Re: Wilderness regulation question

I'm presuming the rule about no fires above 9,600' does not apply to our little gas stoves. Can somebody verify that, please?

Jim

Of course you can use your gas stove or any backpacking stove at any elevation.

Thanks, Dale. Kind of figured that. The rule was just something I stumbled upon while looking up the history of Yosemite wilderness permits which began in 1986. I have not heard any of you talking about cold camps but needed to be sure. Obviously, the rule is aimed at the those who still think an open fire is "nice". Can't help wondering if the Vogelsang HSC gets an exception. Bet they do!

Jim

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tomdisco
Thanks, Dale. Kind of figured that. The rule was just something I stumbled upon while looking up the history of Yosemite wilderness permits which began in 1986. I have not heard any of you talking about cold camps but needed to be sure. Obviously, the rule is aimed at the those who still think an open fire is "nice". Can't help wondering if the Vogelsang HSC gets an exception. Bet they do!

Jim

Jim,

The purpose of the regulation is to ensure that fallen wood in the zone approaching the treeline gets recycled back into the soil. I've camped near the meadow by Vogelsang a couple of times and don't recall ever seeing a communal campfire at the HSC. Even if they do have one, it would have to be wood packed in by our four-footed, long-eared friends-of-the-trail. (Note: there is a great place to camp at the far eastern end of the meadow: a tree-covered rise 0.1-0.2 mile N of the trail that heads out toward Evelyn Lake.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2009 03:29PM by szalkowski.

Len,

I had originally planned to camp around there on 7/17 but changed my plans when Dale or Mike talked me into exiting the next day via Evelyn Lake/Ireland Creek instead of Rafferty Creek. Now I'm going to camp near Florence Lake on the 16th and on the 17th will go over Vogelsang Pass and push through past Evelyn Lake and camp about where the trail meets Ireland Creek. It will also be my highest camp site of the entire trip.

Jim

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tomdisco
Len,

I had originally planned to camp around there on 7/17 but changed my plans when Dale or Mike talked me into exiting the next day via Evelyn Lake/Ireland Creek instead of Rafferty Creek. Now I'm going to camp near Florence Lake on the 16th and on the 17th will go over Vogelsang Pass and push through past Evelyn Lake and camp about where the trail meets Ireland Creek. It will also be my highest camp site of the entire trip.

Jim

Florence Lake to Evelyn Lake is a lot of elevation. I don't see a trail to Florence Lake, but I seem to remember a spur off the Fletcher Creek Lewis Creek trail. Some very wet (even in September) meadows below Volgelsang Pass on that route. Bring your rubbers!

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2009 08:28PM by Frank Furter.

Jim,
The main thing is just have a tentative route. This is what I'm gonna do, this is the elevation, I'm gonna camp here-ish.
Then when you are out there just make sure that you are having fun and stopping to smell the roses.
Maybe you decide to go Fletcher Crk instead of Lewis. Maybe you go out Rafferty instead of Evelyn/Lyell.
It's all good. I'm not a big fan of Rafferty but that is ONLY due to the horse dookey. Was there last year
with the wifey and I kept turning around looking towards Fletcher Peak going... "wow, this is really really nice.
I gotta not bad mouth it."
Anyway, when I solo I invariably change the route (sometimes on the drive up). As long as you stay on the
trails you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Can't wait for your trip. And hoping like heck your wife has to chisel the smile off your face when you get back.

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bill-e-g
Jim,
The main thing is just have a tentative route. This is what I'm gonna do, this is the elevation, I'm gonna camp here-ish.
Then when you are out there just make sure that you are having fun and stopping to smell the roses.
Maybe you decide to go Fletcher Crk instead of Lewis. Maybe you go out Rafferty instead of Evelyn/Lyell.
It's all good. I'm not a big fan of Rafferty but that is ONLY due to the horse dookey. Was there last year
with the wifey and I kept turning around looking towards Fletcher Peak going... "wow, this is really really nice.
I gotta not bad mouth it."
Anyway, when I solo I invariably change the route (sometimes on the drive up). As long as you stay on the
trails you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
Can't wait for your trip. And hoping like heck your wife has to chisel the smile off your face when you get back.

Thanks, Dale. Actually, I'll also be casing out some more ambitious day trips she might be able to manage on a subsequent visit. Glen Aulin would be the furthest for her but if we made it an all day event with lots of breaks I'm sure she could handle it. I would also like to get her up to lower Cathedral Lake and I'm sure she would like May Lake. Then there are easier ones like Elizabeth Lake and simply going part way down Lyell Canyon.

As for me I've still got future plans for the Clark Range loop and the Grand Canyon/Rogers Canyon/PST loop. Like you, I want to do this stuff while I still can. Just wish I lived out there to cut down on travel expenses.

By the way, I'm no big fan of trail poop either. That's one of the reasons why Lewis Creek and Ireland Creek trails have so much more appeal to me. But like you say, I'm also prepared to be flexible if the old bod dost protest too much.

Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2009 08:06PM by tomdisco.

He was gonna camp near the Florence Creek entry into Lewis Creek.
Or go up to Bernice Lake. I told him previously to try and get to Bernice while he is oooo sooooo close.

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bill-e-g
He was gonna camp near the Florence Creek entry into Lewis Creek.
Or go up to Bernice Lake. I told him previously to try and get to Bernice while he is oooo sooooo close.

Maybe I am thinking of the trail to Bernice. I recall that the junction Florence Creek and Lewis is a cascade down a sheer rock face. Beautiful spot. Stopped for lunch in September 2006 or 7. A moist tangle of tree roots and water pools. Probably good location to observe mosquitos.

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

July 18, 2008 the mosquitos weren't all that bad on Fletcher Creek and throughout
all of Bernice, Vogelsang, and Fletcher Lakes. A week or two can make a BIG
difference though.... your mileage WILL vary...
Yes, Fletcher Creek comes cascading down a sheer rock face. Not too difficult to
make your way up to Fletcher Lake though (we actually came down from the Lake tho).
Very beautiful... (although I tend to say that about everything in Yosemite)
(even a dry'ed up Yosemite Creek come Nov)

Hmm... where is Chick-on going this weekend?

Here yee, here yee, here yee. There will be no mosquitos anywhere in Yosemite for the entire month of July. I have spoken and it shall be so.

Jim

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bill-e-g
Yes, Fletcher Creek comes cascading down a sheer rock face. Not too difficult to
make your way up to Fletcher Lake though (we actually came down from the Lake tho).
Very beautiful...

As I recall, we stopped to have lunch near a large rock. Relaxed then hit the trail only to find that we had missed the perfect picnic spot about 50 ft down the trail nearer to Fletcher Creek. The creek cascades off the rock into a pool which is perfect for tired feet and very sunny in the afternoon. I think even deep enough to swim.

---

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Back when I was planning potential camp sites I though perhaps somewhere across the footbridge along Fletcher Creek would be good and then I would recross the footbridge to tackle Lewis Creek trail the next day over the pass. When I revised plans to exit the park via Evelyn Lake/Ireland Creek trail the following day I figured I needed to knock off another 1000' of climb the day before. That's how I ended up picking the Florence Lake outlet/trail junction area as a potential camp site. It will be interesting because I've never seen any of this area and Google Earth just does not have the resolution necessary to see what's there. I want to avoid really wet or marshy areas so there's no telling where the tent will get pitched each night till actually there. Not that it matters. Just part of the mystique of new adventures.

Jim