Tuolumne Meadows is very striking from this view in the air compared to all that surrounds it. The various canyons are quite dramatic as well. I believe I can make out Rogers Lake and what I think is Volunteer Peak (where we camped one night), but I have had trouble figuring out where Miller Lake is. It should be in several of these pics but I haven't yet nailed it down. I'm also not quiteby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
2012 Yosemite trip; Part 1, Rockslides to Cascade Creek Yosemite 2012 trip. Day 2: Cascade Creek to Yosemite Falls 2012 Yosemite Trip, Part 3 (days 3-5): YOsemite FAlls to Olmstead Point and May Lake 2012 Yosemite Trip, Part 4 (days 6-8); Tuolumne Meadows, Glen Aulin, Cold Canyon, Miller Lake, Matterhorn Canyon, Burro Pass 2012 Yosemite Trip, Part 5 (days 9 and 10): Slide Canyon; Muleby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That pink chicken sure gets around.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for posting this. It's a very cool tool and has occupied my time for the last couple hours looking at old maps of yosemite and photos of the place from 144 years ago. Fun stuff.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There was some running water in Matterhorn Canyon in the last week of July.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the beautiful pictures! It looks like an awesome trip. I plan to look at the other pictures at the provided link and your blog.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
ttilley is correct. I'm happy doing the GCT, and it is likely that is what I"ll have to do since I'm not sure I"ll have the time to get back to TM any other way. But, having never done the hike, I just have no idea whether being in the canyon for 2 days will still be interesting, scenic, and a great note on which to end the hike without significant water flow and the interest that prby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Does anyone have any experience hiking from White wolf, east past Ten Lakes, Tuolumne Peak, and on to trail jct near Polly Dome Lakes, from which one can exit via May Lake, Tenaya Lake, or Glen Aulin > TM ? I'm wondering if there are any viable alternatives once in Pate Valley to the nearly waterless Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and was considering this. This path though is ~ 32.5 milesby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
About how long does it take to hike up Mount Hoffman and back down (to May Lake)? From what I have read it is about a 3.5 mile round trip from May Lake. Also, can anyone tell me how long it takes to hike up Mt. Dana from the Tioga Pass trailhead? There I think it is about 6 miles round trip, but slow going the further along you get.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
With the Steripen, how does one deal with contaminated droplets above the water line in the bottle and on the external threads? Is this a problem? I have read where people simply wipe down the threads with a towel, but I don't see that that would work very well on the inside of the bottle. Steripen simply acknowledges that those droplets are obviously not 'decontaminated', but provides no pracby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the pictures and contrast with previous year. I am scheduled to hike up the GCT from Pate Valley to Glen Aulin and TM as the end of a longer trip the last week of July. Having never hiked this route before, I am curious as to whether you would judge it to be worthwhile in the absence of a reasonably flowing Tuolumne River? It seems that the water is probably a key feature of this hiby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There are a couple posts from people who have recently hiked the GCT in full or in part which describe the Tuolumne as essentially a trickle, if that in some places. It would seem that the river would be an integral part of the interest in this stretch from Pate Valley to Glen Aulin. Is that hike interesting enough without the water features to keep on the agenda or would it be worth considerinby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Perhaps my language was also confusing. I am not descending down that trail back into the valley, but am planning to camp at the top there, across from half dome before the trail drops back down into the valley. I plan to turn back north after spending the night and head towards May lake / Hoffman -- then into TM backpackers camp, get permit, etc before heading on the other hike north of Tioga.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I look at the Picasa galleries reasonably frequently. I often find myself wishing there were a caption here or there to orient me better to what I'm looking at. I guess if you've been there it's obvious. If you haven't, well, maybe not so obvious. Still, I do love the pictures.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
What I meant by that was, the descent from the Rim along the snow creek trail (?) back into the Valley. I have it in my mind, perhaps wrongly, that it is a descent into Tenaya Canyon by Mirror Lake and then out towards Yosemite Valley. Thanks for the info about the water sources.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wish I had 3-D glasses! Looks like you were in the neighborhood that I will soon be in. How was it? Do the creeks have good water flow? Did you cross Burro Pass or Mule? Does there appear to be a lot of snow still on those passes? Now gotta go look at your picasa gallery and see if you have pics up there of this trip.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Chick-on, THanks so much for the advice / help. Somehow I missed seeing your reply until today -- sorry about that. Thanks for the tip about Robinson Lakes and "the pool". I will certainly plan to get there. It sounds like you are suggesting that the better option might be to go up to Robinson, look around, and then rather than continue on around past Peeler, backtrack and gby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
ENjoyed the photos! I will be doing a similar trip later this month. Seeing your pics raised the excitement level.by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As this is a drier year than normal, and as I have never been along the North Rim Trail, I am wondering whether the water sources depicted on maps are generally reliable (Fireplace Creek, Cascade Creek, Ribbon, Eagle, Yosemite, Lehamite, Arch, etc), and/or whether there are stretches that will require loading up with water? Will be starting at Rockslides and continuing through to the area nearby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That is beautiful. Thanks!by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks Rob! My Nat Geo map has the entire area around Peeler identified as a "no camping" zone, which is why I was asking. Maybe i'm reading it wrong, or something has changed since the map was made. The campsites you are mentioning along Matterhorn then are about 2/3 up the canyon from the PCT intersection where the canyon opens to the Northeast directly towards burro pass andby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks again for your assistance and advice. I have decided to follow the advice of Chickon and others and go with option #1 including the extension up matterhorn canyon. The plan is to do it in 8 days (7 nights). There are several things on my mind as I am beginning to contemplate this more carefully. 1) When you get to mule pass there is an option to go north past crown, robinson and Peby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I wanted folks to know I have seen and appreciate the responses. I will be commenting further and asking a few questions in the next couple days or so (as I don't have the time at the moment), but did want you to know I did not just ask and leave. I appreciate the advice and feedback you have provided! I'll be back in a day or two when things settle down here a bit. Thanks so much. Frankby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I am seeking advice as I am in the initial stages of planning a trip to Yosemite. This will be my second trip. During my first trip I (together with my nephews) spent 11 days hiking. This trip included hiking up the Merced Canyon to Merced Lake, Vogelsang, Lyell Canyon, TM, Cathedral Lakes, Long Meadow, Washburn Lake, Red Devil Lake, Red Peak Pass, Upper merced pass lake, Merced pass, Buck Crby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When I picked up my Glacier Point > Illiluouette permit last year, the rangers indicated that they cared primarily about two things 1) that I enter at Glacier point, and 2) that I spend the first night in the Illiluouette drainage (they were also very adamant about bear cannister usage and smellables). Beyond that, it was pretty clear that they did not care where I went or where I exited. Thby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
All this talk about the "fence" at Vernal Falls seems silly to me. Why do people presume they or their children should be able to enter any National Park and not die that very day? There should be a sign as you pass through the gates that say, "if you proceed further, your chance of dying today increases dramatically". Not that I really believe that. I'd rather be there tby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you are standing looking at torrential waters thundering over a 317 foot cliff, where, if not upstream, would one think that water is coming from. That would mean that it must be flowing quite powerfully 20-25 feet from the brink. Isn't this the kind of thing one looks at, and without having ever seen or had described the dangers, instinctively realizes is extremely dangerous (as in the possby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When one walks up to the falls, such as Vernal and see water gushing over a 317 foot cliff, it seems to me that no sign or fence or ranger, etc is required to communicate the danger that entering the water upstream of the falls presents. Video I have seen of the water at Vernal from the past week shows an incredible volume of water in torrential waters just upstream of the falls. How could anyby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I found it interesting! Would like to do this route someday , so the more I hear about it the better. Thanksby Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I think the general view is "better to be safe than sorry". The rangers seem very consistent with the "if it goes on you, in you, etc" then it should be in the cannister. It was on the issue of "if it comes out of you..." that there was some difference of opinion. I spoke to a few hikers that appeared to be experienced trying to get some sense of what I should do,by Frank - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion