Just hike the loop. Math sucks, hiking rules. Seriously, you get some nice views of the valley hiking from Sentinel to Taft, on the outer part of the loop. We usually go counterclockwise and have a snack here and there. Don't let the squirrels get too close - keep 'em wild!by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's strenuous for someone who doesn't hike regularly. Probably moderate for someone who hikes monthly at least. The hardest part for me was the granite - but that was in full sun and I am susceptible to heat. You also need to know when the moon rises. Sometimes it doesn't rise til early morning.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotehotrod4x5 Use your GPS track back feature to find your way in the dark if trail finding is hard. Saved my butt a few times. ??? Like all Yosemite trails that are popular, that one is a highway. Just take a headlamp and pay attention to signs. There are only a couple of intersections.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The other option you have for resupply is to have a packer bring in your stuff - expensive, but an option. I would list out preferred trailheads and make a run at a walk up permit the day before I wanted to start hiking - but be ready to start the day I walk in. If you go in midweek your chances of a walk up are increased. Also remember that reserved permits are turned loose if no one claims tby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebill-e-g Or this: btw you can't see HD from Taft... you can from Turlock though All you can see from Taft is more of Taft. Alas for the Taftians....by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I plan to get married (if I ever try that again) on Forester Pass. It should whittle the guest list down quite a lot.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I would take her to Tuolumne Meadows for a stroll out into the (hopefully dry) grass and wildflowers until apart from the ravening crowds, and do the knee drop. After handing off the iPhone to someone to take video. We were the videographers for a nice young couple on top of Mt Dana - he whispered to us if we would video it with his phone. What a great place to propose. They were a sweet couplby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Are you comfortable with class 2-4 ascents? Experience with glacier travel? Have a look at Summit Post.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We're going the first weekend of May. After going to Hite Cove, I fear that it will be HOT then... but since we're climbing up in elevation I'll get going early as possible and hope.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotey_p_w I believe it would be legal to camp at the summit, although I suppose a quick-developing lightning overnight thunderstorm would be a possibility. I've been on CR once, and it was an amazing experience. What happened to being the required distance from the trail? The trail goes over the summit.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechicagocwright At the Sportmen's Show I spoke with several rangers over the last couple nights for quite a while. Among things I learned that not only is bear spray allowed in the National Parks but so are guns and so are dogs. And hiking/backpacking permits are not required anywhere. But as far as Yosemite goes, please no bear spray and certainly no guns. Dogs are NOT allowed inby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechicagocwright My father has run into a group (in Fresno) that insists water filtration is not necessary for hiking Mt. Whitney. Thoughts? I already have a very nice filter so I can't see any reason not to take it. Rule of thumb: wherever there are day hiking permits necessary filter the water, absolutely, no question, no ifs ands or buts. If the giardia don't get you the e. coli wiby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotettilley Is the 'carry chains' requirement from NPS adopting CA law in this matter, or is it a separate requirement? Because CA's a little strange, the chain control law only requires 4WD/AWD operators to carry chains if controls are in effect even if they're not required to use them (its strangely specific on that point), but the temporarily posted regulatory signs state "Carry Chainsby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Again - double check with the rental company about putting chains or cables on their cars. Also, even if you decided you would rent the car and promise the rental place you won't put cables on, and actually mean it when you say it, have a set of rental cables in the car to show the rangers when they ask whether you are carrying the (mandatory) cables or chains. Rangers have been known to turnby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Before you buy or rent chains ASK THE RENTAL COMPANY FIRST. Many rental places forbid you to use chains on their vehicles because putting them on wrong can damage the vehicle.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The dirt part of the road is really dirty. Close all the vents if it's dry. If you go in hunting season brace yourself - the jeeps with rifle barrels sticking out will be flying down those roads, causing great clouds of dust that you end up stopping and waiting for them to settle.... Chain Lakes is a real nice first night out. Beautiful area.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You need to check on the hiker bus. YARTS isn't the only bus that goes out there. yosemitepark.com has reservation info for the hiker bus. If you encounter high water that is too dangerous to cross your best bet is to turn around. There are methods to safe water crossings. Unfasten pack straps, link arms with others, cross together facing upstream and don't look down at the water. If you can'tby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That is not a single place in the mountains. There are many alpine areas where those flowers grow. Look at a topo map of the Sierra and you will see stretches of rocky alpine above 10000 feet - that's where the sky pilot and the other plants grow. For locations accessible by trail, look at high passes on the JMT, Mt Dana (the first scenes in the video look like the ridge going up to Dana) andby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When we did it at night, we did the JMT. There was a huge temp drop when we reached the river - we were hiking in down jackets at that point. Took them off again on the way up the hill leaving LYV. Cold SINKS and the water will make it colder. Unless you are certain of your rain gear the Mist Trail while the falls is "misting" is a ticket to hypothermia.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Photogenic has a lot to do with time of day and lighting, too. (Edited to provide a link instead of blowing up the page with the size of the pic.) Gaylor Lakeby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In the last weeks leading up to the trip, keep checking. People cancel. The only times I have ever tried to reserve sites, I'm looking at the website a week or two before I wanted to spend the night. I really have never had any trouble getting sites in Yosemite. I usually don't car camp - I backpack a lot - but have gotten campsites 4 times in the last two years with zero stress.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Pay attention to camping restrictions along this route, because when they impose those it means that area gets hammered with a capital HAM by people, which also means the bears will wake you up at night. We spent a night uphill from Shadow Lake, on the uphill side of the trail where it's legal (can't camp near the creek) and a bear woke us up twice. The only night we weren't bothered by a beaby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Remember that you have to be a mile from the road, wherever you end up camping.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on I would just have someone carry you up the trail. easy peasy How much can a laden African swallow carry?by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'd just reserve a spot on the hiker bus, walk to stop 13B in front of Curry on the morning of, get on, and ride up to Tioga Rd. Tell the driver "I want X trailhead" and they stop and let you off. Easy peasy.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteATPerez Yeah we realize that it's far, we were planning to stay in the Kings for the whole week but when we found someone rented the cabin out there on Wednesday we figured we needed something else to do. We considered Sequoia, but we agreed that Yosemite would be more worthwhile. Since we'll be driving all the way out there (most of my family is coming from San Diego) we might as wellby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Kings River where? The length of the drive from the Kings to Yosemite is going to be a slow one. No freeways unless you take the long way, and if you are driving RV or trailer, it's slower still.... You're going to need multiple campsites. The limit per site is six people. I have successfully gotten sites walk in at Tuolumne Meadows by having people show up early early before 6 am to sby AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Don't get sucked in by extras like the camera. I have a Magellan eXplorist - the battery life completely sucks, nothing at all like they advertise. The battery icon can be at half power, you turn on the camera and take a picture, the gps turns itself off until you put in new batteries. The more stuff they pack onto a device, the less battery life you have - case in point, any smartphone.by AlmostThere - General Discussion
No water as of last weekend. Doubt there's been enough rain for it since Sunday, either.by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you read the actual federal regulations - it's classified as a weapon, and those are illegal to have in the park. (Unless you have the paperwork necessary to carry a gun legally - in which case you can legally possess the firearm but it's illegal to use it.)by AlmostThere - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion