Hi Everyone, I took everyone's advice regarding winter camping, and went on a winter camping training trip with the Sierra Club before wandering off into the Yosemite winter alone, and without any experience. In retrospect, i think I would've bit off more than I could chew if I had pursued my original intent. I'm actually signed up for two more trips with them. Our first trip last week was nearby from_mars - General Discussion
Is the 4 mile trails a bike trail? This last November me and someone I met on the shuttle bus were hiking up the trail and ran into a couple of mountain bikers going down the trail at what is probably the steepest, rockiest section. We were surprised to see them, but also surprised that anyone would try it. They asked us how long to the bottom. I remember telling them if they weren't careful, notby from_mars - General Discussion
Looks like the road is the better way to go, in terms of the view as well as easy navigating. As it turns out thoug, I couldn't go because of an experiment here at work that needed to be done over the weekend, and it looks like the weather isn't all that good today anyway according to the weather report and the webcams. Unfortunately, all I can fit in this weekend is a snowboard trip to Kirkwood,by from_mars - General Discussion
Thanks. Just want to make sure before I go wandering off on it, though if it's snowing I can stay on the main road since it gets me to the same place.by from_mars - General Discussion
Glacier point road will get me there, but the yosemite winter trails map shows another trail they're calling old glacier point road, that loops away from the main road. Though this might be a considered a cross-country ski trail only.by from_mars - General Discussion
I'm thinking of camping out at Bridalveil Camp Grounds this weekend, given the weather cooperates. It's only 2.8 miles to the campgrounds from Badger Pass, but i'm wondering how hard the trail is to follow to when there's snow on the ground; i.e. does it run next to glacier point road, etc. If the weather turns bad; which it looks like it might, I'll probably just go snow boarding.by from_mars - General Discussion
Looks like a pretty hard climb, but must be quite a sight when you get to granite basin. Some friends took me to Kings Canyon this last labor day, and we hiked out of roads end the first day, but we just did an easy day hike to mist falls. We did the lakes trail to pear lake out near lodgepole the next day, and we were impressed with Kings Canyon-Sequoia nat. park. When it warms up we definitelyby from_mars - General Discussion
Great photos. I especially liked the Cathedral Peak snapshots (if that's what some of those are). Looks like a great trip. Can't wait to go myself. I'm guessing from the subject title of this post that you didn't wear snowshoes. At what point, when winter camping, are snowshoes required? What kind of footwear did you have on (leather boots, sorels)? I ask because whenever I go to winter camping wby from_mars - General Discussion
Well this kind of puts a crimp into my plans to hike out to obelisk lake. Guess I better take everyones advice and take it slow. Bridalveil Campgrounds sounds like a good winter camp, and that only after the storm passes, if it ever does. Bridalveil looks like a pay-for campground. Any advice on snowshoes, since it looks like they'll be needed. Can't complain though. looks like I'll be snowboarby from_mars - General Discussion
Hey Bill, Wow. That "silly article" post sure stirred up alot of conversation. Anyway, I agree whole-heatedly with being prepared for whatever it is you do, including not doing it at all. The reason I asked originally about the harness, sling, carabiner was precisely to try and be as safe as possible, short of not doing it. Waiting till the cables are up and waiting in line to summit,by from_mars - General Discussion
Thanks for your concern Tom. Actually I don't take too many chances, except those that just happen to be part of the activity. I've flown airplanes since 1986, and though they're safe and trustworthy, there's still a certain amount of risk that I except as part of the sport. Snowboarding down a mountainside, the same thing. Even my short time getting a skydiving certificate. But your point is welby from_mars - General Discussion
Well, It looks like the top of half dome is going to be covered in snow and ice until next year anyway, and I wouldn't even think about going up the cables if the surface is wet. Though if we have another mild winter, who knows. Rolandby from_mars - General Discussion
Yeah Bill, It was the second post you listed about the guy who was attacked by the black bear near LYV that I read that got me nervous about black bears. Than of course one thing led to another, and I chekced a site listing bear fatalities in north america since 1900, and close to half of those were black bears, and most of those in canada. But I agree, the two times I saw bear out there, once oby from_mars - General Discussion
Is bear pepper spray likely to be needed this time of year? I know when I wake up, the first thing I want is something to eat. The pepper spray weighs 290 gms., and it would be nice to replace that weight with some added fleece.by from_mars - General Discussion
Hey Bill, Great picture of the jets. I checked my San Francisco Sectional map and indeed there is a 2000 ft. AGL flight restriction for yosemite, but as a pilot, I know that national parks normally have some flight restrictions. I think much of that came about because knuckleheads kept killing themselves in the grand canyon. They'd go under the rim, come up on a box canyon, and not have enough rby from_mars - General Discussion
Hi Bill, I'm going to check out this book. Looks pretty interesting. As you can see I changed my mind about attempting obelisk lake or merced lake for that matter this weekend. Too much weather right now. I'll wait for the system to pass. Another issue is that from the topo map the route to obelisk lake is steep enough at one point (32 degrees of inclination) to make me think about avalanche risby from_mars - General Discussion
Hey Vince, Very cool video. I've seen it before when I was surfing the web wondering what people did to climb the cables with them down. Did you do this snake dike climb? Are you in the video? Looks like a real challenge, especially hiking all the way from the valley floor on the day of the climb. I'm considering signing up for some introductory climbing classes at Planet Granite here in town. Iby from_mars - General Discussion
Hey tomdisco, The link that bill posted, http://yosemiteexplorer.com/trails/obelisk-lake, is the primary one I got my info from. Good stuff, but if I get there I'll update this posting with whatever I find. Of course that assumes that I get there. I won't be going this weekend as planned because there's going to be a 3 day storm system sitting on yosemite, starting tonight or tommorrow. Plus iby from_mars - General Discussion
Yeah, you're right. I read the article you posted the link for. I'm postponing the trip this weekend to let the storm system move through. Probably try next weekend to get out to Merced Lake. The equipment purchases have been breaking the bank, but as the article pointed out, this gentleman died maybe a mile from his car, so I don't fret too much about the cost (though like any hardworking stiff,by from_mars - General Discussion
Yeah, the yosemite explorer url you pointed me to was actually what got me interested in obelisk lake from the start. Pretty good information. That's where I got the idea for the gray peak fork. One of the reponses to that description was that it might be easier to cross at some intake pipe and go up the granite slabs from the southwestern end of the lake. Anyway, I'm fighting a cold all of a sudby from_mars - General Discussion
I'm considering going to Lake Merced, and than dayhiking out to Obelisk Lake assuming I can find it. I'm fairly new to backpacking (three 3 day trips alone to El Cap. and LYV over the last month). I was wondering if anyone has done this trip, and what route they took. There are a couple mentioned, crossing the merced river south of the ranger station and bushwhacking up Gray Peak Fork, and anotheby from_mars - General Discussion
Hi Everyone, About 4 weeks ago I tried climbing half-dome with the cables down. My arms got pretty tired after about 60 feet of climbing. I came back down, but a gentleman came along who in the blink of an eye just seemed to walk up the cables. On the way back down the mountain, he gave me a few pointers on how to navigate the cables. Turns out he has a bit of mountaineering experience. I was woby from_mars - General Discussion