I highly recommend this trip. I did it back in the second week of May. It definitely looks different without all the snow. The manzanita on the drop into Vernon isn't fun, but I'd still rather to that way. The downside from there is Vernon is the only place id want to camp from there out to Hetchy. http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,66444 There's some pics of it covered in snow,by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I though the same thing. That is frame worthy! Thanks for sharing the pictures with usby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the info!by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm curious as I'll be passing through on Sunday as well. Anyone been there recently?by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Basilbop, thanks for those pictures, that was really cool to see. I remember that crash in cherry canyon, I was backpacking in the canyon a week after it happened and looked for it, but since we couldn't cross the creek we didn't find it.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The 10L one. I don't carry much asides from my stove, water, sandwich, a few starbucks VIAs and a jacket so its the perfect size for me.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
10 pounds? How much stuff are you guys carrying on a dayhike? My base weight for backpacking is under 10 pounds. As for daypacks, I have a GoLite that I've been happy with: http://www.golite.com/gear/hydration-dayby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Okay, I'm really impressed. It was a trick question in that I wasn't backpacking, but car camping...but you still got within a few miles. I had forgotten back in january that I had agreed to camp with some coworkers at Cragg's Campground off HWY 108. Believe me as I drove by the Leavitt Lake campground I would have preferred to trailhead out of there instead of being in a car campsite. That bby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wow, apparently Chick-on has trackers on all of us at once we get within 200 miles of the park. If you can tell me where I was last weekend, I'll be really impressed hahaby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've used the bear boxes plenty of times and never had an issue. That being said, I agree with the consensus of not leaving valuable gear in them.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great pictures, thank you for sharing! I'll be out that way soon enough.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I would guess that around here everyone uses a sleeping pad, unless they forgot it or they're crazy about going ultralight. I know in the old days, some people believed it was fine to rip the boughs off of trees and use those. I'm pretty confident that everyone on this forum has enough respect for the backcountry to not do that. I didn't think anyone at all did that any more, but the last tripby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Plawrence, the thermarest is about twice as heavy as the mammut, but it is more comfortable. As others have pointed out the mammut is somewhat spartan. However, when my exped ul7 gave out back in February/March, I realized I could sleep comfortably on minimal support.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have both the exped ul 7 and the neo air. I found the exped to be vastly more comfortable than the neo air, and less noisy as well. That being said, my exped was destroyed on a trip back in February. I did replace it, but I haven't taken the new one out of the sack yet. I've been using a foam pad instead, the mammut alpine mat ul: http://www.campsaver.com/alpine-mat-ul Its lighter and Iby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For coffee you can't go wrong with the Starbucks VIAs. It's instant coffee, but it's superb. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00438ZXAM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1370101678&sr=8-2&pi=SL75by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have a GoLite down jacket that weighs an even 16 ounces that I use in winter time. It's worked quite well. On the same subject, I can't recommend the GoLite Jampack enough. I love that backpack.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have the same pair of shoes and was planning on trying the superfeet myself on the next trip. I've heard nothing but good things about them.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the pictures and trip report. Looks like a great trip.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The weight that they have gotten jackets down to is pretty incredible. This only weighs 8 ounces: http://m.backcountry.com/stoic-hadron-down-anorak-mens And the version without a hood is 7 ounces.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm glad someone else made the point that pack weight varies quite a bit by the time of year. The zero degree bag instead of the 30 degree bag and the warmer jacket add a lot of weight in the winter time. Also, you gotta love not having to carry a tent in the summer time. I checked the 20-25 pound weight for my winter gear, but in the summer is be in the sub 20 range.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
At most points I wouldn't want to cross falls creek unless I absolutely had to. It's cold, relatively deep and running pretty fast. Te best you could hope for is a waist deep crossing. As for the cross country past Vernon, it's like 85% smooth open granite. However, the last bit is an annoying scramble up a thick manzanita infested climb by falls creek. There are cairns, but it's mostly jusby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the photosynth, that was great. This was my first trip through Jack Main, but it definitely won't be the last. I loved that canyon, it was spectacular. Can't wait to get back out there again.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on As usual. Great pix. Give me a break, I was on my iphone driving home last night when I posted that. There, happy now? http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,66444by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Bad news, I forgot my camera.. Thursday afternoon I got my relief to get me out of work early. We went over Sonora Pass through the snow flurries and stayed at the Leavitt Meadows Campground Thursday night. Friday morning we took off. We did a little more than 8 miles and stayed at Fremont Lake Friday night. Fremont was nice view-wise, but the wind howled all night. And although its out oby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I went over from hwy 108 out of the Leavitt Meadows campground starting Friday and went over Dorothy Pass into the park. Came out of hetch Hetchy today. On the other side snow is 75% covering the ground from cascade creek to lake Harriet. From Harriet to the pass it's solid. On the park side, it's solid from Dorothy through grace meadows. From the meadows to Wilma it's close to 75% coverageby oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
You're right again! Congrats.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Beautiful pictures. I can never see enough of Cherry Canyon. Thanks for sharing. On a sidenote, I wonder when Flintstone camp was rebuilt? It's been at least 2 years since I've been in there.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I use a combination of google maps and apple maps for around town and don't have any issues. That with the combination of other gps apps like (urban spoon, yelp, around me, etc) I'm quite happy with it. So much so that I don't have a need for another GPS for around town.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have an iPhone 4s and using the Topo Maps application it is just as accurate as my Garmin 76csx. Battery life is an issue. I don't leave either one on when I'm hiking, I usually fire either up to take a reading or see how far away I am from where I'm going.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Same here. I've seen plenty of tracks but only saw a mountain lion once. Going cross county from the north side of Kibbie lake towards the trail that goes to Boundary Lake I saw a mom and a young mountain lion for a few seconds and then they were gone. It was definitely cool to see.by oakroscoe - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion