QuoteBilko If somebody made a bear canister much smaller that what is available now it would need to be made much stronger so probably end up being no lighter. The size is not only so the bear cannot bite into it right there on the spot but also so it can't pick it up and carry it away. So anything significantly smaller, regardless of its strength or weight, won't work.by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The regulation is clear. Your question basically is, "can't I get around this if it's only one night?" The answer is no. A bear may not be able to smell the contents of a sealed can of food, but I have read at least one account of a bear able to smell food from the label on canned food. And/or, a bear may have run across canned food before and recognize the can by sight as a food sourceby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
To clarify, the park has a variety of individual ranger programs for kids, for example a 15-minute presentation on the geology of Yosemite Valley. The Jr. Ranger program is a specific program that a kid can sign up for, usually stratified by age groups. They get an activity book that they have to fill out, typical set of activities might include a requirement to sit in on one of the kid-orientedby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
There also are ranger programs for kids -- guided hikes, activities, educational presentations, etc. The roster for these is fullest in the summer season, not sure what they do into the fall. Throughout the national park system is a Jr Ranger program for kids, my daughter loved doing that at all the parks we visited when she was younger.by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Do I understand from that article that Neubacher's boss is his own wife?by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
For my recent trip report I put my photos up on Google Photos rather than Picasa and then in my TR inserted the image URLs from Google Photos same way I used to do with Picasa (right-click image, select Copy Image Location, paste that into the forum's Insert Image field), it works fine. Did it again here:by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
The poncho options don't have to be your shelter as well, there are a few that are designed for that but also some that are just poncho and pack cover. The weight savings of the Gatewood is great, but you do have to accept a few compromises for each function. For a pack liner you could use a trash compactor bag (much more durable and puncture-resistant than a trash bag), or if you have only aby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks everyone for the continued comments. OL and Ischaaf, thanks for posting your photos of the RPP area at different times of the year / different years, great shots and clearly timing is everything for the north side of that pass. And chick-on thanks for the gaiter orgy photo, I wonder what others thought of us with our matching pink ankle wraps...by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yes I have the Gatewood Cape, which is my tarp/shelter, raingear, and pack cover all in one. Being a multi-purpose item it isn't as good at any one of the functions as separate purpose-built pieces of gear would be, but it serves well enough and drops a significant amount of weight. It is a cape rather than poncho, the main difference being that a poncho has open sides for your arms to come out wby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Happy Birthday!! The celebration was well under way on the trail 2 weeks ago, when does it end? Or does it just dovetail into the next Year of the Birthday??by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
That is figuratively one of the nicest things anyone has ever said. Serenity now! Say, who has the pic of the chick-on gaiters all lined up together?by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Thanks all for the comments, compliments, and questions... Yes, HD and CR usually are seen from angles in which they appear closer, or at least compressed into a line-up. I've cross that saddle between them and it is a good couple of miles, in fact I checked my route log and from the summit of CR, following the trail down until the long switchback that you can continue straight off of to the Qby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Hey guys and gals, here's a TR from my recent YNP trip 7/13-18. I did the Red Peak Pass loop and was joined for part of it by Basilbop, JKW and Chick-On. My trip was supposed to be a lot longer, had planned to include looping in and out of the Vogelsang area, but once again altitude affected me so I cut my trip short. Still had a great trip, here are some highlights... I really tried this timeby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
A cozy definitely helps. Consider: that dried food rehydrates faster and more thoroughly when the water-food mix is warmer rather than colder, and further consider that rehydration takes longer at altitude. Typical instructions on freeze-dried food packages are that the recommended time is calculated for at a 5,000 ft altitude and further that you should double that time for each additional 5,000by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
One key difference is the baffle design, which may matter depending on your sleep style. JRB has horizontal baffles, which might not be the best choice for a toss-and-turn sleeper because your body movements during the night could shift down within the baffles from the center (over your body) down to the sides, leaving you cold and needing to shift the down during the night. EE has "shiftlesby JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Enlightened Equipment is another brand you should put on your list (that's what I have and many on BPL do). Attaching a quilt to straps around your pad does not defeat the purpose of a quilt over a bag. You don't connect the two sides together under you, even with the quilt attached to pad straps you can leave it open beneath you, letting the pad provide the bottom insulation and giving you moby JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Your entry trailhead would be "Pohono Trail (Wawona Tunnel/ Bridalveil Fall parking)". I believe your exit would be "Pohono Trail (Glacier Point)", because the 4-Mile isn't part of any backcountry/overnight trek. You would be "exiting" at GP and then continuing (dayhiking?) on the 4-Mile. Your exit trailhead and date aren't really important, quotas are based on yoby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
QuoteAnotherDave An obvious one in the ND area would be Indian Rock/Natural Arch. Well worth some extra effort. +1. On the Panorama, coming down from GP to Illilouette Creek is an overlook to see Illilouette Fall (the only place from the trail you can see it). Then, Panorama Point is just off the Panorama trail ascending from top of Illilouette Fall, it's a short jaunt off to the lby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Happy belated Birthday Dale! Hope you had a great one. Thanks for showing me (and Firecracker) so much of Yosemite, and for the pancakes, and the memories. And yes, the answer is: it's a lodgepole...by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
So he's really just a gray chicken?by JRinGeorgia - General Discussion
Hey OD, hope you're having a great one. Firecracker and Billy Joel wishing many happy more!by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Happy belated!!by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotechick-on Making my xmas list: Well you know that Firecracker and I could always use a couple of official Yosemite barf bags...by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Great news, thanks.by JRinGeorgia - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Camping at Dewey with spectacular views. Hard to do a 2-night since no camping east of Bridaveil Creek crossing. True dry from Tunnel View to Bridalveil, there are a few very small streamlets but certainly dried up now. Transportation is tricky since no shuttle to/from Tunnel View. Best if you can somehow get a ride there then after the Pohono come down the 4-Mile instead of doubling bacby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
From YNP: "Camping is permitted at backpackers' campgrounds near Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise, Merced Lake, and Vogelsang High Sierra Camps...All other camping should be away from each HSC." So it depends how you interpret "away" from the HSC, but I think it generally means you either camp in the designated HSC backpacker area or else out of the area of the HSC itself. If youby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Yes, HSCs you can stay in the tent cabins (if you have reservations) and can get breakfast and dinner there (and boxed lunches to go). $$$ for each of those choices. Or, each one has an area for backpackers that you can camp in, you have to stay in the designated backpackers camping area or else not at the HSC at all (no going 100 yards away and setting up your own camp). No fee to do that. Theyby JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
EDIT: oops, I moved my post to where it was supposed to be...by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Great shots! Thanks for sharing.by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra
Balzaccom, that day we passed each other on the trail near Little Devil's Postpile, my daughter and I later passed a family asking if this was the way to GLEEN aw-LEEN... The proper pronunciation of Merced also is not intuitive for many from outside California.by JRinGeorgia - Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra