JZ, I haven't had time to read the many replies you got here, so it is possible someone else has already suggested this same thing. I saw that some people suggested you start from Toulumne Meadows. That would be a good option if you can get a permit through Lyle Canyon, but that's a very popular trail, so it's hard to get one. Last year I tried getting one myself but eventually gave up. Insteby casafede - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion