Most likely you're seeing the impacts of the Fergusson Fire (2018) (Wawona to Chinquapin) and the Railroad Fire (2017) (Fish Camp/Bass Lake).by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Glacier Point will be closed around New Years this year, unless you (and your photographer) are willing to hike to it from the valley. Even then, a large snowstorm could close the trail to Glacier Point at any time. Your best bets in Yosemite around New Years would be somewhere in the valley. Also, depending on group size and equipment (lights, reflectors, assistants, etc.), your photographeby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebalzaccom This is wild, rugged country. That route over Deadwood Peak, down into the Mokelumne Canyon, and then up Jackson Canyon is a sufferfest even today---and we've been working on some of those trails for a while now. Amazing adventure. [...] I will concur. Even though the closest I got to this route was where the "trail" ascends to Munson Meadow, I remember the outlet ofby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The base plan (approx $14/month) includes 10 custom messages per month--sent or received; each additional is 0.50. You'll want to ask people who will be sending you messages to use fewer/larger messages (up to 160 chars w/o emoji) instead of one.. message.. per... line like some people do in SMS.by basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
You really can't go wrong with the Garmin InReach Mini, but you'll need a smartphone to use with it. I'd avoid the Spot-series messengers--they're not as reliable. You can pay for service on a month-by-month basis if you don't use it year-round, and for emergency/non-chatty use the basic $15-ish plan should be sufficient. If you don't need multi-day battery life the original Mini might be fineby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I'm not aware of any maps or such that have a trail in this location... My first guess was maybe it's a gutter/ditch to keep water off 120, but it looks like one of your pictures has a switchback in it, so that wouldn't make sense, and I suspect anything built for the current BOF would be more modern (concrete, etc., not just stacked rocks). Maybe it was a "shortcut" trail from theby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteThe Other Tom Yeah, the two L2 chargers are the only ones I see in Lee Vining, but I've seen youtube videos of people traveling from Reno to S. California in an EV. There are plenty of chargers along the way to facilitate that drive. And people have driven EVs into Yosemite Valley as well, which has chargers. 395 has good fast-charging coverage between Reno and So Cal--just not near Leeby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteThe Other Tom By the way, there are several public chargers in Lee Vining. Plugshare lists only two J1772 (a/k/a "slow" ) charge ports--are there additional ports not yet listed on Plugshare? The closest fast chargers to Lee Vining I can find are Mammoth Lakes (Tesla), Bridgeport (CCS), or Bishop (Tesla and CCS).by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Perhaps related to this: Valley Traffic Changes? Specifically, maybe Northside Drive between the Lodge and the Village is going to be one-way heading west, so the buses have to go all the way around to return to Curry or the Village?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Realistically this year, you'll likely need to hike all the way to Illilouette Creek to find reliable water. There are a few small creeks that cross the trail between the Merced River and Illilouette Creek that may have water, so you might get lucky, but I wouldn't count on them this year in July. Another option would be to carry water up from the Merced River and dry-camp somewhere legal but sby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuotePohono Stopped at Fern Spring today and noticed a sign stating "Non-Potable Water." Folks have been drinking that water since time began. Has something changed to affect the quality? Also noticed the dearth of vegetation around the spring. Not typical for that area. My guess would be that any water that's not routinely tested as being potable might have a "non-potable"by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteksllxmfcai Thank you very much for the answers they are very helpful Quotebalzaccomall along Illiloutte Creek and the Upper Merced you will find flat places with no vegetation, not too far from water, and already showing previous use as a campsite. How would we find those areas if they are also some distance away from the trail? There will be many sites visible from the trail along thiby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuotebalzaccomI wonder how they handle the situation with lodging like the new Rush Creek--which is just outside of the park. I believe in the past reservations in Yosemite West and the private Wawona accommodations counted as in-park reservations for the purposes of the day-use permit, but not reservations outside the park (Rush Creek/Evergreen, El Portal, or Fish Camp areas...)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It looks like yes: Badger Pass, but... Remember that the grooming--everything between and including the parallel tracks--is primarily for x/c skiers. Snowshoers and post-holers should travel on the outside of the tracks (the shoulders of the GP road) to avoid damaging the groomed surface and tracks, and to stay out of the way of skiers who will likely be moving much faster. The general rulby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Installing new chargers would require running wire and conduit, with the requisite trenching and re-paving--assuming there is sufficient electrical capacity to begin with. For some reason, they also seem to have installed the chargers in between the parking spaces instead of at the front, so there was a net loss of approx. 1 parking spot per pair of chargers. The valley had only one Tesla desby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm reading reports (e.g. from PlugShare.com) that the destination (L2) EV chargers in Yosemite Valley are temporarily down as of Nov. 17. They are being replaced with Rivian chargers. Since the new ones will (also) be J1772 L2 chargers, they will work with all EVs, not just Rivians. One report is that the upgrade will be finished in a few days--hopefully before Thanksgiving! Until it's cby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are in fact two small dams here. They were built to prevent the Merced River from flowing down the gulley that the (upper) Mist Trail climbs and damaging the trail. I think they were constructed for or by the Snows of Casa Nevada fame.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This is a really neat map... Thanks! It's interesting that the surveyed route of the main railroad south of Chinquapin doesn't match the known grade--the Deer Camp and Alder Creek trails. My guess would be that the railroad was later built to the east of this surveyed route after the park service exchanged lands along the Wawona road with those further to the east to preserve an unlogged corriby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I doubt anyone has done this hike recently--the Ten Lakes trail has been closed due to the Blue Jay Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/6888/58260/. Also, as of October 15, there is no overnight parking on the Tioga Road, so even if the trail wasn't closed, you'd need to get dropped off or would have to start in Yosemite Valley. Normally for this time of year there might be stagnaby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Normally Camp 4 is the winter backpacker's campground, but since it's closed due to COVID-19, the only alternative is the Hetch Hetchy's backpacker's campground--although I'd call a ranger to make sure you can camp there for a non-Hetch Hetchy trailhead if that's the case. Normally dispersed camping outside the park would be an option, but is currently not allowed in any of the adjacent nationalby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Commercial traffic through Yosemite has always been prohibited. AFAIK there is no special treatment for through traffic (except for locals) when the park is open--you need a reservation to enter at any of the gates, which they check against a list of names and your ID. Having done this several times, they were enforcing the reservations at the various entrances, and I saw quite a few vehicles tby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From the website (as of 9/21, in case someone later stumbles on this thread...): Current conditions: "Yosemite is closed to all visitors due to significant smoke impacts and hazardous air quality throughout the park. Through traffic is allowed; visitors must remain with their vehicle. The park is closed to recreation." Various roads: "Open to through traffic only. When parkby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There is a backpacker campground near the Glen Aulin HSC--it's north of the camp itself, and it will be open for camping (although the toilets and running water may not be). Since the camp is closed, there won't be any canvas tents erected--but the backpacker camp isn't right next to the HSC anyway. Most established sites are visible from the trail--but otherwise, you just have to look at thby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Quotechick-on If you're carrying overnight gear in Yosemite you are required to have a wilderness permit. Ok, maybe not nebulous. It's pretty clear. But I'm easily confoozed. This was clarified to close a "loophole" where peak baggers and others would carry overnight gear just in case they couldn't do their trip as a day trip--and likely fully knowing and expceting that they couldby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I agree with the Great Pink One on this... I'd add that I suspect the park service would discourage--if not forbid--using this new trailhead to go to Young Lakes in lieu of the two Young Lakes permits--they generally view such things as subverting the trailhead quota mechanism. One more wild guess: it's only recently that the area just outside the park to the north of the Great Sierra Mine waby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
That's not bad. I've been in the line to enter the park when it's backed up past the Tioga Lake campground entrance. Were there still a number of cars parked outside the park and (presumably) walking in?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nope, just grabbed the first hit in the search. I have an old (1990's?) edition and a more recent one (2010-ish) and there are some relatively minor differences: the older one covers Poopenaut Valley, suggesting it as a way to get a quick dip in the Tuolumne after a hike (while downplaying the long, hot, steep climb back to the car...); the newer one replaces this hike with Preston Falls. And tby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
According to the Schaffer book there was no Camp 13, and I think Schaffer claims that Camp 14 was in the former Iron Spring area (which is still on the USGS maps between the Tenaya Creek bridge and Mirror Lake).by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You will need a reservation to enter the park for day use: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm. They are available on this website: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/300015by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Because it's also the PCT, there are many decent / impacted campsites between Glen Aulin and McCabe/Return Creek. You should be able to get water from Cold Creek, except perhaps in the meadow. I don't think you should have any problems getting water along Rogers Creek/Meadow in late July--but you may need to find a place where the creek isn't completely absorbed by sand in the meadow, such asby basilbop - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra