I hiked a small part of that trail a decade or so ago. On the Beasore/Sierra Scenic Byway, turn towards the Granite Creek TH just south of Clover Meadows. The year I hiked there was a 3' tree across the road about a mile from the TH. The Theodore Solomons trail shares the pretty non-existent tread of the California riding and hiking trail (something like that). There's actually a bookby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
As I enter my 66th year, I am curious about an experience I had when 19 in the late spring of 1972. It started out as a day hike in Yosemite Valley that started at Mirror Lake. We had camped at Camp 4, and after partying late into the night, left later than we might have. We hiked up the trail, made a left turn up the wall paralleling Snow Creek, walked up and around Indian Rock down to Northby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
https://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/shopping-supplies-groceries/#tuolumne-meadows-store According to the above website, the Tuolomne Meadows Store will open May 25.by Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Here's a reference for the store opening date... https://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/shopping-supplies-groceries/by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've hiked this section numerous times, and what sticks out is Bubb's Creek south of Vidette Meadow. Be sure to camp in this section before leaving the woods and starting up the north side of Forester. It mixes a gorgeous burbling stream, green ground cover, decent sized trees and stunning alpine views. Also, if you go in late June you'll be running into PCT hikers. It would be worth spenby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Your description brings back memories. I hiked the Tahoe Yosemite trail - which does or used to go down Summit City Canyon to the Mokelumne River in 1976. I remember hiking on use trails and by flagging tied in the trees. The crossing of the Mokelumne River was a bit intense. Then there was a huge tree that had fallen halfway cross the river. We shimmied the 80' or so to the end of the log,by Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
http://www.hillmap.com/ There are a bunch of mapping programs out there, but I found this one to be "feature rich." You can look at different maps, draw in a route with elevation and mileage notations at each marker, add waypoints with a big note box, create a link for a map, and on and on. Great resource... Jeff Laramie, WYby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Park at Lake Tenaya and hike up Murphys Creek to the shoulder of Tuolomne Peak. Beware of the three or four false summits. At the shoulder is a tarn. There is a beauteous tarn 100 yards above that one that provides some of the most spectacular views in Yosemite. You lounge around on rough granite slabs, staring out over the Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne, 5000' below you, across to mesmerizby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Anybody have any more stories/information to add to this thread?by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Another option is to use a trash bag inside the pack to keep stuff dry and a silnylon poncho that only covers the torso. I gave up using a rain"coat" years ago because I sweat so much I get soaked no matter what the temperature or whether the hike is flat, downhill or uphill. The poncho actually breathes much better than any raincoat could. A friend who flies a lot got thickeby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I wonder how many of us have "dead tree falling" stories. Mine is as follows. Three of us camped in the upper reaches of Five Fingers Basins in the Absorokas out of Dubois, WY. We were at 11,000', about timberline, in the last grove of decent sized trees before total exposure. Just as we were settling into our respective tents, a huge, elongated, five second "craaaaaaaaaaaacccby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We stayed one night at the campground and there were two other campers. Jeffby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
We visited Cottonwood Lakes and Miter Basins lasts week and encountered no snow. These are basins reached from Horseshoe Meadows, off the Whitney Portal Road. There was 99.9999% bare rock in both basins. There is still water flowing in both bains out of the lakes into the streams that make up Rock Creek. There are herds of bighorn sheep in the lake bowls in Miter Basin. The alpha male ofby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Has anyone gone over New Army Pass or up into Miter Basin and over Crabtree Pass in the last week? Just curious what snow conditions are as I'm headed up for 9 days Monday ... Jeffby Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
If you're doing camp centered hiking and will be spending a couple years lugging other people's stuff, then brand and such really don't matter. I'd focus on cost and buy used. Craigslist is a wonderful place to find used equipment. For example, I've got a little used, large internal frame pack - about 7 pounds - I used 15 or 20 times for short trips in winter for sale - new about $300. I'by Jeffrey Olson - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
There are Grizzlies in the Wind River Range - many of them wear radio collars. When going into the Absorokas out of Dubois, WY a couple years ago, an ex-backcountry ranger said he'd never go in that country without a rifle because of the prevalence of Grizzlies. The packers we met as we headed up into the Five Pockets area asked if we were carrying weapons and when we said no, they just shook tby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I once read that 95% of California's water is used by agriculture, and that rationing in the cities supports cheap water for agribusiness.by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I just read my own story for the first time in a couple years, and am choosing not to go back there again... LOL Jeff...by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm referencing the first post in this thread. I was camped in the rain on a flat spot in the brush near the bridge crossing Milk Creek on the flanks of Glacier Peak. My partner went to hang our stuff off the bridge and came back a bit bemused. There is a gorgeous 30 miles round trip from the Suiattle River trailhead that heads up the river, over it, up to the PCT, traverses Glacier Peak, andby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
However, you don't need an exit permit if you don't want to climb Mt. Whitney. I've heard though, if you want to climb Mt. Whitney, a permit is much easier to get if you enter and leave from the west. You might hike from Horseshoe Meadows over Trail Pass, down to Corral Meadow to the Kern River. Then you hike north up the river and head east at Wallace Creek or Tyndall Creek. Wright Lakeby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Note the two hiking pole stab holes - it was FRESH!!! (This is the last one... Thanks for the instructions)by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Top of Yosemite Falls, June 2011by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It worked - 10 Lakes from Pass looking east, End of June, 2011by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You also might consider Trail Pass from Horseshoe Meadows if you are not absolutely sure of the day/time you're going to pick up your permit. There is no quota going up to the PCT from here, although it is five or so miles longer than from Horseshoe Meadows over Cottonwood Pass. Also, just before you enter Sequoia National Park on the PCT, the trail does a horseshoe. At the head of the horsesby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The flat area just east of the Cassidy Bridge is sandy, flat, and well-shaded with giant pine trees and Maples. I think at the height of the flood - 100 year storm is my guess - the flats get washed. This is not true for the Crossing upstream - Miller Crossing. There are two well-established horse camps at least, with shelves and benchs and fire pits and garbage... Jeff.by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've taken two hikes into the Sierra National Forest and both involved trails that were being allowed to disappear. The first was from the Granite Creek Trailhead down the south wall of the Middle Fork of the SanJoaquin to the bridge at Cassidy Crossing, or Lower Miller Crossing. The trail disappears once you reach the rim of the canyon. It's steep and not too hard to intuit where the trail goby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
While it's been nearly a month since I last posted, I thought I'd share one photo of a typical large blowdown. This was between Granite Stairway and CArgyle Meadow on the Granite Stairway map in the previous post. 35 miles of this... 100s of blowdowns... Most not this big, but we were off trail probably 30 to 40% of the time... http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2196032650081823371KqwMyBby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When my friend who took pictures sends me the cd, I'll post a couple. Jeff.by Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Two friends and I just finished a circumambulation of the Ritter Range starting at Tuolumne Meadows. We took the PCT to Reds Meadow. From there we headed west up to king Creek, Granite Stairway, Corral Meadow, Hemlock Crossing, south and west to Granite Creek, then up to Isberg Pass back into yosemite. We took the trail along the east bench above the Merced River and ran into 10 blow downs. Not bby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm headed over Donohue on the 17th of June to circumambulate the Minarets/Ritter/Banner range. Just wondering if anyone has been over it, or over Vogelsang Pass lately? Much snow? Thanks... Jeff, Rapid City, SDby Jeffrey Olson - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion