I'd been once before a few years ago and the Rae Lakes Loop is pretty popular. In addition there did seem to be a lot of JMT hikers.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
What's your snow camping experience? I think only Hetch Hetchy to Rancheria Falls is likely to not have accumulated snow by then (though it could snow at those elevations it'd likely melt in a few days). At that time, from the west, the Tioga Road will be closed. The road to Hetch Hetchy would be open (except maybe short closure if it snows for plowing), the Valley would be open, and the Glaciby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
My second backpack the last week of July, actually starting July 31, was a two-night trip from Devils Postpile, up Minaret Creek to Minaret Lake for the first night, then over the Minaret to Ediza route, camping the second night at Ediza. Minaret Lake is relatively uncrowded, Ediza's quite crowded, perhaps made worse so by the camping restriction disallowing camping on the south and east sides ofby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice pictures, thanks. Out of curiousity, where did you end up crossing the saddle between Elizabeth and Nelson? The correct crossing is at the crosshairs, here. In any case it looks ike you found the use trail pretty easily on the south side of the crossing.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The last week of July I did two eastern Sierra backpack trips, this is the first one, a four-night trip from Onion Valley over Kearsarge Pass, to Charlotte Lake, then over Glen Pass into the Rae Lakes, and westward over the ridge to 60 Lakes Basin. This was during a dry spell between monsoon pushes, giving excellent weather except for the day I left (Thursday) when at least I got back to Onionby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Matthes is awesome. Another option from Nelson is to go downstream from Nelson all the way to the Sunrise-Echo Valley trail, then you can go to Merced Lake, and loop back up to Tuolumne Meadows. Merced Lake is designated-campground only, so I'd plan somewhere else to camp, Babcock isn't too far from Merced and is nice.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Sage was a good find, thanks for the write-up. The beer in the new brewery, Mountain Rambler, is also pretty good. US-395, just south of Line St., on the east side.by ttilley - General Discussion
That's good to know, thanks. I looked them up on Yelp and they seem to have good feedback there as well.by ttilley - General Discussion
Here's another view of Round Top Lake, with flowers along the shore:by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice. On the more heavily used Round Top side of the crest I saw very nice flowers in a section between Frog Lake and Winnemucca, and beyond Round Top, but the "landscape of flowers" thing is missing due to the dry year.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
That's a beautiful area, and the climb further up to Lamarck Col is even nicer (given appropriate weather conditions)by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Given what I saw on my Fourth of July Lake trip (further north, near Carson Pass), I wouldn't worry too much about the mosquitoes. The rains have almost certainly allowed them to linger for a while, but their numbers are definitely decreasing, compared to my July 4 trip to Tuolumne Meadows and Matthes Lake.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I spent the weekend at Fourth of July Lake, in the Mokelumne Wilderness south of Carson Pass. I've camped here twice before, but only snow camping. It's much more crowded in summer (for both previous trips I had the lake to myself)...on the other hand, it was nice to be able to swim in the lake, and the area is quite pretty anyway. Mosquitoes: a few came out in the evening, not enough to botheby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
1) You'll likely be pitching a tent on any spare ground you can find around the backpackers camp - it will "fill up". 2) That's correct, I was told when I picked up my "Nelson Lake" permit for the Matthes trip that overnight parking at the Elizabeth Lake TH isn't allowed. Doesn't mean you won't see cars there that you reasonably suspect were, in fact, parked overnight...anyby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The Hoover Wilderness has a quota season, with reservations through the Bridgeport RD, through September 15.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
It's located here, right at the crosshairs.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I hiked over Nelson Pass and spent two nights camped at Matthes Lake last weekend, with the "in-between" day spent day-hiking on the hills south of Matthes, swimming in Matthes, etc. On Friday there were two other parties there, on Saturday I had the lake to myself. I spent Thursday night camping at Tuolumne Meadows, where the mosquitoes were generally not bad at all. Their numbers pby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Did you camp on the hill at the south end of Matthes on Friday? If so...I was the person on the rocks camped on the east side of Matthes.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Friday AM, 8 AM...I was the only person at the TM Wilderness office with a same-day reservation. There were a lot of people in the "11 AM" line, a large number of whom seemed to be looking for JMT "Donahue exit" permits.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The narrowest campfire range I remember...one drought year Inyo NF/Ansel Adams Wilderness had a restriction of no campfires below 9,000 ft., with the normal upper limit being 10,000. If you're right about the intent of the wording, I think I'd word it as "including areas below 6,000 feet, within designated wilderness and at High Sierra Camps" to clarify that the elevation limit appliby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One other thought specific to the current drought... The current monsoon air flow seems to have freshened up some high-country seasonal streams, but September is a ways off. I'd plan to camp by lakes or, at the very least, main-stem rivers.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
There were a lot of PCT hikers at the Tuolumne Meadows grill Sunday around 2 or so...decided to buy a sandwich in the store instead. Anyway, seems a lot of people made it through the desert sections despite the extreme drought. "Place Names of the Sierra Nevada" doesn't include Big Sam, either.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I have no specific information on those areas, hopefully someone else will chime in. I can say that the monsoon moisture seems to have freshened up some minor water flows. For example, the small tarns in the meadow at the top of Cathedral Pass are full, and there is water flowing through that meadow. The seasonal flow just west of Tuolumne Meadows campground is running, as are most but not all seby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
<blockquote>No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or cooking fire (including charcoal fires) within Yosemite National Park including designated Wilderness and at High Sierra Camps below 6,000 feet in elevation. Portable stoves using pressurized gas, liquid fuel, or propane are permitted as are alcohol stoves (with and without a shutoff valve) including alcohol tableby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek QuoteplawrenceWhat to you mean by "open fuel bottle". Obviously it means empty and left open to let any residue to evaporate. That is correct. Empty the bottle legally and safely. Leave it open and outside under cover overnight so any residue evaporates.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Mid-June I car-camped at Wawona then backpacked to Ostrander. Lots of mosquitoes in the evening at both Wawona and Ostrander, morning was fine at Wawona but buggy at Ostrander (I hate having to put on DEET before finishing breakfast, but had to do so). Mid-day was fine. I'm guessing the thunderstorms in May and early June provided enough moisture to bring the bugs out, then that mid-June weekeby ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Should add one other note...when I fly somewhere backpacking, assuming I'm staying somewhere the night before flying out, I leave the stove and open fuel bottle exposed to the air to give any fuel residue a chance to evaporate before packing it in checked luggage.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I can relate...they were really bad at Ostrander mid-June. I'd guess the May-and-early-June T-Storms gave them plenty of hatching locations despite the drought. And another Sierra T-Storm round is starting now.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yes, should have mentioned the fly...I close the thing when leaving.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice pictures, thanks for sharing them.by ttilley - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra