Hetch-Hethy loop + Merced Lake/Sunrise, May 10-16.

[shishdim]

Greetings from Georgia, everyone!

Brer Rabbit from Atlanta Wilderness Backpackers is here.

We are going to do two loops next week: the Hetch-Hetchy loop (if I may call it this way) - Beehive Meadows - Lake Vernon - Rancheria Falls, and then Little Yosemite Trail - Merced Lake - Sunrise campsite - Little Yosemite valley.

Anyone knows what is or could be going on up there? I thought Hetch-Hethy would be a nice little hike, but from what I found online it seems like it could be the worst part with wading through the water in Beehive and Tiltil Meadows.

Our detailed plan is below. Any comments will be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Dmitry

Mn 10, day 1: 5 miles from Hetch Hetchy campsite (O'Shaughnessy Dam) to Frog Creek. An optional day hike around Laurel Lake.

Tu 11, day 2: 4.6 miles to Lake Vernon

We 12, day 3: 9.3 miles to Rancheria camping area

Th 13, day 4: 6 miles back to the Hetch Hetchy campsite, move to Little Yosemite Vally, resupply, take showers, stay at a campsite (hostel?) in the valley.


Fr 14, day 5 (1): 4 miles to a campsite on Little Yosemite trail. An optional day hike either to Cloud Rest or Half Dome.

St 15, day 6 (2): 7.4 miles to Merced Lake campsite.

Sn 16, day 7 (3): Dmitry and Karen (?) take 8.5 miles to Sunrise campsite, Margaret and Kenneth (?) take a shortcut straight to the campsite on Little Yosemite trail (the same one we use on day (1))

Mn 17, day 8 (4): Dmitry and Karen (?) take 8.7 miles from the Sunrise campsite to the campsite on Little Yosemite trail (the same one we use on day (1)). Meet Margaret and Kenneth (?).

Tu 18, day 9 (5): 4 miles to Little Yosemite valley. An optional day hike either to Cloud Rest or Half Dome.

We 19 - departing from Fresno

[orion]

nope. you're not doing that hike. seriously. you won't be able to find the trail because of snow. a day hike around laurel lake is uninteresting at any time of year. vernon is likely half froze over if not completely. weather is coming through on monday. don't mean to be a downer, you could go find out for yourself. i have many times gone and found out for myself in the early season. maybe just go to rancheria and assess the situation.

[bill-e-g]

Yup. Can't agree more.

Hope your bringing your snowshoes.
On account it's obvious you've never been to Vernon you are
setting yourself up for failure. Even you get to Vernon the
trek from Vernon to Tilltil Valley I can guarantee gonna be
covered in lots o snow.
Go to Rancheria instead. Then dayhike up to Tilltil overview,
dayhike to LeConte, explore.

Your other trip... Uh... take a peeky out the window of your plane
on the way here. I posted a pict from last weekend from 30K
in another thread. From what you said you are going up Echo Creek
to Sunrise HSC. Even with snowshoes I would suspect you
couldn't even make it there in 1 day from Merced Lake.
If the snow has consolidated enough then maybe you can but
highly unlikely.
It all depends on how much snow you are willing to deal with
and if that's your cup of tea. This year was heavy heavy April
so there is gonna be huge amount of snow for awhile...
When you get your permit the ranger will give you more or less
the current conditions (they rely on people coming back
and telling them something mostly).

Have fun

[mpuchtel]

I just read this thread because the initial poster's itinerary looks very similar to what I'm planning for this May, 2011. Essentially I plan to do 6 days, 5 nights, in a loop from Hetch Hetchy to Jack Main Canyon area and back. I've spoken to a ranger and understand that snow will be something to expect. My group (3-6 people) are all Minnesotans; we enjoy the cold and are survivalists. We also have no problem with snowshoes and snow camping.

However, some of these posts make me think that despite our temperament, my planned route would simply be inaccessible. Although it's hard to predict at this point, can anyone comment further on what to expect? If we have a map/compass and the trails are there, we can still get around, right?

Thanks for the advice.

[balzaccom]

The trails are there, but you won't be able to see them...because most of them will be completely under snow. So if you are used to not only snow, but also wilderness travel, then you should be OK...But you better know how to read a topo map if you plan on getting to your destination. Both trails and many signposts could be covered, depending on the snowpack.

[orion]

mputchel -

Cold isn't really so much of an issue in May as the sheer volume of snowpack on the ground, and runoff.

Lakes are much less interesting to visit at that time of year, for example, Kibbie Lake looked like this last year:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/35510721

What you might prefer to see is the runoff:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/35510729

In the case of the trail up to Vernon, there will be nothing interesting to see aside from the Hetch Hetchy, and then then Vernon will be a frozen bore, though probably not safe to walk on. The route finding once you finish the switchback from Hetch hetchy will be difficult, through undulating forest with the trail deeply buried under snow.

Things will get interesting once you reach Jack Main, or if you reconnoiter the falls above Vernon. There is a bridge to cross beneath the lake, if you wanted to make it a loop. The trail between Vernon and Rancheria has little to offer, and Tilltill Valley turns into a shallow lake around that time of year. There are better hikes to make.

If you don't mind the snow, you could hike up Horse Creek Canyon to the Matterhorn, then glissade back down. That will earn you this view:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37299241
but with more snow.

In the early season there are countless waterfalls everywhere there is granite just below the snow line, and the creeks are raging wonders. Those are what you would want to go see, aside from vistas. Keep in mind, any creeks marked on a map with a watershed above them are likely to be impassible that time of year.

[Kpeter]

I was the second person into Jack Main Canyon (without snowshoes) last June--my trip was June 17-20.

10 days earlier the runoff was so severe that the bridge below Vernon was surrounded with waist deep roaring water. Stories of a woman who was swept downstream and medivaced out circulated.

The trail up Morraine ridge to Jack Main Canyon was clear enough until it started to descend to the canyon (the "Golden Staircase.") On that slope there was a lot of snow and as the trail goes through a slot canyon it had turned into a knee deep creek for twenty yards or so. I waded it and was treated to an awesome water display in the lower part of Jack Main. The whole trip was worth it to see that huge amount of water going over the granite.

In short, you really must check the current runoff conditions before starting an early season loop trip. The bridge below Vernon cuts that loop in half, and when the water is running high there are no reasonable alternatives to cross that I know of. On the other hand, you can sacrifice the loop idea and get to Jack Main from Hetch Hetchy and Beehive without making any substantial stream crossings, although you might encounter pretty muddy conditions and detours around Beehive. Coming down off Morraine ridge into Jack Main can be tricky if there is steep snow in the slot. I did use crampons a bit of the way in June.

Can this be done in May? Well, I would think that would be possible only if it were a very dry year.

[mpuchtel]

Hi All -

The advice so far has been great. However, if I determine later in the season that the conditions in Hetch Hetchy are indeed too unfavorable for my planned trip, what other options would you recommend for that time of year? Either in Yosemite or in the Seirra Nevada?

Thanks, Max

[KC]

Don't know what kind of equipment and capabilities you have, but an option to consider if you're not down to deal with tons of snow and wading through fast moving water is the Pohono trail on the south rim. A friend and I did it in early June last year, definitely a good snow year. There was nearly complete snow cover in forested areas from Sentinel Dome to Taft Point. Closer to the rim, it was patchy here and there but not bad. The creeks were roaring, the waterfalls were great, and as a short early season weekend jaunt it was excellent. We saw a handful of people the entire trip.

That said (and I noted this in another thread) everything depends on what happens over the next two months. At the height of the drought two years ago in early June, I was in Carson-Iceberg Wilderness above 8000 feet facing some large snow patches in forested areas, but definitely not full trail coverage.

While the trip you outlined will likely not be possible in May, you could have plenty of other opportunities. Just watch the weather carefully over the next few months (it's been a dry January in Central California) and have a plan B and C if plan A doesn't work out.