Just checked the webcams this morning (from the conservancy's main webcam page), and the Turtleback Dome cam is online, with a current image date/time stamp (currently reads "Mon Jan 17 08:34:43 2011).by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I love Ten Lakes basin. Especially camping at one of the lakes off the 'trail' (none of them are that far apart). Young Lakes may not be bad for a 'first time backpack' - there will be plenty of people, but it's quite pretty and not too far. Plus, w/ two trails in the exit trail can be different from the entry. I took a friend there for a first time trip long ago, he was dead tired (not in shaby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Having crossed (edit) Frog Creek in mid-November in Tevas...I'll have to think about the idea of scuba booties.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Depending upon the highway I'm driving up, I've looked for areas in the Sierra foothills where gas prices are semi-sane, and where the location is close enough to likely destinations to leave me with a generally full tank. 120 = Big Oak Flat/Groveland. 108 = Sugar Pine/MiWok/Etc. 4 = God only knows, I've generally just driven down. 88 = Jackson. Towards Edison Lake = Madera, yet I still top off aby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I always top-off the tank in Big Oak Flat or thereabouts if I'm driving up 120 (regardless of what the gauge says). My 'range' is around 450 miles, losing 4 MPG up the Sierra and gaining 3 MPG down, so that works for me.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Just on first glance I'm finding these old maps very interesting, thanks. Interesting enough to bookmark the various 'whole park' maps by year. That 1909 map's a keeper too, it's not of the whole park but it has a lot more than the valley.by ttilley - General Discussion
Cool pictures! Question though...does the Old Dude have pictures of you wading through this stuff?by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I bought them (the Merrells) just before Christmas. They worked well on a day trip around Tahoe, but then regular hiking boots work fine for me snowshoeing during the day. The real test will be if they eliminate 'frozen toe syndrome' at breakfast time on a camping trip (w/ hiking boots the cold toes thing goes away once I start traveling and the blood gets going).by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Easter Island?by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the further explanation, it certainly helps. The reason I mentioned snow is because you asked about alternatives to your chosen trail (which I haven't hiked). Coming earlier won't help at all with respect to alternatives (many of which would be higher), coming later would (so might waiting to see how the season shapes up, if that's a feasible travel option). Looking at the elevationby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here's what I was thinking of, it was buried in the FAQ on that page... QuoteWay Back Machine To camp in the Illilouette basin or beyond: Glacier Point to Illilouette or Happy Isles to Illilouette So...there's Glacier Point to LYV, or Glacier Point to Illilouette. Which means I was probably confused, since that'd be up a different trail. I know I've hiked from Glacier Point beyond LYV on tby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If one is considering Happy Isles-Passthrough, then Glacier Point to 'beyond LYV' (I can't get the permit name now because nps.gov/yose is failing to load) would also be an option, and would result in visiting the same area. Depending upon how one wanted to end the trip, of course.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quoteapeman45 I kind of miss the bears before the canisters were required. I saw two bears on my first day out of the Mono Meadow trailhead this past July 4 weekend, after seeing one the day before near Crane Flat on my drive into the park. They seemed to be doing their own thing, as I've previously seen in the Trinity Alps, instead of being Sierra Camp Raiders (and similar to you I've never losby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
A few years ago, in June...your pictures make me want to go in the winter sometime, though this year I have Kibbie Lake and Lassen on my snow camping list.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I haven't hiked that so I can't help there. With respect to alternatives it seems a little early because 1) I'm not sure what your snow tolerance, experience, and ability are, and 2) if answer one is "low" then it's hard to say and you may want to give it a little time. The Sierra is well above normal in terms of snowfall, and getting close to a seasonal norm, but we're not quite a thirby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
When I was there a couple years ago, there was an obvious track leading from the overnight parking area (at the far end of the lower level) to the road. Might be somewhat harder to see if it had just dumped, of course.by ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow...first one I clicked was more than twice the previous max, and has been four times the previous max (sorry to keep editing...) (most recent instantaneous read 2340 cfs, max (1997) read 1070 cfs). First One I Clickedby ttilley - General Discussion
This past March in the Curry parking lot I saw a ranger removing food from the back of someone's pickup, I think she was going to be writing a ticket. This was after having camped in Little Yosemite and seen litter from a bear having gotten someone's stuff. Same month, I saw a bear while skiing at Squaw Valley (I forget the name of the area, its the infrequently open area along the far edge beby ttilley - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion