QuoteIt's June in Yosemite, and the Valley is crawling with people..… It's so nice to stay in the Valley, but how to avoid the crowds on the trail? The best way is to start very early. When I do the 4 Mile Trail to Sentinel Dome, I start at 5:00 am and am back to the car before most people even begin hiking the Four Mile Trail. The only people I see are are one or two non-hiking tourists atby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteAnybody think I'm over-reacting here or does this seem to be the beginning of turning stretches of the Tioga Road in to the same sort of vehicular nightmare that the Valley has been for much of each year? I thought the same thing. I am a big supports of the Conservancy and donate to them regularly. I did voice my concerns to them in smailmail (got a form response back) and email (never hby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Honestly, the far superior hike is from the Cathedral Lakes trailhead to Happy Isles. This is 21 miles and many times more interesting and scenic than the Half Dome way, IMO. You could leave at 4:00 from CL trailhead and easily make it to Curry Village by 1:00 and that is leisurely. It's only 2200 elevation from CL to Curry Village.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Last week I did Clouds Rest and did take my hiking shoes off to cross. On the way back other hikers were just making a "wet boot crossing." This was June 7, so the crossing would be even less now. Nothing to be concerned about at all.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteI don't care about preserving anything man made in the park, other than Tioga Pass Road, HWY 140, and the road to Wawona. Tear down the historic bridges, the Ahwahnee, Yosemite Lodge, the chapel, the Curry pizza deck, Camp Curry, etc for all I care. While I certainly agree they can take the Curry pizza away (the most God-awful cardboard "food" ever devised by mortal man), I wouby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thank you for this update! Just on Tuesday a wrangler standing right by the pay phones outside the campground said it wouldn't be opening for weeks. I guess this indicates one shall not trust the word of Yosemite wranglers.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The closed signs are there blocking the entrance. I asked a wrangler yesterday about the campground and he told me even with the good weather, there is lots of maintenance and downed trees to clean up. I walked through the campground yesterday to do Elizabeth lake hike and I saw no downed trees in the campground at all.Very waterlogged though from the deluge we had Monday night.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Forget T. Mobile. No reception from Lee Vining to the Valley Floor to Wawona. There are pay phones at the Touloumne campground.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I dayhiked from Cathedral Lakes trailhead to Happy Isles and then returned the next day. There was abundant snow for 2 miles before Upper Cathedral Lakes and for about 1.5 miles thereafter. You won't need microspikes, but you are going to have to detour around snow in many places, which is tedious. There was a crew with mules which sawed through all the downed trees up until Sunrise (and there weby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I saw the same helicopter this morning coming from the Valley and flying over Sunrise High Sierra Camp. I assumed it was a search and rescue, as they invariably are.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The mosquitos are already out, albeit in small numbers. I did Clouds Rest today and they were not an issue except when I stopped to change water bottles or adjust gear. In my experience of 33 years hiking in Yosemite, I have *never* not seen mosquitos be an issue in July. Solution? 100% Deet. That minimizes their annoyance to an enormous degree. And you're right about the low snow year. The trby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I sure needed microspikes for doing Duck Pass in Mammoth yesterday, which tops out at 10,400 feet. The trails I will do today through Friday in Yosemite will be similar elevations except for Clouds Rest, which tops out at 9200, or thereabouts. Better safe than sorry.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I was planning on hiking: Tuesday: Cathedral Lakes to Sunrise camp and back Weds: Clouds Rest Thurs: Youngs Lake Fri: Ten Lakes I will have microspikes in my pack but dislike being slowed down by snow. The ranger I spoke to last Wedneday (before the latest storm), said I wouldn't have much trouble. But with this new storm on Fri and Sat I am getting concerned by new snow. Anyone haveby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
By "next weekend" I assume you mean the weekend of June 2-3. I will do this hike as well as Clouds Rest next Weds.-Thurs. I will post photos or give you an update.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Since I spend 70% of June-August in Yosemite (I'm a teacher and am lucky to have those months off), I have seen at least 100 bears over the years in Yosemite. Last year I only saw 5, but some years I've seen a dozen or more. In 2006 on a hike to Ten Lakes, I saw three different bears on different parts of the trail. While doing Clouds Rest a few years ago, I saw three different bears. Incidentby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for posting those. I have to admit I am really disappointed at how much snow is there. With this historically low snow season I was hoping that the High Country trails like Clouds Rest, Youngs Lake and Ten Lakes would be basically snow-free by the first of June. Doesn't look like that's likely. Dang!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow! Thank you for the photo. This looks like late June conditions in some recent years. Good to know.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Was this photo taken this weekend?by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thank you for the info and wonderful update. Much appreciated!!! Next Friday I am back in Yosemite for most of the summer. Counting the days....by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm curious to hear what the first water crossing is like on the way to Clouds Rest. Last year in early July it was still above my knees!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yee Ha!! Thanks for the information. Best hike in Yosemite in my opinion.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Tioga Gas Mart and the Whoa Nellie will stay the same (no Subway). Matt hasn't cooked there for a long time anyway, so it's not like anything will change.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
And Hotrod, I couldn't agree with you more. They charge $9 for a piece of chocolate cake and even more for a sliver of cheese cake. Their potato salad is pretty good but that's about it, IMO.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm in the Whoa Nellie almost every day in the summer and haven't seen Toomey actually cooking there for at least 2 years (maybe he's there in the evenings).by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
North Dome is basically a walk, there is minimal elevation gain. If you even minimally fit, it shouldn't be difficult at all. The only difficult part is as you approach the dome, you will have to remove your pack and squeeze between a couple of boulders and then jump a little ways on the granite to descend. The view are quite good. In terms of hikes of 8-10 miles RT the only easier hike in Yosemiby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you're going to do the Mist Trail in May, be prepared to get WET. Soaked, in fact. And even in May, the crowds are brutal on the Mist Trail, so I advise you to start early - around 7:00 am , unless you don't mind tons of people. I hate descending the really high Mist Trail upper steps when there's a bunch of kids on the stairs. That's a potentially lethal combo: bratty, unruly kids running upby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've hiked all the trails in Yosemite and the Four Mile Trail has always been my favorite. It blows away Half Dome for me in every respect. I've never seen the entire trail open up to Glacier Point until May, at least not in the past 25 years. If you want to extend the hike another three miles, you can continue from Glacier Point to Sentinel Dome. There's also a drinking fountain at GP, so yby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I strenuously disagree with anyone who thinks the Curry Village pizza is edible. The FAR BETTER pizza is at the Yosemite Lodge cafeteria. Buy your pizza (or any other food you want) there, wrap it up and put it in your backpack. Though not technically the Valley floor, hike the Four Mile Trail up to Glacier Point. Trailhead is in the Valley floor. Great view, water fountain and then eat yby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wish more people believed in this. I spend most of my summers in Yosemite and the slow drivers are the biggest hindrance in the park. I always get over for anyone who wishes to drive faster, but so few people adhere to this rule. I have been stuck literally 100 times behind campers going 20 MPH in a 45 MPH zone with up to 50 cars stuck behind them. The rudeness and arrogance of this is beyond dby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteI've pretty much made up my mind to definitely only use bear spray on long day hikes So you're not open to listening to the opinions of people who have hiked cumulative lifetimes in the Sierras and have never used guns or pepper spray? What are you expecting, a bear to suddenly charge you and maul you? Black bears are not grizzlies in temperament, disposition or aggression. Sure, if you'by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion