As a fanatic cyclist, I can only say that this is unbelievably cool! Now I have to start planning for next year!by balzaccom - General Discussion
You could take a look at the Ladybug Trail there...it's about 4-5 miles each way,. taking you up the river. And the trail goes farther, if you are interested. Here's a link to a trip report. Although we haven't hike this one, it's on our list. Maybe someone else here has hiked this in the spring? http://kaweahcommonwealth.com/ladybug.htmlby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've answered this on other boards, but you are going to have a hard time hiking 25 miles in the back country below 4500 feet---and that's about where the snow line might be. In Yosemite the only two hikes are either Hite Cove or Rancheria Falls...the latter depends on when they can fix the bridge over Wapama Falls. There are a few other hikes in the SIerra at these lower elevations, but noby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What do you expect from Ulysses? He took twenty years to get from Troy to Ithaca.... And yes, Half Dome is eightmiles each way,and I don't know anyone who considers it an easy hike.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'd vote for Gaylor Lakes as the most scenic...but Lembert Dome is also fun, You can find links to them all on our website, in the Yosemite part of our destinations section--with photosby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A couple of thoughts: 1. Yes, that's perfectly suitable itinerary---the High Sierra Camps were put where they are so that you can hike from one to the next in a single day. That's what you'll be doing. You'll probably get quite a few mosquitoes in July, but so what? 2. Bear in mind that those camps are pretty popular. You will see more people there than in most other backcountry locatiby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There's no way to log on---just an error message. Sad for the biggest backpacking community on-line...by balzaccom - General Discussion
No, I’m not a great fan of the airlines. Admittedly, I travel so much that I get special treatment at the gate...but like everyone else, I am still stuck on a plane with hundreds of people every time I fly. It's not exactly backpacking. But a recent flight out of SFO sure had its charms. Choosing a window seat allowed me to get the ultimate bird's eye view of the Sierra, and since I wasby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just a note about last year, because yes, it WAS a snowy year. We backpacked over 4th of July weekend, and the snow level was around 8500 feet. That's just about Tuolumne Meadows. Anything higher than that would have a lot of snow. But this year the snow levels are well above last year's. That doesn't mean the snow will be around in July---that depend on the weather between now and then.by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here's one from Hite Cove last year: and here's a link to the whole album https://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/HiteCove2010#by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We were surpised to see about thirty people on this hike...and then hundreds down on the highway below, playing in the snow. I think only about fifteen people made it to the summit...the rest were just out for a stroll...by balzaccom - General Discussion
We had plans to get up to the Sierra this weekend. Honest we did. But a combination of terrible weather conditions (our friend's house in Twain Harte had no power...nor even plowed road for some of the weekend) and some commitments here at home derailed those plans. But all was not lost. We decided to take a hike anyway, and drove up to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park at the north end of thby balzaccom - General Discussion
You're right Bill....those sawn logs are a key part of trail finding in the snow! And I know what you mean about cairns. They are often unnecessary and almost always over done on normal trails. But I like to think some of them, like the blazes on trees, have been around for a long time...and mark a path used by those who came long before me.by balzaccom - General Discussion
More on this topic from our website---in the section called Finding your Way: http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home/general-information/finding-your-way yeah. there are some ugly trails out there. And some wonderful ones. And as long as you are in the Sierra, they all lead somewhere pretty cool.by balzaccom - General Discussion
We've got a whole section on our website about hikes in Yosemite....yours is a good route, but there are others, notably via Cathedral Lake, and then down through Sunrise and Cloud's Rest... Cloud's Rest is a much more interesting climb than Half Dome, if you ask my opinion---with better views as well!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'll agree. If I had to choose only one trip to Yosemite, and to choose between June and Late August, August would win by a country mile. True, the waterfalls in the valley won't be so impressive. But the rest of the park will be open and available in August...and much of it could be under snow in June. Yeah, I've done trips in the snow. August is betterby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I replied to this on a different forum....but just to get you started here: Just to give you an idea, last year over 4thof July weekend we found that the snow level was around 8500 feet...above that, and it was hard to find the trail because of the snow. In the morning, that snow will be crunchy and easy to walk on...but in the afternoon it got pretty slushy and messy. And that firstby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The bell allows bikers to pass hikers without scaring the crap out of them. On most MUTs (multi-use trails) people don't necessarily stay in their lanes...and this allows a cyclist to let walkers know he's approaching. My experience is that hikers really appreciate it--and it works better than saying "passing on your left" which frequently results in hikers stepping to the left...!!!by balzaccom - General Discussion
I don't have a bell for my bike, but I generally ride on the main roads. Whenever I do ride on an MUT, I realize what a good idea they are. Much easier to hear that the human voice, and not nearly so confrontational as --get out of my way, I am coming through! Grinby balzaccom - General Discussion
I loved this story. While other mental exercises like crossword puzzles or Sudoku can improve specific brain functions, only walking builds a better brain in all kinds of different ways. But then, as backpackers we already knew this. After all, our brains are bigger!by balzaccom - General Discussion
I loved this story! And while all sorts of different mental exercises seem to improve very specific skills in the brain, physical exercise is the only one that really seems to improve them ALL! But then, as backpacers, we knew this already. It's why we are smarter than people who don't backpack.by balzaccom - General Discussion
And just as well that someone in your group decided that was too much to tackle. If you hand't turned around then...when would you have done so? And when would you have reached your car--assuming nothing went wrong?by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So our daughter and her boyfriend have invited us to join them on a hiking tour of the Inca trail from Cuzco to Machu Pichu. We've now spent hours on the web googling information...but would love to hear from anyone who has actually DONE this hike.... But yeah--when you daughter invites you, you gotta go!by balzaccom - General Discussion
Fair enough--I think I figured out how to do that. And here's a link to our page about permits and processes: http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home/general-information/permits-and-processesby balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Ha! If you'd read our website, we have page about this---the various regulatory agencies, what they control and what their regulations are. National Forests are a great deal in many ways!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Man, if you're hiking 30-50 mph your way out of my league! grinby balzaccom - General Discussion
Of course, some joint pain can be related to weight. The heavier we are, the more stress we put on our joints! I know I am always amused at some of my fellow cyclists, who spend literally hundreds of dollars to buy the latest bike stuff...because it drops five ounces off their bike weight. Meanwhile, they are certainly a few pounds overweight themselves...grin. If I want to improve my climby balzaccom - General Discussion
One more from our blog: This time of year, we spend a lot of time thinking about summer, and the trips we'll take. But we also try to stay in shape, despite the obvious temptations of holiday food and drink. Those temptations are even stronger in our house, since M is a chef and P works in the wine business. You can imagine how that works. Well, maybe you can't. But we do spend someby balzaccom - General Discussion
From our blog: Every backpacking book or website will tell you that it's all about the big three: tent, pack and sleeping bag. Get the very best of those, and the rest of your backpacking will be a breeze. Well, we disagree. It's not about the big three. It's really about getting outdoors and on the trail. And if you are going to obsess about your equipment instead of hiking, you reallby balzaccom - General Discussion
I"d also add another thought--you are not going to get solitude on an easy, scenic hike that's only 5 or six miles from the trailhead. That's just not the way Yosemite works---there are too many people. You can certainly get solitude there, but it takes a little more work, and a few more miles/days on the trail to accomplish that. Or a few miles off trail!by balzaccom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion