Yosemite: suggested hiking for 3 days
Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 7:21 pm
I am planning a 3 day trip to Yosemite late this May (May 22-24) and will want to spend most of my time hiking. I had originally planned spending a day doing the Snow Creek Falls Trail to North Dome to Upper Yosemite Falls to Sunnyside one day, doing the Panorama-Mist-4 Mile Trail hike another day, and then spending a day doing Half Dome. However, several things have made me reconsider my original plans. First, it looks like Tioga Pass Road and Glacier Point Road will be open and fine when I am there in late May. Therefore, I may want to spend a day hiking in those areas. Second, I tore my ACL in February playing soccer and don't know whether going downhill on steep trails will be a good idea. I will wear a brace while hiking, and I am way ahead of schedule on my post-op therapy, so things are looking okay. I think I'll be able to do most of what I had wanted, but I want to have some options. I know that Half Dome won't be an option now, though. There is no way I'll get up or down that with a bum knee.
My first question regards the North Dome hike. Given my situation, would you recommend doing North Dome from Tioga Road rather than the loop? If I do the Porcupine Creek Trail, I would like to go to both North Dome and Upper Yosemite Falls and back. Can you tell me how the mileages compare for a Mirror Lake-North Dome-Upper Yosemite Falls-Sunnyside hike and for a Tioga Pass-North Dome-Upper Yosemite Falls-Tioga Pass hike? Are there any good views on the way to North Dome from Tioga Road? Also, would you say that the hike is fairly easy from Tioga Road---how much elevation gain/loss is involved?
My second question regards the Panorama-Mist-4 Mile Trail hike. Do you think it is worth it to do this entire hike? Is it better just to go to the top of Nevada Falls on the Mist Trail and back down the John Muir Trail or to take the Panorama-Mist trail up and then a bus back down to the Valley? Are the views any better on the Panorama Trail than they are at Glacier Point? Also, if I do the entire Mist-Panorama-4 Mile hike, which trail should I go up (or down) first? I guess I could start at either Glacier Point or Yosemite Valley.
My third question regards the other day in Yosemite. I am trying to decide between a few options...
1. Spend the day on the Glacier Point Road. Hike to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Then, go to Mariposa Grove and check out the sequoias.
2. Spend the day on Tioga Road. Hike the Gaylor Lakes trail, Tenaya Lake loop, and the Cathedral Lakes trail.
3. Do the hike to Clouds Rest. Do you know how much elevation gain there is? Is the final stretch as steep as it looks from your photos?
I don't necessarily need to do Mariposa Grove while I'm in Yosemite because I'll be headed to Sequoia/Kings Canyon after Yosemite. I guess if I only went to the top of Nevada Fall, I might have time to take the Glacier Point Road and do Sentinel Dome that day as well. Sorry for all of the questions. Any thoughts and/or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Sean
My first question regards the North Dome hike. Given my situation, would you recommend doing North Dome from Tioga Road rather than the loop? If I do the Porcupine Creek Trail, I would like to go to both North Dome and Upper Yosemite Falls and back. Can you tell me how the mileages compare for a Mirror Lake-North Dome-Upper Yosemite Falls-Sunnyside hike and for a Tioga Pass-North Dome-Upper Yosemite Falls-Tioga Pass hike? Are there any good views on the way to North Dome from Tioga Road? Also, would you say that the hike is fairly easy from Tioga Road---how much elevation gain/loss is involved?
My second question regards the Panorama-Mist-4 Mile Trail hike. Do you think it is worth it to do this entire hike? Is it better just to go to the top of Nevada Falls on the Mist Trail and back down the John Muir Trail or to take the Panorama-Mist trail up and then a bus back down to the Valley? Are the views any better on the Panorama Trail than they are at Glacier Point? Also, if I do the entire Mist-Panorama-4 Mile hike, which trail should I go up (or down) first? I guess I could start at either Glacier Point or Yosemite Valley.
My third question regards the other day in Yosemite. I am trying to decide between a few options...
1. Spend the day on the Glacier Point Road. Hike to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Then, go to Mariposa Grove and check out the sequoias.
2. Spend the day on Tioga Road. Hike the Gaylor Lakes trail, Tenaya Lake loop, and the Cathedral Lakes trail.
3. Do the hike to Clouds Rest. Do you know how much elevation gain there is? Is the final stretch as steep as it looks from your photos?
I don't necessarily need to do Mariposa Grove while I'm in Yosemite because I'll be headed to Sequoia/Kings Canyon after Yosemite. I guess if I only went to the top of Nevada Fall, I might have time to take the Glacier Point Road and do Sentinel Dome that day as well. Sorry for all of the questions. Any thoughts and/or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Sean