A toy (though expensive) you might consider bringing along on your lake adventures is: Fish Hawk Electronics Td Digital At-Depth Water Temperature Gauge http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Hawk-Electronics-At-Depth-Temperature/dp/B004VXSSXS Small weighing about 3 ounces and can be lowered to 300 foot depths that would be easy with a small cheap fishing reel line attached. Reeled back up could loby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks parklover. Would advise a visit during May because that is when those forests most look like lush green temperate rain forests and many of its wildflower species bloom. Of course that is when the High Sierra is still too snowy and after our Southern California desert landscapes have turned brown so is a good fit between seasons. A few of my wildflower close-ups in the slideshow and feby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
This year of 2015 has been an active one for this photographer despite the drought and my old age. In fact, I've been so busy from week to week that for the last 3 months have not been able to keep up with trip report features on my web site. Of course I have for the last 6 years held an 8-5 m-f hi tech job in Silicon Valley that takes up a demanding portion of my life. But today have finalby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Tom that argument is often tossed out but it assumes if there is other intelligent life, it is some form of biological evolved life and most likely based on carbon since it is by far the one neutral element that is chemically able to produce chemicals capable of vast complexities. No other element is even close. It also assumes we live in the only universe within absolute space and there is noby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
The first time I visited the largest Poly Dome Lake sometime in the 70s, it had a superb rainbow trout fishery with many fish that were into acrobatic leaps going after bug life. The next trip a few years hence was one of the strangest backcountry scenes I've ever witnessed. I saw no fish at all and there was a reason. The shallow lake has many small granite boulder islands across its waters.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Upper Lamarck Lake is probably a puzzle to many visitors. Areas around the south shore are blocked by cliffs and on the north side beyond mid lake the large talus gets unpleasant. Most groups end up camping at the east end just north of the outlet and stay there. On a return trip from Darwin Canyon two of us made a few years back, we camped along the south shore mid lake as there is one plaby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks for putting together the trip report and images, brought back some memories. Although the area about Summit Lake is indeed a rather boring boreal sand desert, if one vectors west off the trail just a bit below the lake, it is an easy walk to the brink that drops down to the Trail Lakes with excellent views for miles including Pioneer Basin. After doing a quick early September trip toby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks for the report, enjoyed your images. For all the times I've been to Winnemucca have never managed to go further even to Roundtop. Nice looking lake. Davidby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
On other backpacking sites I've also like JKW been recommending first time visitor's to Yosemite always visit the valley first. One of the wonders of the planet no one ought pass up. With 5 days you could spend a couple days in the valley seeing the sites while getting a certain walk-up next day permit for any backcountry destination simply by being first in line on the second morning when bacby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I drove up to the Carson Pass region Friday evening July 17 then from sunrise hiked offtrail exploring unfamiliar landscapes for 7.5 hours Saturday morning under rather cloudy skies before returning home early afternoon back to the SF Bay Area. Was in the Carson River drainage between 8.5k and 9.5k that I expected would be past the wildflower peak this year due to the drought. I've been hiking tby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
plawrence, >>>"David, one huge flaw with your logic is that you presume only an "urban criminal" exhibiting "urban world behaviors" would be the most likely one to steal stuff. " Well actually I didn't presume only those with urban world behaviors might steal and left the statement lay without explanation so there isn't much of certainty to read into it.by DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
A question we've all heard before on web boards that doesn't quite have a black and white answer. So a bit of brainstorming below considering the few exceptions. After decades of backpacking and hiking dozens of dozens of trips, I and none of those I've been with have ever had someone rummage through our gear or take anything. However we also take care of our gear wisely per below. Some ofby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Interesting scenario shaping up. Tomorrow about Sierra Crest areas NWS forecast for Friday in the Southern Sierra is 2 inches of snow with up to 5 inches. Thus myriad Memorial Day Holiday weekend visitors will be in for a surprise Saturday morning. Of course as is the usual case, most visitors tend to expect to visit the same places early season as they do mid summer. Although forecasts forby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If your talking about this coming holiday weekend then you apparently are not familiar with the trailhead limitations. At this late date you could hope to get a walk-up permit out of Hetch Hetchy and the only way to get that would be to be there midweek and would be hopeless during Friday or Saturday on the coming holiday weekend. Instead you might call up Stanislaus National Forest and try toby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Impressive route well done. Fine set of images. Thanks for sharing and taking the time to write up a report. One of the few regions in the range where we have lakes at such low Sierra elevations. Although early June is on average years probably when those areas are most visually interesting for this person, it also tends to be when vast clouds of mosquitoes emerge given myriad small shallow beby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
After 3 months chasing wildflowers elsewhere in the state, it was time to visit the Sierra Nevada. Well at least our yellow pine region. I often visit the foothill regions, ie Merced River Canyon below the park, in March but this year of 2015 was much too droughty with better places in the state to spend my days. My first visit on the link below was on Saturday May 3 and second on Friday Mby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Much thanks C! Like your pics. Hope it snows enough to close the pass at least for a day or three. David http://www.davidsenesac.com/Spring_2015/spring_2015-1.htmlby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Last Saturday looked out at Wapama Falls in the distance and was also surprised at the respectable amount of water coming down. Suspect it is from thunderstorm runoff as crest areas have been rather active over the last couple weeks and without a snowpack form rain to soak into, it quickly drains into streams. There was even water draining off the slabs just east of the Mather entrance stationby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Archie...wild camping ...Maybe I should have tried to strip down on weight a bit more, a 35kg (80 pound) bag is really no fun, but I was really glad of all the stuff I had later on as conditions worsened ...small amounts would kick up with each step and land in the back of my boots creating a pretty abrasive powder that threatened to cause blisters ..my evening meal was scuppered by anotherby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
NWS forecast now firming up a nice May event that could close the passes again. Last year despite the droughty winter, many Eastern Sierra areas did quite well in May into summer with monsoon events and thunderstorms that left some areas nicely watered and green. Let's hope for a repeat.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The way the feds handled the case was ridiculous. By time this was going to trial everyone was likely to die of old age. WTF were they doing all that time? Someone needs to skewer those handling the case which many of us were very critical about for two years or whatever because they would not release information about what they were doing. the perpetrator deserves some major pain regarby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks Basilbop. My prime interest in the canyon is not down in the middle sections of that canyon but rather the two miles below Lord Meadow where the broad glacial granite canyon opens up towards the east. It is there from the west end that a unique image may be possible better than any other place I know in the range given certain weather and atmospheric conditions. And I want to do the shby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks Basilbop for taking the time creating a trip report like this as I understand the effort required. Quite enjoyed the read and images. Much better than the more usual few words and lots of unexplained images. Kibbie Lake has been one of my favorites for decades. There are few natural lakes in the Sierra at those altitudes with Kibbie along with neighbor Vernon most special. Have haby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Indeed Gary, what an exceptional image, one of the best I've seen, am envious! The light off the broken clouds provided wonderful light for the ground fog below. None of the valley is in direct light that often plagues this kind of image with higher dynamic range to contend with. Snow nicely covers lots of the rock areas that otherwise would be dim. If it had really been a much larger snow eby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Earliest opening ever by several weeks. But hope the storm next week buries it. At this time of year everything north of Bishop will remain rather dormant for another month. And not much snow for spring skiing.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Three straight drought years have to be taking a huge toll on mountain creatures. Lots dying off in thirst away from the few sources of permanent water. Taking a loss on this guy's winter season ski pass. After the holiday period storms have not even bothered given pathetic snow coverage. Wahhhhh! Unless major surprise(???), we receive unusual early spring storms which some years haveby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Snow covering all areas of the loop road, all Valley areas with an inch or three happens most winters. But under several inches of snow has always been so uncommon it usually doesn't occur most winters. Snow level and thus freezing usually needs to drop down to at least 2k in order for snow to overcome the latent heat in sun exposed ground areas. Also snow doesn't last long on sunny south facby DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
An uncommon winter storm with snow levels low enough to excite as dawn rises, a sleepy photographer at Camp 4 inside their cold frozen tent to get up out of their warm down bag, pack up their gear quickly making a wet mess inside their vehicle, and hit the loop road to see the wonders.by DavidSenesac - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Don't believe the propaganda of media people that think the universe is full of green bugged eyed aliens. Simple life ie bacteria and single cell life may be abundant in the universe while there are a list of arguments why multi-cellular life is likely rare and large animal life probably extremely rare. Do yourself a favor and read the below book. On below link read the comments to see why itby DavidSenesac - General Discussion
Hello Charlene, welcome to these forums. What transportation will you be using? Your own personal vehicle or public transportation? You related 10-12 days which is a rather long trip. If you are novices would recommend a first backpacking trip of no more than 3 days. Will you have additional days in the Yosemite region to visit front country areas? If not, would highly recommend at leby DavidSenesac - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra