Just curious, where do you stay in Yosemite West ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
OK, I tried it out last night with the modifications noted above. Lowest temp. was 24 degrees and I was just getting cool. Not cold, but cool. Clemson Hiker pointed out to me that the top of the quilt cinches up, so maybe this would help a little. Also, i think a smaller pad (regualr size instead of large) woiuld allow me to close in the quilt a little closer to keep me warmer. I'll be tryinby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteAlmostThere The green side is the DWR, the black is the inner shell, btw. I see that on their website, but does it make a difference ? Do they use different material for the "inside" and outside" ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemrcondron Try the quilt inside an ultra light bivy. It will keep things together and will add to the effective warmth. Thanks. I'll have to investigate that if my cinch setup doesn't work. My concern would be how much the bivy would weigh...by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here's the setup I'm going to try tonight. Many thanks to Clemson Hiker for walking me through this. The Sniveler line of JRB quilts come with 3 loops per side so you can cinch them down under your pad. I used the bottom two loops. The first pic shows the bottom of the pad and how I looped the cinch cord. The second pic shows the top of the pad, on the quilt, cinched up. I tested it and I fby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteoakroscoe My recommendation is to try to rent or borrow a quilt and try it out in the backyard or on a car camping trip and see if you like it. Thanks for the info. I had talked to Jack for about an hojur and he suggested I get a quilt, and, if I didn't like it, send it back. Good customer service. I tried it las night (temps around freezing) and it worked IF I TUCKED IT IN AND KEPT THE Dby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I kept going back and forth between the JRB Hudson and the Sierra. The main difference between the two is the size (Sierra is wider). I finally called Jack. Should have done it sooner. Talked to him for about an hour as he explained the pros and cons of each. He was very helpful and suggested I cut an old sheet to size and see how I fit under it on my pad. Great idea ! From that experimentby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for all the info. I plan on taking them to ~10k feet in the Sierra. My experience is that it can get down to the low 20's during the summer (when I camp). I usually use a 20 degree mummy bag and I'm warm and toasty, but then there's the side sleeping and weight issues. Also, I usually take a poofy jacket (down) with a hood. I rarely sleep in it, however, but I could use it if necessarby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm trying to cut my base weight. I currently use a mummy sleeping bag that weighs in at 2 lbs, 12 oz. I'm looking for something sub 2 lbs. I've seen a few quilts on the internet. I'm a side sleeper, so I'm thinking a quilt would work better than a bag. Inherently, they should be lighter than a bag because they have no back. Does anybody have experience with using a quilt, and do you have reby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great Pics. Thanks for posting. One question, though.....how did you get the chicken's pic so that no tracks in the snow were showing. Did he "fly" into position ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
....maybe a frog ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Thanks for that photo! (it didn't show up but was able to get it by doing a reply quote to get the link) ...or, right click on the red x, then click properties, copy and paste the link into your browser.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks, calipidder. I love this series as well. I guess I'll have to walk on the Lyell Glacier before it's too late.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've done it both ways and prefer the food option. Unless you have enough people in your group to fill a cabin, then you will most likely have to share one with strangers. Although this was always a positive experience in my case, you may have some "issues" as eeek pointed out. Take ear plugs for sure. I don't know what you mean by "making our foray into backpacking". Ifby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek Quotehotrod4x5What do they do with the cut trees? So they don't fall on people in a crowded camping area. Yeah, but what do they do with them ? Cut them up for firewood ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are many good 3 night, 4 day hikes in Yosemite. It's all good. You'll get several replies here, but you might also want to get a good guide book. Like Tomdisco said, be mindful of the weather. You might want to have several hikes in mind, and go with the one that's most suitable for the weather at the time.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteszalkowski QuoteThe Other Tom Just so I can calibrate myself, the scramble up to Hanging Basket would be classifed as what...class 3 ? Actually, it rather depends on your abilities, experience, and comfort level. Rating of a climb or hike is somewhat subjective. See the following link: http://climber.org/data/decimal.html Thanks for the link. Despite what Secor says, I'd rate it asby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just so I can calibrate myself, the scramble up to Hanging Basket would be classifed as what...class 3 ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotetomdisco Frank, Suggestion: Ditch the GPS map and carry a real one like Nat'l Geo Trails Illustrated. Or a Tom Harrison mapby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Not sure there is a "best path". We had to climb over large bolders to get there. It was difficult for me (old man) but easy for my 20 something son. I wouldn't attempt it with a full pack.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There is a store/grill near the camp. I don't know if the grill is open for breakfast or not, but TM lodge is (about a mile east of the campground and "on your way" up Lyle canyon. The store near the camp should have gas cannisters.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As for camping in the Vogelsang area, it's all good. Townsley lake is indeed picturesque and will probably be a little less crowded than the Fletcher lake area, but again, it's all good. +1 on the Vogelsang pass route. One of the best views in the Sierra is from the pass, IMO. Pause there for a while to take it all in.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
He has one for TM, Half Dome, Yos Valley, Yos High country, Mammoth high country (which has some Yos as well). Check his website http://tomharrisonmaps.com/locationmap.htmlby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Regarding maps, I've used the Nat Geo ones but prefer Tom Harrison maps. They're more compact and better annotated, IMO. You can get them from Tom Harrison's website or Amazon.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Saw this one this weekend: I saw a rock similar to this one at Taft point. You didn't take that at Taft point, did you ?by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
We hiked it in two days, spending the night at the flat area near the "shoulder" of half dome. Get a topo map and you'll see it. It was a dry camp, so we had to carry our water, but it's very close to HD and we were the first and only ones up in the morning. Others camp at the sunrise creek junction, which is also ok. We wanted to get farther than LYV, and besides, we couldn't get aby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Personally, I like to hike about 8 miles per day and enjoy the scenery. You're looking at about 12 miles per day. Do-able, but I wouldn't rush it.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotemrcondron I'm sure Lee Vining has a good breakfast place or two that open pretty early. Nicely's for breakfastby The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just remember that YARTS runs on weekends after Labor day. Take your time on the hike and enjoy the scenery. My son and I did that hike in 4 days.by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebill-e-g If you want the big picture perhaps you want to pick up this map: http://www.amazon.com/Yosemite-SE-Wilderness-Trails-Illustrated/dp/1566954134 Looks like it is just missing the very beginning of Mono TH. Just as a follow up, I bought the map you describe above (from Nat Geo's website which turned out to be cheaper than Amazon, but thanks for the tip) and also a Tom Harrison Map (by The Other Tom - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion