Re: Pohono Trail

As soon as possible (passible I should say -- when glacier pt opens!) I want to do the Pohono Trail from Glacier to Tunnel View as a day hike (13 mi). I realize that this is a shuttle trip, so i planned on leaving my truck at Tunnel View (and getting a shuttle ride to Glacier from Tunnelview if such a thing exists). Is this possible, practical, and predictable by some sort of scheduling? (it would have to be in the early AM hours). Also, I keep reading about Fissures -- these deep cracks in the cliffs along the way -- and i was wondering if anyone had any pictures of this phenom? Anyhow, I am interested in a conversation about this area if anyone has any input..

(I checked to see if there was an existing thread on this trail to aviod redundancy, but I did not see any, so feel free to direct me otherwise if I missed it)

B



Post Edited (03-29-09 21:08)

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

Bee,
Yeah... that sounds like a pain in the rump (the shuttle).
You can also save yourself some pain by dayhiking from a few locations instead
of doing the "whole" trail. Now... I for one understand the desire to
"mark off every trail"... so if that is what you are going for ... cooool!

but...

The slog up from OLD Inspiration Pt. to Stanford Pt. I think you will find
is sorta uninspiring. It's alot of elevation and pretty much exclusively in
the trees. You SHOULD go up to Old Inspiration Pt. from Tunnel View and
over to Artist Pt. also though...
You are not even 1/2 way up by the time you get to Old Inspiration...

I'll babble some more and throw you a pict. of Fissure later...
but someone else gotta have that... it's soooo close to the road...

Ah... but how about one from Stanford Point?

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Everything I know I learned from

Ooopsie... Um... you are going DOWNHILL...
So nix my comments about the slog uphill to Stanford...
that'd be a slog downhill...
Sorry

Bee, the fissures are a 'must see' if you get up there, and Taft Point is right there with its fantastic straight-down views. I'm still in the desert with a dialup, so can only upload a token pic of one of the fissures:


I think there are 7 of them, and they get narrower as they get closer to Taft Point. Not a night hiking place...8^) The wider ones are impressive also, in a different way. You really can't tell from the photo above, just how far and deep that crack goes.

If you're coming down from Glacier, you can catch the bus to Glacier from Yosemite Lodge, Curry, or maybe the Village, but I'm not sure you could have them pick you up at Tunnel view. The one issue there is you won't get started downhill until about 10AM, if you take the early bus. Should be enough time though, with the long days.

In the Summer there is a shuttle that runs to El Cap area. You could park your truck at Bridalveil parking, walk back to the shuttle and get a ride to the lodge to catch your bus at 8:30. I've never taken the El Cap shuttle so don't know the running hours, so be careful and check out if it's running and when before you make your plans.

If you park at Bridalveil, you might consider turning off the Pohono at the junction with Old Wawona Road, which takes you above and alongside Wawona Tunnel, past Artist Point and empties out on 41 about 1/3 mile from Bridalveil parking. (if you weren't able to get your truck there early enough, and the valley El Cap shuttle is running, maybe you could catch it from there). I don't have the shuttle maps with me, so don't know exactly where they stop.

If no El Cap shuttle is running at the right times, throw a bike in your truck, park it at Bridalveil or Tunnel view, and bike back to the lodge, then pick up the bike when you get back.

If you don't want to take the Old Wawona Rd. down (nice historic walk, not a paved road except some remnants), you can continue the Pohono down to Tunnel View, but it's a longer walk back, and I don't think the trail there is really any better than the Old road.

Anyway, if you can't find the info you need, when I get to civilization and cable, I may have better photos or more info. Definitely see the fissures though. (it's actually a short hike from the Sentinel Dome trailhead also, to Taft Point, for those not doing the Pohono trail).



Post Edited (03-29-09 22:41)

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Bill-e-g: >"mark off every trail"... so if that is what you are going for ... cooool!<

oh, I am on this crazed obsession to "cover" as much of Yosemite in these huge gulps (I seem to have a short memory of doing this in the past) Since I have been devouring a(nother) recent purchase of confusing guidebooks (i have gotten MUCH smarter, now, I am looking at TOPOS!!!) I am over the top inspired. Since my friends and family have tasked me to death on packing alone, I am trying to cover "the same area" by day hiking, so i dont feel so darned left out.

gawd, that picture is GREAT -- its the first one I have seen! i would really like to see more, Gary, if you have them.


Reading thru your post, Gary, it looks like there are a lot of options inbetween the basic out and back. Its such a pain in the arse to try to cover all the logistics outside of the basic hike!

B

Bee wrote:

> (i have gotten MUCH smarter, now, I am looking at TOPOS!!!)

Atta girl, Shana. (I'm tossing my lot in with Haim.)

> Since my friends and family have tasked me to death
> on packing alone,

Would love to hear their reasons. One usually get all sorts of great arguments from people that have never backpacked in their lives.
(My greatest concern has aways been the alien spacecraft that get lost and can't find Nevada. Or the Central Valley - be sure to check out the bottom row of links on TGCVNCC homepage.)



Post Edited (03-30-09 04:03)

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THE YOSEMITE POST
Voice of the Rocky Marmot Empire

Guys,

I think Bee was asking if there is a shuttle to Glacier Point. The only transportation to Glacier I'm aware of is the tour bus which runs only once or twice a day in summer, reservations required. It's not a Yarts bus or Yosemite shuttle run. Do I have that correct?

Jim

Jim,
Yeah... understood...
I was trying to give her options to not deal with the shuttle.

My point was:
- dayhike Artist and Old Inspiration from Tunnel View
- dayhike Sentinel Dome from Glacier Point
- dayhike Taft Point from Taft Point TH
- dayhike Dewey and Crocker (and maybe Stanford) from McGurk Mdw TH
or
- dayhike Taft / Dewey / Crocker / Stanford from Taft TH

or any combination thereof...

Bee, Gary put "the" picture of the fissures. That is by far the best one.

I've not yet done the Pohono but have it on my list for this year. Are you saying that, except for the "destinations" along the way the trail is lackluster?

bill-e-g wrote:

> My point was:
> - dayhike Artist and Old Inspiration from Tunnel View
> - dayhike Sentinel Dome from Glacier Point
> - dayhike Taft Point from Taft Point TH
> - dayhike Dewey and Crocker (and maybe Stanford) from McGurk
> Mdw TH
> or
> - dayhike Taft / Dewey / Crocker / Stanford from Taft TH
>
> or any combination thereof...

tomdisco: >I think Bee was asking if there is a shuttle to Glacier Point.<

Bill-e-g; >Jim,
Yeah... understood...
I was trying to give her options to not deal with the shuttle.<

All of the above -- i want to hear any and all options. I have a peculiar talent for rendering the most complicated plans (see YF thread!) for what can be the simplist of tasks. I very much appreciate the experience of others, especially in the planning stages (measure twice, cut once) I have done plenty of death marches in the desert that had maybe one highlight, and a whole lot of regret

Sierrafan: Bee, the fissures are a 'must see' if you get up there

I have looked at this pic several times -- its just the best! Interesting, the book says that there are no "safety fences" to protect idiots from idiocy (hence, your remark about night hiking I have been to Sentinal Dome a million times, and never realized that the Fissures were close by

B

>I have been to Sentinal Dome a million times, and never realized that the Fissures were close by

Soooo.... are you saying you didn't notice HD from the Central Valley!?!?
hahaha

Seriously... Just do the hike from Taft Pt. TH then... all the way to Stanford
Pt. and back ... about 12 miles. You can always turn around at
Dewey... or Crocker... or ... heck... TAFT!

szalkowski: Atta girl, Shana. (I'm tossing my lot in with Haim.)

(my parents would readily agree with you. They don't understand 'nicknames')

> Since my friends and family have tasked me to death
> on packing alone,

Would love to hear their reasons. <<

they ARE funny:

1. bears might attack (number ONE fear)
2. I might break a leg and starve
3. I might be kidnapped by a mountain man
4. I might get lost and...see #2

The rest of the reasons are too irrational to list!

SB

I didn't mention that the area around Sentinel Creek is pretty spectacular too.

The trail gets away from the "rim" and you are in the forest for portions.
Especially from Dewey Point to Taft Point.
I already mentioned up from Tunnel View to Stanford above.

Lackluster? hmm... but isn't the forest beautiful too?
but yes, there are portions that would not be considered extremely scenic

I was mainly just giving Bee some other options rather than shuttle.

ah yes, the shuttle. Logistics can be a pain. Thanks.

Bill-e-g: I was mainly just giving Bee some other options rather than shuttle

And I appreciate this option, because there have been times in the past where connections were missed, and it was a long complicated trip back to the truck.

B