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Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:42 pm
by Backpack2Fish
We went to the Valley on the Friday before Veteran’s Day for some camping in our tent trailer. When we left Prather, the weather was getting bad, and I wasn’t sure if we should even go. But we did, and when we entered the Park it started snowing. By the time we about halfway between Chinquapin and the Valley, we needed to put the chains on. We arrived at North Pines Campground and set up camp. It was dark, cold, and snowy, and I had planned to cook the first meal over the campfire. But we got lazy (and cold), and ate at Curry Village. When we woke up in the morning, we were faced with a winter wonderland:

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Saturday morning I took off to fish the Merced River from Happy Isles up to Vernal Fall. Unfortunately, the snow on the rocks made it difficult to move along the river, as the rocks were very slippery. I did not want to wade, as the water seemed like it may be a tad too cold.

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Crossing Illilouette Creek was very difficult, and I almost fell in a few times. In some places, the river was partially frozen over.

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I fished from Happy Isles up to about 500 feet from the bridge. Not a single strike or even a sign of a fish. I finally bailed out of the river and climbed up to the stock trail. I decided to climb to the top of Vernal, and even stopped once to fish the river between the bridge and the fall, but still nothing. I climbed the snowy steps of the Mist Trail, and thought I would try to fish the Emerald Pool (by this time, not really expecting to catch anything). But, it was also frozen over:

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I was certainly the only person with a fishing pole that day, and sure got a lot of questions from the day hikers.

Anyway, the weather cleared up as the weekend progressed, and Monday was absolutely gorgeous. Overall, we had a great time doing the normal camping things. On Sunday night we made a fabulous meal of New York steaks and garlic bread cooked on my little Weber, baked potatoes cooked in the coals of the campfire, a garden salad, and soup. Absolutely wonderful!

We had a great time. Nights were a little cold, however (like 17 degrees)!

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:42 am
by SweetSierra
Thanks for your trip report. Yosemite Valley was my introduction to the Sierra while living in my childhoom home of Fresno. It's absolutely beautiful in the winter. I like your photos of areas probably not often walked in this season. I also like your listing of the menu items. Sounds good! Especially on a cold, snowy night.

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:43 am
by Jason
Thanks for the report! That looks like a good time. A couple years ago I fished a part of the Merced around Happy Isles area and had the same experience you did; I didn't catch or see any fish. They have to be in there, as there are definitely fish above and below....... maybe next time.

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:30 pm
by SSSdave
If you visited those same stream sections at peak snow melt periods of May, you would understand why there are few fish in those steep rocky sections. The same is true on other such steep rocky sections of mid elevation Sierra rivers.

Years ago on a July 4th weekend, three of us visited the 8300 foot section of Bear Creek (tributary of the SF of the San Joaquin), that is steep and rocky. I had visited that area a couple times before and found decent numbers of fish in its pools. However it was an El Nino year and water was high with considerable violent white water even in a chain of pools. No sign of trout. Then I wandered up a joint crack channel where another early summer stream entered and found probably all the fish in those pools were all hunkered down in that one narrow deep pool that was safe from the main stream flow. So the trout in a chain of several pools had learned that whenever the stream flow became high to seek shelter so. Conversely there are many sections of large streams where no such escape exists even in what in late summer appears to be an ideal pool and one may notice trout are scarce.

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:13 pm
by RoguePhotonic
I've yet to experience Yosemite in winter time. I need to get out there!

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 4:52 pm
by papasequoia
Nice pics. That's pretty low water - fingers and toes are crossed for a wet winter.

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2012 11:44 pm
by ndwoods
Nice TR! I love winter camping in Yosemite. I tent camp and just bring a big ole quilt to put on the bottom of the tent to put my bags on....toasty....well as far as tent camping goes. LOL

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:50 pm
by Backpack2Fish
SSSdave,

You may be right about why I couldn't find any fish. And it wasn't for lack of trying!

I have seen fish in fast water, however. The video below I took in June of 2007 in a creek in Yosemite. Watch those fish, especially the one towards the end!

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(Sorry, but the quality seems to be pretty poor after I posted it on the web.)

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:46 am
by gary c.
That is a very cool video! :thumbsup:

Re: Snowy Yosemite Camping

Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:09 am
by East Side Hiker
Great pictures and great report!