The person at the permit reservation desk had this information: the trail up Murphy Creek was clear to Polly Domes, then was snow covered around the junctions with the Glen Aulin and Ten Lakes trails. Based on past experience, my guess is: you can probably expect extensive snow from May Lake HSC to the bottom of the switchbacks, a few patches in the Rasin Lake area, extensive snow along the areaby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
According to this report, it appears there was a log that crossed the creek in 1995: http://www.climber.org/reports/1995/30.html. "As we moved down canyon and came to a 40- or 50-foot chimney (class 3?) that we had to go down, we noticed a large tree across the creek which provided a very good bridge to the other side and explained the campers over there."by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The topo does indicate that "this is the only possible river xing @ high water", but I guess it could mean that you can wade across the river here, and don't actually cross on the log.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I remember reading something about dropping into Cherry Canyon (and thus the lower part of the West Fork) from this apporach on a website that had info on climbs in Cherry Creek Canyon. (googles...) Ah, yes, here: http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/cherryck/index.htm I'm quite partial to the name "Mastadome" (Dome 6202)... oddly, there's no discussion of getting to this dome fromby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are another set of Chain Lakes in the western Emigrant. Fortunately, this isn't as confusing as the two Kennedy Meadows, Junction Meadows, or Mono Passes.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hate it when a favorite place is (re)discovered by the popular press... fortunately, these things tend to result in only temporarly blips in visitation. On the other hand, a few years ago wasn't there an article about the old cavalry trail to Obelisk Lake as part of a series on "lost" trails? I can't imagine that this resulted in hordes of people wading across the Merced then clawingby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have never visited this area--looks like I have been missing some beautiful country... Thanks (again) for sharing! (I honestly don't know where you and the other prolific posters here get the time to both do the hikes, drive back home, and post pictures/write-ups by Monday morning....)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's only fair, you scooped me on (re)locating Moran Point!by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For those who want some "beta" on the Lookout Point route, here is a description and GPS track of the route: Lookout Point Route The route we took rougly followed the small creek that flows from north of Lookout Point to a wooded area just below Camp Flintsone. The route was relatively straightforward, although I imagine it would be easier to follow up than down, since there areby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My wife still recovering from a back injury, this weekend I returned to Cherry Creek Canyon with some friends, one of whom had never been there. (For previous trips and pictures, see here: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,27875,37777) We went up-canyon on the way out, then returned by ascending the gully to Lookout Point. Pictures Unlike my trip a month ago, summer was in fuby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It took me about 8.5 hours (estimating, due to lost GPS :-( ), including approx. 1.5 hours of rest/snack/lunch time. I kindof bonked on the return once past the upper bridge--probably too little sleep the previous night (in bed at 1:00am or so due to a late arrival to June Lake). (And, with this posting, time for more sleep...)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here are some more pictures taken from the May Lake "Mystery Trail": May Lake Mystery Trail BTW, giving credit where credit is due, this is the Usenet posting where I first read about this route: Usenet Postingby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Due to an all-day build at work on Saturday, I only had Sunday free, and since my wife is still recovering from a back injury, she spent the day with friends new to Yosemite doing touristy things--and being envious of my trip--while I did a solo all-too-quick dash down to Waterwheel Falls and back. I went via the Pothole Dome-Little Devils Postpile route, because it's shorter, more scenic (IMHO)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yes, I did (pictures forthcoming...)--couldn't resist seeing the Tuolumne's many falls in high water.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the pointer to the historical map! That does looks more like the "mystery" route, alhtough I think it's actually more to the west of where it's indicated on that map (no surprise, those old maps didn't have very accurate trail placement--or topography for that matter). The "mystery" trail could have been based on an earlier calvary route, which would have been morby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
ttilley-- In what is becoming a recurring theme for me and this forum... are you the hiker I passed just upstream from the upper bridge, where the Little Devils Postpile/Pothole Dome route joins the main trail?by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've heard of these caves--in fact, a Yosemite ranger once asked me if I knew about them. I have a friend who was guided to them by someone on the May Lake staff, so I'm fairly sure they exist.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm not sure it was a spur--there is another pair of "WTF are they doing here" signs on the Ten Lakes trail in the meadow maybe 1/4 mile north of the junction with the Glen Aulin-May Lake trail. I suspect that this is where this "mystery" trail's northern terminus was, and that it was the original trail from Glen Aulin to May Lake, before they blasted out the current route thby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
In addition to all the great recommendations already given, there are a few good hikes in the May Lake area. The hike to the lake itself, and especially the views from the rocks to the east of the High Sierra Camp, are spectacular. Mt. Hoffman apparently now has an official use trail to the summit, although it invovles more climbing. Finally, a the loop between the May Lake and Murphy Creek trby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As always, it looks like it was a great trip--I'm envious. Thanks for sharing it with everyone! The Cathedral Range/Merced Lake area is a personal favorite--so many wonderful on-trail and cross-country routes with great scenery everywhere. (And is it me, or does it seem that no matter what trailhead you start at, it's about 14 miles to Merced Lake...)by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My wife and I were going to go up to Tuolumne and maybe try heading down toward Waterwheel this weekend, but she's still recovering from a back injury that flared up during the drive back from our camping trip in Yosemite (which was wonderful--lots of waterfalls, mild temperatures, very few mosquitoes...). Hopefully we'll make it up to Tuolumne soon!by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Going through some old (and some not quite so old) pictures on yet another rainy weekend... 1) Red Peak Pass '05: https://picasaweb.google.com/basilbop/RedPeakPass05?feat=directlink Not unlike this year, summer came a bit late in 2005, and my wife, friends, and I encounted 100% snow coverage crossing the Clark range. We started at the Ostrander Lake trailhead, camped at snow-covered Buenaby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are several reports of the Lookout Point route that suggest it can be a bushwhack in places and that it's easier when snow is in the gully. As a data point, I have my time as being just at 5 hours from the switchback parking lot to Camp Flintstone, including two leisurely breaks and some exploring around, but I also had some familiarity with the route already. (I'm sure bill-e-g flew upby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I too assumed that a solo hiker in Cherry Creek Canyon was looking for solitude, so I tried to keep a decent distance from your camp (even if I did set up out in the open--I tend to like sites with views...) I will admit in the back of my mind, I was wondering who I knew that be crazy enough to be doing Cherry, and you were at the top of a very short list :-) I poked around a bit around "by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Yes, the route I was describing is more like #2, although perhaps not going quite as far east (I'd have to check my GPS tracklog to confirm). Also, on my return trip I followed a route below your G that was quite nice, following a bench with some very large Jeffrey Pines and only minor brush--this might be your lower red line in this section. On past trips, I've used a good ledge system to theby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Most of the serious brush at the beginning of the route can be avoided by holding a constant elevation and heading almost due north from the trailhead/switchback until you enter a more forested area on a steep hillside. (An old logging road starts towards the east of the switchback and heads north, which also helps a bit.) Drop down once you see the open green mossy area through the trees. Theby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I thought it seemed crowded in Cherry Creek Canyon this weekend... I saw a few random footprints in the snow below the "chockstone" cliff (below the grove Schiffrin mentions at Mile 19), then more prints in the snowfields north of dome 6458. Oh, and there was a blue tent just below Cherry Bomb Gorge (former Camp Flintstone area) Saturday afternoon--yours? Odd thing: I saw no chickenby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The trees that are not Ponderosas are most likely Incense Cedars. The only coastal redwoods I know about in the valley are in the parking lot of the Ahwahnee. There are four Sequoias (which are also called "redwoods" ) in the graveyard planted by Galen Clark around his gravesite. I've also read that there is a Sequoia in the old village area--this would be near the Sentinel Bridge.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Another source of "historic" topo maps (unfortunately in a format that requires downloading a clunky viewer to see): http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/us_states/california/topos/15index.htm. The accuracy of some of the trail locations on these is questionable, but there is still some good stuff, such as several now-abandoned trails in Sequoia NP.by basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This is the closest I could find online: https://store.usgs.gov/yimages/PDF/CA_Yosemite_Valley_1970_45934_&_45933.pdf (warning: this is a 50mb download). This map seems to have only the old alignment of the Four Mile Trail just below (west of) Glacier Pt., but it also has the Union Point comfort station, both segments below Union Point, the Sentinel Dome shortcut from the Four Mile Trail, anby basilbop - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion