I just remembered reservations for Upper Pines went on sale this morning for dates between March 15 - April 14, 2012. There are still plenty of sites available as it's a little early in the season. http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Upper_Pines_Ca/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70925&topTabIndex=Searchby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I recently purchased the same camera (love it) and picked up a few of these batteries here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EENZVK I chose ATC LLC as the vendor, $7.54 each, free shipping. They are working great for me. While shooting about 200 shots per day, even burning a little extra juice with the GPS on in airplane mode, each battery lasts at least 3 days. Edit: cleaned uby QITNL - General Discussion
Like the sign says:by QITNL - General Discussion
If you live close to SF and you need a hiking fix, Point Reyes is a worthy destination.by QITNL - General Discussion
Nice shot. Chick-on's got it right, he's often my best resource. Mt Florence is just to the right, you can see the ridge leading up to it. Here's another useful tool: http://www.heywhatsthat.com/ I created an entry for Clouds Rest. Scroll through the long list in the View menu.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've notice that a significant amount of traffic doesn't seem to heed the speed limits around Crane Flat. Often the lollygaggers even speed up, negating the last passing zone before the end of the park. I'm as pedal-to-the-metal as they come, but many times I've slowed the train myself at that spot, it's a big honking speed trap. Sorry to hear you got the pinch, but thanks for the heads-up thby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I cross-posted your report to this thread: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1652936/Impressive-rockfall-video-from-the-Franz-Josef-Glacier (If you want to see an enormous rockfall, click on it) Greg Stock, the park geologist, replied: Here's a photo of the Yosemite Falls rockfall on October 28, taken by a visitor in Sentinel Meadow. The rockfall originated from the left cornerby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Silly me, I did not know the name of that feature. Photo by "Minerals" found here: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1270035 From left to right: Marmot Dome, Whale’s Back (below), Razor Back (above), Fairview Dome, Cathedral Peak, and Eichorn Pinnacleby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Fairview or the subdome under it?by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Schaffer calls it "Snow Creek Point"; the rest of us call it 6700 feet - as marked on the map.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
If you go up there earlier in the year, you needn't scramble off trail at all. The waterfalls will stop you right in your tracks. There are nice views all along, usually I just blast up then jump off-trail to head over to the dome at the top. If you want to see Snow Creek Falls close up, another option is an abandoned/use trail on the north side of the Tenaya Creek, leading from thby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
>LYV / 1/4 domes / Clouds Rest Great trip, I highly recommend it. You could probably skirt any permit issues with a pass-through, camp at Sunrise Creek (much better than LYV IMHO). There are some real nice sites up on the QD's. You might need to be a little creative with water. I love when you can walk in, fill out your own permit, stuff it in the box. Freedom!by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Here's another useful document: NOLS Backcountry Lightning Safety Guidelines http://www.supertopo.com/images/lightning.pdfby QITNL - General Discussion
The rocky gully to which you refer is not LeConte. LeConte gully angles up to the left of Grizzly Peak in my photo above.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks! Keep it coming.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the info. Would appreciate if anyone learns more about 120.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Woot!by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
This might be a better site, here is a good page to start: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00034.html By "winter-time attempts" do you mean snow camping/snow travel? For that pursuit, loads tend to be heavier. Staying safe and warm is paramount; you may have to sacrifice some extra weight. I'm not UL but I'm not a big guy so I gotta watch what I put onby QITNL - General Discussion
There is a long history of Camp Curry in this 13MB, 250 page report prepared last year: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/yose/camp_curry_clr.pdf pp76-77: Camp Curry lost a large part of its cultural character when the Firefall ceased in 1968. However, shortly afterwards certain corporate events further reshaped the image of this national concessionaire icon. On October 25,by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Some awesome photos here: http://www.elcapreport.com/content/special-edition-elcap-rescue-92611by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I'm not sure of the points you reference, but when you get there, the turn is pretty obvious. You wiggle up all the garbage until you hit the wall and the trail to Sierra Point takes a hard right. You go hard left to LeConte and can follow a faint use trail for a while. One other trick, at the base of the route to SP: after you turn off the freeway and clamber through the initial rockpile, hby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Last weekend, barely freezing, if that. I was warm enough, didn't notice. But keep an eye on the storm doors.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I might have walked past you guys. Cool to hear - someone was leaving, saying "have a nice winter," but it's really nice there right now. The skeeters get fierce in those meadows but right now they're laying low.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks - that's kinda what I figured. I'd like to camp up on that bench sometime. It's huge, the sort of place you'd put a lodge. Probably one for earlier in the season when the snow is still melting down.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I've been part way up LeConte gully and it starts off pretty easy. From there it looked passable though fairly crumbly. What stopped us was water. Early in the season, April, May, there is still snow in the upper gully, snowmelt seeping down, it got too wet and slippery. Now would be a good time of year to try it. The terrain is full-on choss and moss, this kind of garbage: There areby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Nice photos and good that a few of you got on the trail this year, added to the pool of shared information. Question: between the turn-off from the main trail and the saddle in your first picture, did you come across any water? Earlier in the year there is both a creek heading towards May Lake, and later a neat little waterfall that drops into the valley. It was a big snow year but they mighby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Thanks for the update. I drove past the Tamarack Fire last Sunday night and wanted to look that up. It wasn't too large but quite near the road; the light it emitted was pretty impressive. One large trunk was a huge glowing ember. A couple of cars had stopped to check it out, but I was on the clock so I had to boogie past it. The road was pretty smokey for a fair distance.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
From the same Supertopo link: Park in an obvious six-car pullout in trees—the only pullout on the south side of the road—3.4 miles west of the Tuolumne Store and 4.2 miles east of Tenaya Lake. From the pullout, follow an obvious trail that heads directly from the left (southeast) corner of the parking lot toward the dome. Follow climbers’ trail signs; please do not stray from the trail.by QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
The funny thing about hiking off trail is that once you get good at it, you discover all sorts of new trails. Especially in an area as well-travelled as YNP. There are hundreds of miles of well-beaten paths not marked on any map. Use trails, abandoned trails, old roads, climbers paths, fisherman's routes - you name it. You often know you've calculated the most efficient route from point A toby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I only have one video but you are welcome to use it. Sounds of Yosemite Winterby QITNL - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion