GCT TR

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balzaccom
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GCT TR

Post by balzaccom »

Since all the National Forests in the Sierra were closed for fire danger, I took a chance and managed to get a permit in Yosemite proper for a quick trip down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. I had four days' worth of food, and almost that much free time from home, so I started early on Wednesday morning to see how far I could get.

I started at the Murphy Creek Trailhead and was surprised to be at Glen Aulin before noon. The High Sierra Camp itself was closed, and the whole place was a bit eerie, but I did see plenty of hikers on their way from one HSC to the next...in this case, May Lake. Seems like everyone on the trail had the same idea.

That encouraged me to stick with my plan, and after lunch I headed down into the canyon, eventually running out of gas below Waterwheel Falls. For an old guy, eleven+ miles with a full pack was a full days' work. There were plenty of people where I camped, but all of them were day-hikers down from Glen Aulin. By the time I emerged from my afternoon nap they were all gone, and I had the place to myself for the rest of the night.

Lots of bear scat by the way---but no bears, sorry to say.

That night had blustery winds, and the next morning the canyon was filling with more smoke. I didn't like the idea of hiking further downhill, only to climb out in denser smoke the following day. So I started back up the canyon. Again, I was surprised to be in Glen Aulin before ten a.m., and from there it was an easy seven miles back out to the van through thickening smoke. Still, it sure beat sitting around the house wishing I were here.

The whole blog post about the trip is here: https://www.backpackthesierra.com/post/ ... rip-report

And the photo log is here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q1RZ8ByVM93cAmZh6
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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SweetSierra
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Re: GCT TR

Post by SweetSierra »

Thanks for the trip report and photos. Glen Aulin is beautiful. I understand what you mean about the eeriness of a shuttered high sierra camp. Once on a solo backpack to Sunrise Lakes out of Tuolumne Meadows in September, I day hiked to Sunrise High Sierra camp. I didn't know it had been closed for the season. It felt strange, like walking into an abandoned ruin. The energy of those who stayed there seemed to linger and yet it felt as if it would be forever uninhabited.

I did see a bear while camped at Glen Aulin. He or she was rummaging around during the day near camp.
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balzaccom
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Re: GCT TR

Post by balzaccom »

SweetSierra wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 4:30 am
I did see a bear while camped at Glen Aulin. He or she was rummaging around during the day near camp.
The bear scat I saw was farther down in the canyon and was from a good-sized bear.

i assume that the Glen Aulin backpackers' campground was still getting used a lot. After all, I met more than thirty people a day on this hike, and they all seemed to be camping at the High Sierra Camps. But the water was turned off, and there was no staff around. And from the people on the trail, I learned that May Lake was much the same...camp closed down, but full of backpackers every evening.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
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Re: GCT TR

Post by webdweeb »

Balzaccom, I have a MC permit I might use for the GCoT for late June, but I got a notice that I can't camp past McGee Lake on the first night-since you camped at Waterwheel last fall, I'm wondering if the NPS decided to limit the number of hikers that could reach the falls on any given day.
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Re: GCT TR

Post by Wandering Daisy »

What is a "MC permit"?
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grampy
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Re: GCT TR

Post by grampy »

Wandering Daisy wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 3:55 pm What is a "MC permit"?
Murphy Creek
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Re: GCT TR

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Thanks. I always thought of that trailhead as the Poly Dome trailhead.

In 2012 6/5-9 (5 days) I did a CW loop from Lukens Lake TH down to the GCT, trail that passed McGee Lake and Ten Lakes and back out to Lukens. That is a basic loop that I simply accessed from Lukens. You could also access from Murphy Creek TH. There may be no first day limit if going towards Ten Lakes (not sure if Murphy Creek TH allows you to go to Ten Lakes). There is a trail about half mile NE of the White Wolf Road that then connects to the trail down to Pate Valley, so you do not officially go to White Wolf TH. You miss it and Harden Lake by about half a mile.

I camped on Morrison Creek at about 5700 feet the first night (left Lukens about noon). A short distance off trail at the base of Cathedral Falls in the canyon, day 2. About half mile past McGee Lake near Cathedral Creek, day 3, Ten Lakes, day 4. Out about 4PM day 5, after some day-hiking at Ten Lakes. Just another idea. You did not say how many days you had or if you wanted to do a complete loop. This loop is quite rigorous. Permits restrictions may have changed.

In 2012 I went in the day that Tioga Road opened. If your permit this year is late June, conditions may be a bit drier. I actually had fresh snow the first day. Lots of snow at Ten Lakes too. The road to White Wolf was not open, which may have made my route "legal". White Wolf Road often opens quite a bit later than Tioga Road. Link to trip report below:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7789#p56294
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balzaccom
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Re: GCT TR

Post by balzaccom »

When I got my permit, I was asked to specific a location for my first night's campsite. I simply put "beyond Glen Aulin in the GCT" and had no problems.
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webdweeb
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Re: GCT TR

Post by webdweeb »

This is a quote from the email I got from the Wilderness Center, which I believe is the conservancy office:

Because of the entry trailhead on your itinerary, your first night’s camp location must be before the established camping area at Glen Aulin. Camping at or beyond Glen Aulin on the first night is prohibited.

Balzaccom, I did the same thing, which is now SOP for all Yosemite permits. There was no mention of the Glen Aulin restriction when I received the initial recreation.gov confirmation, nor was there any mention of it on the trailhead description on rec.gov. I also can't find anything on the NPS site, which is troubling since that may imply that this may not be the only trailhead with these "unadvertised" restrictions.

I've been past McGee Lake a few times, not s very private campsite since it is between the trail and the lake and also appears to violate the minimum distance from a water source, so it seems my only hope is to find another site away from the lake, or camp the first night at Polly Dome Lakes (which is just a few miles from the trailhead).

WanderingDaisy, I may take your advice and go NW instead of NE-if there is a restriction in that direction, it is as well documented as this one, ie, not.
Last edited by webdweeb on Sat Mar 19, 2022 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: GCT TR

Post by webdweeb »

Wandering, my original plan was to do the loop you describe, but counter-clockwise, ie, GCT from east to west, then Ten Lakes from west to east, starting and ending at Murphy Creek. I can't do the daily mileage on your route, so I was planning 8-10 days total, with a possible "resupply" at White Wolf to eliminate the need to carry 8-10 days food (I would leave my food cache in a bear box near the campground). I figured that if someone swiped my food, the worst case is I would have to end the trip at White Wolf, which would be disappointing but not the end of the world.

WD, when you hiked past Tuolumne Peak, did you see the tarns that are reputed to be in that area (and are on some topo maps)? I was thinking of camping there but wasn't sure if there was any water.

I suppose I could also modify the route to be an out and back, ie, down to Register Creek and back. I also started looking at heading north through Cold Canyon, which I have not explored at all. My calendar is pretty flexible, so the trip can be as long as my legs, feet and back will allow.
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