Rancheria Falls would be fine this time of year, assuming decent weather. Unless there's a cold storm, snow is generally not an issue at Rancheria Falls. There may be more water in the big waterfalls in May, but it will also be warmer. I was there several weeks ago and it was very nice.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteQITNL Permits held for late arrival still must be picked up at a permit station during business hours. If coming in via 120 and picking up a reserved permit late, your best bet is often to pick it up at the Hetch Hetchy entrance station since it is open later than the Big Oak Flat (BOF) wilderness permit office. On the other hand, if you're at the BOF station after the office is closed (by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteSoCalCPA If I were to hike the JMT from the Valley Floor to Tuolumne - How many miles is it? I think the difference depends on what part of Tuolumne Meadows you're measuring to: the Cathedral Lakes TH, the visitor center, the gas station/post office/store, the two wilderness parking lots, or the TM Lodge I do remember the signs varying widely, but I think it was 24 miles from Happy Isleby basilbop - 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. I believe there was a study several years ago where the water at Trail Camp was tested and found to be fine in terms of Giardia--better than most tap water. This was bacby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's hard to say how much snow there will be--it's been a dry year so far, but more rain/snow is in the forecast... The major early-season obstacles for this trip would be: 1) crossing Tenaya Creek right at the beginning (safe, but potentially deep and cold) and 2) the switchbacks up to the Sunrise Lakes junction, which hold snow fairly late. I think if you can make it to this junction, you'llby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Some Ka-Ra-Zee and His Wife: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,43562 Hey, I resemble that remark... (and doing the trip in a day was her idea...) I just remembered that on this trip, we did pass a couple who crossed the unbridged branch of Register Creek on a log above the trail crossing, so that's an option. This creek was about 32" deep and the current wby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From TM to the valley, the typical early-season "nasty" (as in: unbridged) crossings would be (depending on route): Lewis Creek (S. of Vogelsang Pass), Fletcher Creek (W. of Vogelsang), or Tenaya Creek (just below the lake). From HH to TM, the "nasty" crossings would probably be Piute and Register creeks, with an honorable mention to Wapama Falls (bridged, but you can still gby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A few data points from the proposed alternatives after a quick scan: Camping alternatives range from a 1% reduction to 85% increase. Partial restoration of the River campgrounds is in two of the alternatives Some alternatives have RV-specific and new walk-in campsites, in addition to the "normal" drive-in campsites Valley lodging alternatives range from a 55% decrease to 20% increasby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotembear That's awesome to hear it has opened ahead of schedule. That closing must have been killing businesses in Groveland. Second thought, maybe not since it's not too far from the 49. Hard to tell... Hetch Hetchy was quite busy last Sunday afternoon with day users, more so than I recall in the past for a "winter" weekend. (As an aside, it was frustrating that the closing tiby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteTexHiker Looking for some "expert" opinions. Hubby and I are planning our summer trip and have included Half Dome in our plans. We're entertaining the thought of hiking at night to be on top at sunrise. Has anybody had any experience with the hike at night? I would welcome any thoughts or advise. Thanks! I haven't hiked Half Dome at night, but have hiked the Whitney Main tby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteBearproof Awesome trip plan! My only comment is that Lake Catherine is rather inhospitable...lots of medium to large talus all the way down to the "shore". I'll concur with the grim appraisal of Lake Catherine's camping: It's mostly rock/talus/snow bound, depending on the time of the season. This picture was taken July 4 2004, a wetter-than-average year. This year willby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice...! Top of the dome near the brink of Wapama?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Give Old Priest Station Cafe a go. Ate there many times now. Always been very good. Seconded... the food (esp. the burgers) there is good, although the service at times has been leisurely... not a problem when it's a nice warm summer evening and you're sitting on their deck watching the sun set across the central valley, getting ready to leave the Sierra and re-join the ratby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on For those that love this stuff... the lower portion can be hiked almost in entirety. Takes a bit of looking.. but amazingly it is still there. Thanks again for sharing! I like that old switchback in #35... I think there's one more segment of old trail to be re-discovered: the pre-'34 trail left the new one somewhere along the long, lower traverse that crosses the creek andby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotewherever Quotechick-on I have a question for you. I think I saw a relay tower in your photos at one time... near Union. I haven't a clue where the heck that is. Is it lower than Union? Below the section from Agassiz? Are you talking about this thing? http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,46585,47192#msg-47192 I don't remember exactly where I saw it recently, but I think it waby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on That may be true... but I think many people don't realize that all the water in Don Pedro... none of that goes to San Franscisco. Additionally there are a number of power plants that would no longer be producing... and all the boating on Don Pedro would probably have to cease... along with the removal of the House boats. San Francisco owns 730,000 acre-feet of storage in Donby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What I would do is get a reasonably early start to Glen Aulin from Tuolumne, drop your non-day gear at the camp, gulp down a few cups of lemonade, then continue to Waterwheel and back the same day. Even if the water is low the hike is worth it. There's plenty of good stuff to see between Glen Aulin and Waterwheel, so even if you have to turn around before getting all the way to WW to make it baby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
(I know, old thread, been busy...) I've always thought the Poopenaut - Preston Falls would make an interesting canyoneering trip. I've only seen this one report of this route: http://samedeepwater.blogspot.com/2008/07/dam-hetch-hetchy.html. Question: do you think it's worthwhile to get to Poopenaut from the dam, via the HHWP service road and some x/c, instead of the trail?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Looks like a wonderful x-mas trip, thanks for sharing! And Cherry sure looks nice and tempting--less snow than Memorial Day weekend...by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Mist Trail from just past the Vernal Fall bridge to the top of Vernal Fall is generally closed in winter--but it seems to be currently open, probably because it's been a dry winter so far. The portion of the Mist Trail from the top of Vernal to the top of Nevada Fall is open year round, while the JMT from the Clark Point junction to Nevada Fall is closed for winter. I would expect the trailby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Very nice pix--thanks for sharing! I hope to make it up there this weekend for a day hike... yet another "one last trip of the year" trip. And I'm betting the cardboard box in the cache contains: chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, and twinkies of various colors. No need to worry that any person or rodent would steal anything from it :-)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Yes, the first two pictures are Lake Eleanor. The "real" Lake Eleanor is still pretty big. Take a look at an old map before they put the damn in and you'll see. The dams out there (another example is Florence) like this... they drain in winter to avoid busting it... I'd seen it from Laurel area a couple of times... . They do the same thing at Waugh Lake, but itby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice... I'm jealous :-( BTW, is the dry reservoir in the Picasa pix "Lake" Eleanor?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotehotrod4x5 Looking at the photo, it seems like it would be less steep going up the center, the forested area. What is the reason for not going that way? The present-day answer is that wherever's excellent scramble-by-numbers route (thanks!) follows where the old trail is/was, and where the trail is in good shape, the going is relatively easy. Based on the reports I have read of people goiby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotequmqats So to find the start I'd start behind the Med Center, not Church Bowl? Start at Church Bowl, head towards the Med Center on the rim trail, look to the right for something that looks like a good startup? Yes... If you get to the open talus field with large rocks and a good view of Lost Arrow, you have gone too far. I would add that if you're not comfortable with something likeby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
wherever and chick-on have covered the Indian Canyon "trail" scramble already: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,29137,29137#msg-29137 http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,25265,26069#msg-26069 http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,36903,36905#msg-36905 Indian Canyon is the canyon to the right (east) of Yosemite Falls when looking at the falls head-on; the mby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on I'm beating a dead chick-on to death... but here you go: For those using this picture as a guide, respect the slight turn in the chicken's arrow towards the right (in other words, don't get impatient and head to the left too soon), otherwise you'll end up well above the old trail and have to thrash down to it.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebill-e-g Basil, (Chick-on is wondering was a basilbop is for one...) and ... were you able to go check out the steps at Moran? Or next time? Ok... I guess either I offended or it's an "obviously no since I didn't put a Moran photo in the set" Sorry, missed that question... No, we didn't go to Moran Pt. this time... But, I think I may have turned around just above the stairsby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemadmxe What about Yosemite Falls? I cant really figure out what the snow level is from up there. And my son is wants to do Chilnualna Falls. Any thoughts on that? Yosemite Falls to Columbia Rock or Oh My Gosh Point (search for info on this viewpoint elsewhere here) is worth it and should generally be snow free. Chilnualna Fall isn't that spectacular, but the nearby Mariposa Grove is. Haveby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'll second (or third) the Valley Loop Trail--and I may see you on it this Thanksgiving :-) I would stick to the north side of the valley to stay in the sun; this also lets you drop into the Ahwahnee bar, Degnan's, or the Mountain Room bar for a snack or warm drink if conditions warrant. On the other hand, the western part of the loop--from the Lodge down past El Cap to Pohono Bridge, then backby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion