Rd junction.

Thanks!
We've decided do one car from S. Cruz, and then to park at Lembert Dome and get the YARTS shuttle which is currently stopping just West of the Store. The shuttle will take us up White Wolf Road to the Lodge and trailhead, and then off we go.

K