Quotedqniel I've been to Muir and a grove in Yosemite Different, though related, species. Muir Woods (and Big Basin, and Humboldt Redwoods) have Coastal Redwoods (sequoia sempervirens). Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia, etc., have the Sierra Sequoia (sequoiadendron giganteum). The former are taller, the latter are larger.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteAlmostThere I forgot about that suggesting Andrew Molera in another thread. I forgot as well, I heard about it while driving to Tahoe Thursday, then skied so much powder that the CA-1 memories were replaced by other things. Pics here: http://bigsurkate.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/up-close-and-personal-with-mother-nature/by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
All great choices! Mid-April, grassland areas (Coe SP, and East Bay Parks) should have green grass and blooming California Poppy, Lupine, and Goldfields. Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin Redwoods and Alamere Falls at Pt. Reyes (waterfall dropping straight onto the beach) should have decent water. Summer fog shouldn't be too persistent yet, so coastal areas like Tomales Point (Pt. Reyes) should bby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
There's also the Ventana Wilderness to consider (on the "new to the west coast" thing...make very sure you know what western poison oak looks like before a lower-elevation trip, either on the coast or in the Sierra foothills!). I've seen Yucca and Redwood growing there within a five minute walk of each other (near Barlow). Pt. Reyes requires advance reservations which are tough for wby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I haven't climbed HD, either. Besides...this fact is part of our profiles. But I think the Yosemite Nature Notes series did a good job of discussing the wilderness management conundrum related to those who do see HD as a life goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihNpkUp5JdM). I don't need to fight the crowds, though.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
As someone who is local (CA), I appreciate reservation systems at national park and forest wilderness areas elsewhere (where quotas apply) for the exact same reasons. I mentioned Grand Canyon, Boundary Waters, etc. lotteries in a different thread today...I did the same as you, I put in for the lottery, got the results, then made the rest of my arrangements (including air fare, where applicable).by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteeeek Campsite reservations have the same problem. I suspect a good number of sites get reserved by bots and then resold. Does Inyo NF have similar problems with their Whitney lottery system, or would a lottery reduce this problem? I've entered day-one lotteries for wilderness permits at Grand Canyon, Boundary Waters, Yellowstone, Glacier...seems workable.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Possibly five years ago, third Sunday in April, I drove over Carson Pass behind a CHP escort...they were going to let us over, then close the pass the rest of the day for avalanche control. The next day, skiing at Mammoth...the mountain shut down early because of a 2000' wide avalanche starting on Climax, extending towards Dave's. So...no guarantees. Someone suggested Nevada Falls as a day hikby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My picture of Half Dome was taken from about here: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.70161,-119.57537&z=15&t=T From the angle, I think Chick-on's picture was taken a little bit north, along the same ridge. It's off the Glacier Point Road, the south end of the ridge is just east of the top of the road's climb north from the Mono Meadow trailhead.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've been seeing snow on the peaks behind Mission Peak since the last storm, which from my vantage point means Rose Peak. The incoming storm (w/ 500' snow levels forecasted for Saturday) would just add more.by ttilley - General Discussion
Not quite sure what you're asking here: QuoteAre there many backpacker campgrounds? I have only heard of the one in LYV for 5$. AlmostThere explained the "backpacker campgrounds", but I'm wondering if you're thinking that camping in the wilderness is only in designated campgrounds (as it is in some parks and wilderness areas in the east). If not, ignore this...if so...it's not, forby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
OK, let's see if this works, here's a view from where I was camped: And a view of half-dome from the top of the ridge: Album link here.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow, $22 for a weekend in March! Thanks for sharing this!by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have a few pictures on my camera, I'll try and get them up this weekend.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I spent Thanksgiving 2009 week at the Grand Canyon, combination backpacking and staying at Bright Angel Lodge. There were people but the crowds weren't excessive, and I really enjoyed it. The days on the rim were pleasant, the nights were in the teens but it didn't matter at all, and camping/hiking conditions in the canyon itself were great. Haven't been to Zion so I can't comment, but with reby ttilley - General Discussion
Quoteeeek Maybe. But the poop doesn't have quite the same slip coefficient. But the emotional cost of slipping on the snow is much less than that of slipping on the poop. And this particular snow picture doesn't look especially steep, reducing the physical cost.by ttilley - General Discussion
QuoteBadger Pass Report Groomed XC trails: Fresh Tracks from Badger Pass to Glacier Point on Thursday Night February 10, 2011. Fresh Tracks to Bridalveil Campground on Sunday Night, February 13, 2011. Actually, they groomed all the way to Glacier Point Saturday night, I was camped on Illilouette Ridge and saw them. Skied out Sunday on freshly-groomed track.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I guess the PCT thru-hikers are staying the day after one hike and the day before their next hike... :-) I think it's also possible they don't spend excessive time worrying about this at TM. I've camped in the Backpackers Camp there and talked w/ people there who were spending three days or so doing climbs during the day.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Do you have the current copy from that link? Here's what I see when I downloaded the compendium after reading this discussion: Quote2010 Supervisors Compendium • Backpacker camps are intended for use by visitors in possession of an overnight Wilderness Permit or for visitors arriving in the park by foot, bicycle, or bus. • Wilderness permit holders may stay in a backpacker camp the nighby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From Bill_e_g's pictures, I thought chick-on was from Circus Circus in Las Vegas...by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The snowbank can be seen here: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=39.30349,-120.66507&z=16&t=M , it's marked "Bear Valley Road" - change to Topo to see the unimproved marking. I think it's fine that they show these roads, I like them myself, but the routing software probably needs a way to flag a class of roads that should only be used for destinations _on_ those roads, not for any dby ttilley - General Discussion
A year ago on CA-20 near 80, E-bound, trying to get W-bound on 80, I had a GPS suggest I should drive into a 6-foot snowbank that, in summer, might be a 4WD-only dirt track.by ttilley - General Discussion
I use the ProPaks, and there's some space between the bricks in the can. I fill it up as much as I can w/ various rebagged Trader Joe's trail mixes for lunch. I've also recently tried the Packit Gourmet dinners I had seen mentioned on Calipidder's blog, I think they taste better, though I also think they're worse for space so...only on shorter trips.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Happy Isles is in Yosemite Valley, open year round. Are you thinking of Glacier Point (where the road likely would be closed)?by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on If you can't get a 3-4 day trip into one Garcia for two people you're probably taking too much food or not repackaging or buying Mountain House crap. Well, plus...I have to put This somewhere in the can...by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One other thought...if you've got 7 to 8 days and haven't backpacked before, consider two short backpack trips w/ day visits in-between. If after the first trip you decide it's not for you, then depending upon what's already taken in Yosemite you may need to visit another area of the Sierra, but that's not a bad thing. And if you decide it is for you, you'll get to visit a couple different areasby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I agree w/ you as a public land user, just noting in the Big Sur case who owns the parked-upon land and is getting the fee that's paid, and in the other cases what I was told when I complained to the Monterey RD about interagency pass differences between Bottchers Gap and Arroyo Seco. The Monterey RD situation seems a bit of a mess, beyond the "forests transplanted north from southern CA&quoby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Behind the Big Sur ranger station is state park, you're paying $5 to California State Parks. Bottchers Gap is a day-use contractor, and you're paying $10 to someone w/ a USFS contract for that site. Arroyo Seco...it's also a day-use contractor, but their contract is to accept the interagency pass. I can't find the link now, but when the Monterey RD was removed from the Adventure Pass thing...by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Additionally, it doesn't include the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest: http://www.ventanawild.org/news/adpassnews.html I thought they had handled the pass pretty poorly when it came to the Monterey Ranger District, there were relatively few places in the Bay Area where one could buy one, lots of places around LA, so...which area's closer to the Monterey RD? EDIT: The Mby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Was that taken this past weekend, or earlier? I was camped near Wawona Point this weekend and had hardly any wind at all.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion