Personally I like the views of the crest from the top (north) end of the crest, looking south along the crest.by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hey David Late March/Early April is one of my annual trips from the Badger Pass ski area to Dewey point...an easy snowshoe where we typically spend a couple of nights hanging out enjoying the views. Unfortunately, with the extremely dry winters that we have had recently, the past few years have been backpacking trips to other parts of the park. The high country this past March/April looked likby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Excellent! Thanks for the pix!by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Oh so many choices! Since you are starting midweek, I think that you will be ok with getting a walkup permit, so I would recommend the following as the best route given your criteria...but it will require taking the shuttle from the Valley to Tuolumne either at the beginning or the end of your trip, depending on what works better for you. Start your hike at Tuolumne Meadows, head up the Lyellby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
What to do differently? I am not completely sure that I would have done anything different. I do carry a SPOT, simply because accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. And frankly, I am more concerned about needing the SPOT for other people's accidents that I might happen upon. But who knows, an accident can happen to anybody, anytime. And when out in the wilderness, even a small accident can haveby Bearproof - General Discussion
I agree that it is a result of the long suffering new management plan. looking at the maps and the pink "buildings to be removed", it includes the old Superintendent's house a couple hundred yards south of the road at the Yosemite Falls bus stop. Too bad...its a really cool old house with lots of history. And I don't think that the new concessionaire had anything to do with that deciby Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great research, thanks! Its fascinating (to me anyway) to think about all that must have been going on at that time...new road, new trails, Snow Creek cabin being built, and the High Sierra Camps being set up. The roaring 20's indeed!by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I would definitely go Cathedral Lake. Its a Yosemite must-see, and you still get to go by most of the other stuff. There is nothing special IMO about the climb from Tenaya Lake up to Sunrise. Only reason to go there is if you want to check out Tenaya Bowl or do the rap down the canyon.by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Good info thanks!by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
So your first challenge will be the cross country up to the notch above Elizabeth...but there is a use trail that is pretty easy to follow, and it drops down into the meadows on the south side. Once down to the first meadow its about a mile or so before you hang your left and head up to Nelson. As you head to Nelson, you will be able to look back and see the ridge that divides the drainage youby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Happy Birthday JKW!by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for sharing! Wish I was there right now!by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
You can go in pretty much any direction from Nelson and you will find all sorts of good stuff. Its kinda like when Dorothy first meets the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz... For example... You could go up to Reymann, then east a bit, then north towards Johnson Peak, and work back to Tuolumne. Chick-on and I did this a few years ago...trip report here. You could go down the creek draining Nby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
You can't go wrong with that route...it's a classic! Once you climb the couple thousand feet to Tuolumne Pass, its a downhill cruise to the valley for the most part. You have done Half Dome so you know the steepest part of thye downhill at the end...I bring that up since some people (like my wife with her bad knees) like ups more than downs. Those 2 14 miles days will each be much easier thanby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Fantastic! Can't wait for the follow-up!by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
They do like you, don't they?by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Pretty cool story of a wedding held on top of Half Dome here.by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Nice! I haven't dropped down into Fourth of July, but many years ago my wife and I did a Memorial Day hike to Round Top Lake, walking on hard snow and snow-cupped areas the whole time. My mistake, as I haven't been able to get her to go true snow-camping ever since! Good to hear that the skeeters are starting to go away for the season. I guess the bad news is that the wildflowers will soon folby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Maybe you left a packet of dehydrated water in there?by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yes, the wilderness permit requirements can seem a bit over the top, and you have to be especially flexible in the high season (now) in getting a permit as the demand is pretty high and trailhead quotas fill up pretty fast. But like plawrance says, September should be much easier. And I think they want specific campsites for every night maybe? If so, do the best you can in filling out the form asby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
JKS - love it! Bad back, sore Achilles, separated shoulder says she in the last month...and I chase her for many miles down to Benson Lake! It took me a week to recover!by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
One of my favorite campgrounds in the Sierra! Friday in midsummer...I would be glad to get a spot. Get there early and consider Saddlebag Lake as a backup.by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If I am reading my maps correctly its 16.7 miles from 10 Lakes Pass to Glen Aulin. If you are (likely) somewhere in the basin it will be a bit less than that. Water will be scarce for most of the hike unless you are going very soon. Probably last water in the South Fork of Cathedral Creek, and it might be close to 9 miles before you see any water again, at McGee Lake.by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I would still consider "Don't be a Smart Pass". Roper describes I as follows: Class 2, Loose talus, interspersed with patches of snow, leads up the north slope of this pass. The south side is easy" So if you feel it when you are at Roosevelt, go for it. If not, go around. And the north side...probably not so much snow this year, so loose talus going down. Upper McCabe is a niceby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Oh I am sure that there are a bunch more boundary markers to go. And as for the Yosemite Grant, I came across the one near Gentry ' s a while back. I think Chick-on has found almost all of those. The Eagle Peak mystery? Help me out on that one....by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
So you were the guy I saw a month ago driving in the bus lane???by Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotebasilbop Looks like this was a wonderful trip; I'm bummed that I couldn't make it :-( Thanks for posting the pictures! Question: many of the pictures seem to have a bit of a pink-to-gold cast to them--was this the camera/settings or was there smoke or haze in the air? It is what the world looks like through my rose colored glassesby Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I agree that the entire boundary was not walked on September 25th. The biggest clue being the last note from Sept 24th, where Marker # 122 was set in "Conness Pass", which I believe is now know as McCabe Pass. The notes say "Corner set during a hard snowstorm". So its the end of September, you have a hard snowstorm on the 24th, and then you walk from McCabe Pass counterclocby Bearproof - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The Yosemite portion of the JMT is very worthwhile, but does not exactly qualify as "solitude". I agree with Balzac about the cross country trailheads out of Tuolumne...a great loop is Elizabeth Lake over the cross country pass to the Nelson or Matthes Lakes, and back around to Echo and Cathedral Lakes. Lots of trip reports on this or variations thereof, here, here, and here.by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
I like the idea of heading up to Tuolumne Meadows...but waterfalls at and below Glen Aulin might be underwhelming that late in the season, with the lack of snow (although if the rain and snow of the last week keep up that could change). I like the Dana idea, you might also consider Cathedral Lake, Elizabeth Lake, Gaylor Lakes, or Young Lakes (all day hikes).by Bearproof - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra