I meant from the Cathedral Lakes TRAILHEAD...which I accidentally omitted in my prior post.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From Cathedral Lakes to the Happy Isles trailhead (where you get the bus) is exactly 20.9 miles. I have measured it many times on day hikes with my Garmin watch. If you walk to Curry Village it's another .6 miles on the road.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Over the years I have encountered at least 40-45 bears in the Yosemite backcountry. I have never met an aggressive bear. Without any exception, they were all very timid and ran away (FAST). Even when I have seen mommy bear with cubs they have been docile and got away as fast as they could or ignored me. I am appalled anyone would even mention firearms as a deterrent to bears. That could give someby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Chicago, hydration is even more important hiking Whitney than a marathon. I can't emphasize this enough. When running marathons, I'll usually drink 15-18 ounces of water an hour. Over 4 hours that isn't that much. But Whitney will take you 8 hours+ and drinking 24 ounces an hour will help your performance and your recovery. It's good you're coming from a running background and won't resist drinkiby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Make sure you sleep at altitude several nights before the hike and HYDRATE. You may have no idea how important drinking is in a successful hike to Whitney.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This weeked should bring the biggest storm of them all. Every weather forecast is prediciting a very potent storm coming in.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
No crowds really until 8:00 am and after, even in July or August. If you get up at 4:45, you can have the Valley Floor all to yourself. And if you say, "I'm a late sleeper," you should make an exception. Yosemite is a once in a lifetime experience for many!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've had many years in March when I anxiously thought, "Wow, this has been such a mild winter, Tioga will almost certainly open in mid-May. I can hike Youngs Lake, Clouds Rest and Ten Lakes in May!" Well... 95% of the time, a snowstorm in April or May wrecked these fantasies. I try not to get my hopes up. And unless we get more snow, drought conditions will surely loom. I read Yosemiby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have hiked Half Dome at night at least 15 times over the years. I honestly wouldn't recommend this unless you know the trail well enough in the daytime. There are several sections where you might go astray or just not know where to go. Since you're avoiding the Mist Trail and doing the JMT route, after you reach the area before the bridge, you will almost certainly have no idea where you'reby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
DB1, you don't say where your ultimate destination is going to be when you're backpacking. I'm also assuming from your post that you have a car in the park. Speaking from personal experience, you couldn't pay me enough money to haul a backpack up Yosemite Falls trail. It's rickety, poor, rocky traction and (IMO) overrated for views. Coming down is a nightmare on your knees! Why not start yby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I would definitely recommend a 20 degree bag. Temperatures in Yosemite at high elevation can vary tremendously. The summer of 2011 was unseasonably mild. I've seen it be 18 degrees at 9,000 feet in Yosemite in July at night and I've also seen it be 70 degrees at the same location and date in a different year.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great photos. I am so impressed you're still able to hike in Yosemite at this time of year. I've never seen Tioga pass open so late in recent memory. Fantastic!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
After today's storm I would not think the Mist Trail will be doable for awhile.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteOn my short trips I have packed tons of lightly salted peanuts, some metrx meal replacement bars, baby ruths and snickers, oatmeal with powdered milk, ramen noodles, powdered gatorade, and beef jerky/dried sausage Honestly, I don't think you can beat what you've been taking on prior trips. The only problem is that in very hot weather, the Baby Ruths and Snickers will probably melt. Iby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Forget about anything in the High County, with the snow coming down now, you're looking at 16 inches in Touloumne when all is said and done. More snow next weekend is forecast. (I'm assuming you don't want to snoeshow it). What about the Four Mile Trail on the valley floor? Great views, 9.2 miles RT and even if Glacier Point road is closed, it won't matter.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I did the Ten Lakes hike today and it was 31 degrees when I began hiking at 8:05 am. It remained cold for at least an hour, then warmed up so I could hike in shorts and short-sleeved shirt. Mammoth will be 28 degrees tonight and the forecasted temps next weekend in Mammoth are loes of 14 degrees Saturday and Sunday. WOW! I'm grateful for the great weather the past 2 weeks in the Sierras, butby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotewas concerned with my safety. I could not care less about theirs Incredible. Beyond selfish. If you bothered about caring about other drivers, you would simply have put on your blinkers and rolled down your window, passing them on ahead (since the turn-outs were "slushy." Car and Driver and countless other auto publications always point out that SLOW drivers cause 80% ofby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've spent the last three days on 395, from Crowley Lake up to Mono City. Hiked Hoover Lakes yesterday, Dusy Basin Friday and Clouds Rest today. Fall colors are past their peak. Peak was 7-10 days ago. June Lane and Lundy Lake are still beautiful, so is Aspendell above Bishop. But the peak is gone. Those who said peak would be the last week in October were incorrect. I've never seen peak fallby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have to agree that the slow drivers are the worst. I have been stuck behind literally hundreds of different cars refusing to use turn-outs, even with a dozen or more cars behind them. The rudeness is spectacular. I always assumed it was a control issue!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Oh boy.... Thank you for posting these beautiful photos. I was assuming a day hike from Rush Creek to Agnew Lake would be feasible on Saturday because Rush Creek is so exposed to the sun. I guess not. Thanks for alerting me ahead of time so I can make alternate hiking plans. Looks like the hiking in the Sierras is concluded for this year.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteThere are signs everywhere warning about paying attention to the weather. Between that and common sense, you'd think that would be warning enough. Perfectly said. The thing that amazes me is that Half Dome is far from the most scenic hike in Yosemite, nor is it usually particularly enjoyable. The vast preponderance of people on the trail are not hikers, have no sense of hiker etiquetby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I called the Ranger Station about 2 hours ago and was told essentially the same thing. I asked specifically about Clouds Rest and the Ranger said it was a foot deep in snow with trail finding skills necessary above the ridge which forks off into either Sunrise HSC or the other direction leading to Clouds Rest. Imagine the conditions on the summit approach... treacherous, I would presume. No thankby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've hiked in the Sierras since I was 18 years old (sadly, 30 years ago now), and I have never seen peak fall colors during the last week of October. Peak colors in the 80's were frequently the last week in September. Peak colors in the 90's varied widely, but was usually the first week in October. The last 12 years have never seen peak colors in late October. The last 12 years offers a similar tby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You can try Ten Lakes or Youngs Lake in the high country. The weather this weekend will be in the 60's with no additional snow forecast. So the melt-off should be significant. You can also do a great hike on the Valley Floor, the Four Mile Trail to Sentinel Dome. There would be minimal to no snow on that trail except above Glacier Point.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Mammoth in the town got 9 inches, I just called a friend there. Everything above 10,000 feet got hammered. Hiking is out this weekend. Tioga is said to open again tomorrow am.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
And this weekend will be the peak for fall colors on 395.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Hotrod, I just saw Yosemite's FB page and about fell over. They show a photo of a guy walking in the High Country and the snow is up to his calves. I hiked Youngs Lake on Sunday and it was chilly but clear as a bell. Wow, what a change! As for cancelling my hotel reservations, I go to Yosemite every weekend in the summer and fall, so it's not a big deal. I am cancelling. There is no way this mby Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
It's snowing in Mammoth Village, the cam clearly shows 2-3 inches.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I was planning on hiking Clouds Rest Saturday and Ten Lakes on Sunday. I have to cancel my hotel reservations by Thursday night for a refund. Is the snow too much, do you think? There are no webcams in the high country.by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm in Mammoth and hiked Dusy Basin today and it was brutally windy and cold. The sky right now looks like hell but no rain today. The locals here scoff at any chance of snow next week. I tend to listen to the locals more than generic weather sites, but God only knows!by Ulysses61 - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion