Start Summer in Yosemite!

I've got this posted locally in Vegas too.

My Yosemite wilderness permit confirmation actually came thru with 2 spots, not just one. So, if somebody wants to join me, I'm doing a week-long backpack in NE Yosemite to kick off Summer.

Leave Sat, June 20, 6am. But, if you can leave on Friday, we can actually get going 1:30-2pm on the 19th. So, that would mean meeting in Yosemite about 1pm on Sat or about 9pm on Friday.



Camp at Tuolumne Meadows CG Saturday (and Friday, if).

I'll have reservations made the day they start taking them.

Go to the wilderness center on Saturday to pick up the permit and Garcia bear canisters.

After that, do a little hike up to Elizabeth Lake on acclimation day, then chill/drink around camp.

Hit the trail on Sunday morning the 21st and return to the Meadows either Saturday the 27th or Sunday the 28th. Just depends on how much we want to push it through the last section of the trek.



Main route is a right about 80 miles. A couple spots I'd like to cross-country to for camping. And add in a day of just off-trail day hiking.



Route overview: Start at Tuolumne Meadows, take the PCT North thru Glen Aulin, Cold Canyon and depart PCT at Matterhorn Canyon. Head towards the park border by Sawtooth Ridge, Mule Pass and Snow Lake. Down to the Rancheria Creek drainage and to the Benson and Smedberg Lake area. Looking to spend a couple nights off-trail at smaller lakes north of Smedberg. Then, off to Pate Valley and up through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, back to Glen Aulin and Tuolumne Meadows.


Looking at a 7 day/6 night Sun - Sat trip, daily mileage should be about:

Day 1 - 16 miles
Day 2 - 10 miles
Day 3 - 10 miles
Day 4 - 8 miles
Day 5 - 10 - 15?? Just day hiking from camp
Day 6 - 18 miles
Day 7 - 17 miles

For an 8 day trip, the difference would be:

Day 6 - 15 miles
Day 7 - 10 miles
Day 8 - 10 miles

You can use the links below to download tracks of the main route. I've got both the Garmin-compatible GPX file and a KML file to use in Google Earth to really explore the route.


https://sites.google.com/site/dirtypursuits/files/YNP615.gpx?attredirects=0&d=1


https://sites.google.com/site/dirtypursuits/files/YNP615.kml?attredirects=0&d=1


If the weather is good, and it really should be, I'd much rather bivy it and save the weight, bulk and time of using a tent. So, if you're a bivy type, all the better.

All camp sites should be under 9600', so I do plan on having a fire going in the evenings.


This trip is a full week on the trail in remote Yosemite, with no resupply options. You literally and figuratively have to be loaded and ready for bear! (And, if you didn't know, bear/pepper spray is illegal to carry in Yosemite.)


So, if you truly understand what you're getting into and have the strength, experience, equipment, common sense, desire and time to do this, let me know. It'll be a great trip!


Don't want anybody's money for anything. This trip is happening, whether I do a solo trek or someone does come along with me; just happen to have the extra admission ticket available. Only thing you need money for is your trail food, pre/post trail food/snacks and souvenirs or such.

You have an ambitious trip planned - probably more than most hikers want to do. Have you taken the elevation gains into account when planning your daily travel? Northern Yosemite has a surprising amount of elevation gains and losses. In my opinion, it would be better to skip the "camp, chill and acclimate" in Tuolumne Meadows and use that day to reduce daily mileage, especially for your Days 6-7. Those last two days are brutal! Remember that it easily could be 90+ degrees in Pate Valley. 17 miles with a 5000 feet elevation gain is not what I would want to do (but then I am an old geezer). Good luck. Have a good trip.

It would be nice if I would get notified when there are replies to a thread that I start or am involved with (And I did check the option), but that is something completely different.

Oh, I know what I am in for. Several decades of backcountry and elevation experience. Up until last year, I really had a decade of just camping/mountain biking or simply bikepacking. Then, last year, I decided I wanted to get back to the places bikes aren't allowed and got back to hiking and backpacking.

Though there was a trip in the Fall (High Uinta Wilderness in Utah) that had to be cancelled due to a major project at work (and that might get done this Fall, unless I do decide to get back to the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho, instead), I had an active Spring 2014 which included Zion and Bryce Canyon solo backpacking, leading up to a similar solo Summer kickoff in Yosemite.

On that trip, I did just under 100 miles thru the first week of Summer, doing a loop of: Tuolumne Meadows, Vogelsang, Lewis Creek, Lyell fork of the Merced, High Elevation Trail toward Isberg Peak, across the Merced headwaters, up to Red Peak Pass, down to Ottaway Lakes, bushwacking up near Starr King Lake, bushwacking down to join up with Panorama Trail and the JMT to Happy Isles and a bus ride to Curry Village for beers. Then, up to Mirror Lake and the 2500' gain with 107 switchbacks in a little over 2 miles up Snow Creek trail, up towards Mt Watson, down to Tenaya Lake, up to Sunrise Lakes, thru Long Meadow, the Cathedral Basin and back to Toulumne Meadows.

The Pate Valley/Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne will likely be hot and a little difficult, but 3500' gain (with ups and downs) over 13 or so miles is much easier than the brutality of the climb up the Snow Creek switchbacks last year. And that was the same thing, 4 1/2 days in 50-60 daytime degree weather, then getting to The Valley and 90s, then having to do the climbing at the end of a long day! At least on going up the Tuolumne, there will be plenty of options to drop the pack and either cool off in the river or side pools from feeder streams. That is quite the morale and energy boost, just like jumping into the Merced at Happy Isles was last year!

Yes, more than most would want to do, but still a walk in the park for many. To me, just a good way to spend a week of vacation from work.

Seriously, I am 49 going on 29. And I will be 50 in October. I know I've lost that half-step that would be the end for many a professional athlete, but I'm doing bigger and badder than I did when I was 29, and I can still put to shame most in that lower age range. Just want to have all the fun I can while I can, after that, I get a quad and cover more distance with less effort!

So, anyway, the following pics show this years route in red and last years route in blue. Then each route with its elevation profile. Last year was 92 miles for the main loop. Google Earth has a way of shortening any GPS track. I know my Garmin GPSMap 60CSX accurate, GE, not so much.

P.S. Got plenty of photos, along with routes and profiles of last years trip if you look at my photos on : https://picasaweb.google.com/dirtypursuits

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/106592207314383302037/MiscStuff#6131192794300310098[/img]

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/106592207314383302037/MiscStuff#6131192793183494450[/img]

[img]https://picasaweb.google.com/106592207314383302037/MiscStuff#6131192797373609314[/img]

With all due respect, the reason you are not getting a lot of enthusiastic offers to join you is that your hike sounds a lot more like a personal test of endurance than a vacation.

That's great--all power to you. But I think it is unrealistic to expect a lot of other people to share in your quest, or in the specific conditions that you want to meet. The focus of you post seems to be more on conditioning and effort than on beauty and enjoyment.

Others may not be in your condition, and may not want to hold you up. Others may be in better condition and may not want to hike with someone slower.

I'd like to join you but can't at that time. Heading out June 24 to hike NM and CO with my youngest while his older brother goes to Philmont.

You might post in the appropriate forums at BackpackingLight (membership reqd) and Backpacker.com


Just verify if you go to the Topic Options near the upper left that it says "Remove this topic from Watched Topics" and not "Add...." Otherwise, I guess check your spam folder.

I've never gotten any response from "watched" topics or posters. I have to go online (under "My Stuff") to check. Of course I am most definitely not a software expert! You can also look at the most recent posts under "Active Topics/Recent Posts."

Put your request/complaint in the "Support Requests and Suggestions" section, and Packlite, the site owner, will take a look.

Pate Valley to Tioga Road is 6,160 feet gain in 18 miles. I think this is your last day as planned. Quite brutal, particularly if our unusual heat keeps up. On the other hand, with our drought, creek crossings should be minimal and you will not likely have to wade through crotch to waist deep water like you would in an early season trip in a high snowpack year. Like suggested, I think the UL hikers on other forums may be more interested in this type of trip.

Have fun and watch out for the rattlesnakes in Pate Valley!

Also try this forum. They have some gung-ho fellows there.

http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/

Interesting. It's always worked for me. I got emails for both your's and WD's replies to this thread.