High Sierra Topix

Hello,
I am permitted to for 6/10 to 14 to enter Rancheria Falls and exit Beehive Meadows.
I am curious about if anyone has recommendations, helpful hints, things to look out for or tips having to do with the path we will be hiking. Although we are newbies to this area we have collected experience trekking and doing so in snowy conditions as well. We are preparing for high water in stream crossings and heavy mosquitos. Any knowledge would be very appreciated! This forum was very helpful in helping me choose this route.

Thanks,
Chris

- Tiltill Valley will be flooded, take tevas/water shoes, otherwise your boots will submerged in the mud.
- Get water before ascending to Lake Vernon, Tiltill Creek maybe your last reliable water source.
- Sections on your ascent to Lake Vernon will hold snow, but a pathway should have been made thru it by prior people doing the loop.
- Falls Creek will not be crossable, if you visit the area above Lake Vernon, you will be committed to one side.
- Go visit the far end of the basin by using the use trail on the eastern side of Vernon, go back to Branigan Falls and up to Branigan Lakes for a day hike. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13961&hilit=vernon

Thanks Maverick!

Hello Maverick,

I will be backpacking with "dirtyfromtherain". So there will be no way to cross Falls Creek and head over to Laurel Lake? Our hope was to hike the full loop from the dam all the way around and back. If it is possible, would you recommend one direction or the other for our loop? From your earlier post, it seems like some snow and water will be in our future if we can make the entire loop.

Thanks

Hello Maverick,

I will be backpacking with "dirtyfromtherain". So there will be no way to cross Falls Creek and head over to Laurel Lake? Our hope was to hike the full loop from the dam all the way around and back. If it is possible, would you recommend one direction or the other for our loop? From your earlier post, it seems like some snow and water will be in our future if we can make the entire loop.

Thanks

Hi Don,

Welcome to HST! Falls Creek above Vernon Lake will not be crossable, in your case the only difficulty will be Frog Creek, it is crossable, but take your time finding the safest crossing point, you may have to get wet.

In case that was confusing, Falls Ck will be easily crossable at the bridge *below* Lake Vernon.

Not much snow currently on the trail between Tiltill Valley and Vernon. It will probably all be melted by the time you go. I don't know about Frog Creek. Tiltill has about 200 feet of grassy bogginess, knee deep in one spot. Possible to do barefoot I suppose. Conditions can change.

Hot. Buggy. Poison oak down low. Bears.

Thanks for the information guys.

Longri (sp),
I don't mean to bug you with this (pun not intended), but the last line of your reply sounded like you thought this might not be worth it at this time of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love walking in knee deep mud as much as the next person. And my friend and I have backpacked together many times before. But this is our first trip up to Yosemite backpacking together. We have given ourselves four days to casually make the 27-mile Hetchy loop. Is there anything else we don't know about the environment, that would help us at this time of the year?

Thanks again

DonHobbs wrote:...the last line of your reply sounded like you thought this might not be worth it at this time of the year.

No, I didn't mean that at all. It's a beautiful place. Go and enjoy yourself. Just remember to bring DEET, sunscreen and a bear canister, and to be careful to avoid the poison oak that grows right next to the trail.

Why is this posted here? Seems out of place.

This post is also in the website technical forum. That is what I meant about posted in the wrong place.