Zipped to Yosemite to stay two nights in a heated tent cabin on Christmas day. Arrived at mid day and had a nice walk up out of Tunnel View to inspiration point- it was snowing lightly for the entire walk. Made our way down and got checked in about a half hour early which was nice (5pm check in is pretty crazy in my opinion). We had known that finding a meal on Christmas night might be a challengby lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Sounds much better than hanging at home! Thanks for the report-by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Oh dang- so sorry that was your Yosemite experience...hopefully back again before too long!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks folks- I was also on yesterdays 4pm call JKW, and yes I had inquired in the chat and he said nope. Have to sit through again unless within 2 weeks. They may have changed the policy as they got going because I seem to remember early on that you only had to attend once. It is fine though and good to get current conditions. Plus it is easy to work on a project whilst listening in Hopeby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hi folks- I thought I read somewhere that you only had to sit through the wilderness permit zoom ranger talk once this season... I just go the email for my second permit of the season but there is no mention of skipping the orientation... has anyone experienced this? I can l always sit through it again but am happy to skip if that is an option. Thanks for any info- Happy Hikingby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Enjoyed the video!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice report, thanks!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hi there- We have a permit at the end of the month to do a loop out of White Wolf down Pate Valley through grand canyon of the tuolumne, through Glen Aulin, and back via ten lakesf (so happy that Yos will now be open for our permit). We have done this loop once before and really loved it. Looking forward to seeing these areas again. This time instead of four nights we want to stretch it to fivby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Upper Pines. It will show several sites available (late March, not now) and when you try to book... nothing. Buttons do not work. I will try to call but not sure with shutdown. It is very frustrating.by lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Before the credit card---by lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have been trying to book a campsite for the past several days and it says there are some available but you cannot book. It is like the button is broken... So annoying. Perhaps there are not any available anyway... but it is frustrating when they show available and then you can't book it. This is for late March.by lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I love the pinks in that sky!by lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for taking the time to write up this report. I really enjoyed it and your storytelling. Where do you live?by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks for the report- looks like a nice trip. Those are some big trees.....by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Enjoy your trip Wild Bill- it is an amazing place... I never tire of it!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
WOW- great pictures! I am happy to see you guys are back in Yosemite!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Wow- that is so cool! I had no idea this existed but I really enjoyed watching that little line traverse all over the place. Thank you for sharingby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks everyone for all of the replies. It really makes us feel better to see the comments and know that we are not alone in modifying an itinerary and that it is "all good". Thanks so much- and here's to another trip in the near future! PS- yes, ags they are prepared wraps by a local vendor here in the Santa Cruz Bay Area of California. They are very tasty and quite healthy. Thiby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I knew she was just giving us the company line! I was not confident enough to explore and figure out a good back up option...by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
With the best of intentions and words of wisdom from Chick-on we headed out for a much needed romp in the Yosemite backcountry. We started from glacier point panorama trail head (only permit we could secure) around 2pm and went the required minimum distance, beyond Buena Vista trail, to our first camp. We were not alone. I follow the JMT yahoo group and am well aware that many JMT'ers start tby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yes, I would love to know your favorite spots around Echo Valley! I don't have GPS only old school paper map so I will try to find from any description you can give me. Good to know about water so we will get from Merced and stay close by there (at your favorite spot perhaps?) and then get water out of sunrise for the climb up to Clouds Rest (kind of a long way to carry for the day, evening meby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks! Glad you are back but I bet you would rather be in da woods!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Great thanks- since you are familiar with the area, do you recall any good spots to camp between merced lake and echo valley junction? This crazy 8 will have us staying somewhere along bunnel cascade night one, bernice lake night two, then going up and around vogey and staying between merced lake and echo valley jxn night three, then up around clouds rest night four... these spots are basicallby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Chick-on is BACK!!!!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hi Folks- Heading out for a five day "crazy 8 loop" and looking at staying the second night at Bernice Lake. On my map it looks to be in a nice rock area (which we like) but the photos I found online make it look rather small, and mainly in a green area. Can anyone who has been there offer more insight? Is it a nice place to camp for the night? I did see on the BackPackTheSierra sitby lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks for that trip report. Heading out in a couple of weeks and wanted to spend one night "near" clouds rest. Are there any tricks to finding the campsites or are they pretty straight forward/ hard to miss? I realize we will need to dry camp but since I have never been to Clouds rest I am not sure what to picture and how to find the campsites....by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks for the great trip report. Looks lovely!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice report! I was surprised you had to cross all that snow!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I have really gotten sensitive to campfire smoke the last few years. I really cannot stand it. In Crane Flat a few weeks back it was so bad in the MORNING (the night was also very bad) that we just rolled out of bed, packed up, and made our coffee and oatmeal at the big oak ranger station. Nice clean air (car exhaust only) and the people watching was out of this world!!by lilagray - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hi- I was hiking with my aunt out to Sentinel Dome on Sunday, June 5 and there was rescue personnel posted up at the trail head asking everyone to help look for a woman that went missing the afternoon before and had spent the night in the wilderness. She was separated from her group. When we came out a couple of hours later they were gone so I figured they found her... but have been unable to finby lilagray - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion