yosemite trip recommendation

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kevmc
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yosemite trip recommendation

Post by kevmc »

I have reservations for yosemite for 4 days and three nights in mid august entering at the Sunrise Lakes trailhead and exiting at Happy Isles. I also have reservations for Half Dome for the third day out. I will be backpacking with my 11 year old sun. we would be considered a level 2 experience and comfortable with class 2 terrain.

I was wondering what your recommendations for a route would be leaving Sunrise and arriving at the Half Dome Trail in two days. I originally though we would go over clouds rest but am concerned that half way is about the summit and not sure If we want to carry enough water all that way given the lack of water on the way. So the second though was to hike to sunrise lakes and then on stop on the JMT for the first night.

Any suggestions would be very welcome.
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maverick
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by maverick »

Hi Kevmc

Welcome to HST.
I would not leave Clouds Rest off your itinerary, it is the best 360 degree view
in the middle of the park.
It is over 1000 ft higher therefore blocks any northerly views from Half Dome.
There are good camp spots at the Clouds Rest/Sunrise Creek Trail(JMT) junction
after descending from the top.
Especially the one next to the creek which can be found by crossing the creek and
following the use trail to your right, about 100 yards up trail, down to the creek.
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markskor
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by markskor »

1st day - not too far but all uphill - Tenaya to Lower Sunrise Lake...back right side nice for swimming...camp. Next day recommend over Clouds Rest (last water before CR is at creek about 2 miles before CR).
About a mile past CR summit block, on the trail and mid switchbacks (about 1000 ft down from summit) is a small artesian water source...on the trail ...good water and close places to camp...scenic too.
Next day bag HD early (leaving packs at last HD water...~1/4 mile past HD turnoff.) and down to LYV to camp.
Last day, down the Mist.
Mountainman who swims with trout
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bcrowell
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by bcrowell »

This is kind of hard to answer because we don't know how many miles you and your son are comfortable doing. Some people would do this whole thing in one day rather than four, and you're doing more downhill than uphill. Does your son have any previous backpacking experience? If so, how many miles a day is he used to doing? Are you planning on spending a lot of each day on activities like fishing, or do you pretty much have the whole day open for making miles?
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kevmc
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by kevmc »

My son has done some backpacking before but we don't want to necessarily power through. The best is to break it up into mostly even chunks. We would like time to relax in camp so it would be good to have stops in places where there is good scenery and preferably a water source.
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kevmc
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by kevmc »

Thanks for these suggestions. I put a few options in Basecamp mapping software and came up with this.

Day 1-Tenaya lake to Sunrise-2.7 miles, around 1200 foot ascent
Day 2 Sunrise to JMT 7 miles, 1300 ascent with a lot of downhill
Day 3 JMT to half Dome to LYV. 6.5 miles. 1800 foot ascent
day 4 lyv to curry village 3.5 miles mostly downhill

Do those stats seem reasonable to you guys. If so I think that is a good route and doable with my son
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kevmc
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by kevmc »

Also, I was thinking about getting to the valley around 10 am the day before and spending the day there, then taking the 5 pm shuttle on YART to the campers campground in TM. The next morning take the shuttle back to tenaya lake to start the trip. Is that a reasonable plan and can I get a meal in TM in the evening?
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tim
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by tim »

The grill in TM closes at 5pm. You could go for dinner at the lodge (open until 8pm) but you need a reservation and timing will be tight if you want to set up your tent first. Details are at http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/yg10-5.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (page 11).
You might be better staying in the backpackers campground in the valley and getting the early morning hikers bus (maybe they'll drop you off at the trailhead if you ask nicely).

I'd recommend camping at Sunrise Lakes the first night if you don't want to overdo it (only a mile or so out of your way and all flat from the Clouds Rest junction). Its a good haul up from Tenaya Lake on steep switchbacks (I came the opposite way from Cathedral Lakes last year with my 8 year old twins). Its a beautiful location with fire rings and swimming (probably your only chance for swimming in a lake during the hike). All three lakes are good though its harder to get away from the trail/get nice views at the lowest one.
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bcrowell
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by bcrowell »

Little Yosemite is an overcrowded, popular camping area, the kind of place with solar toilets, bear boxes, and lots of hassles with bears habituated to humans. If you want a pleasant wilderness experience, I'd suggest not camping there. There is camping available at other locations along the JMT, e.g., near the junction between the JMT and the southern end of the trail that goes over Cloud's Rest. Not only would camping there get you out of the mob scene at LYV, it would put you in a perfect position for both Cloud's Rest and Half Dome.

It's great that you've been looking into public transportation options. If you want to avoid contributing to the desecration of the Yosemite Valley, you could actually take YARTS to the valley rather than driving and parking a car there. An excellent way to see the valley is by renting bikes. I would not particularly recommend the backpackers' campground in YV; it's a typical crowded, developed backpacker's campground in a heavily developed area of a national park. But there certainly are logistical advantages to spending a night there. For transportation from YV to TM, and TM to Tenaya, I believe you have two different options: YARTS and the backpacker's shuttle ("hiker's bus?"...not sure of the name). I haven't stayed at the TM backpackers' campground, but from talking to people who have, I think it basically has a lot of the same disadvantages as the YV backpackers' campground.
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yosehiker
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Re: yosemite trip recommendation

Post by yosehiker »

Be careful camping at the JMT/Sunrise junction area. Bears, well humans really, are as bad or worse than at LYV below. Also, as there is no composting toilet there and people are lazy to go find a good spot, the toilet is everywhere. Don't setup your campsite right next to where someone, eh, 'went'.
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