2 Night trip early August?????

[crazychester]

I will be making my 1st trip to Yosemite early this August and plan on a 2 night backcountry excursion. Unfortunately this trip was a relatively last minute development and all of the trailheads I'd prefer are already booked. My questions:

1) How difficult will it be to get a 1st come permit out of Tuolomne Meadows? How early will I need to get to the permit office? Any chance of getting something for the same day?

2) Assuming it will be too difficult to get a Tuolomne permit, can anyone recommend another trip/area? My preference would be for a trip w/ lots of big Alpine views that stays up high for much of the route.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[AlmostThere]

You would need to get to the office in Tuolumne Meadows very early on the day BEFORE you want to leave on the hike. The line of people on the porch at the valley office often starts around midnight. Not sure about TM, but we got there an hour before opening time and the line was a good 14 people long - we were there just to park as we'd gotten our reserved permits the day before.

The other option is showing up after 10 am to get unclaimed permits on the day you want to start. I've never done this.

There are a lot of other trailheads - I'd just take what I could get, at that time. No telling what's available. All of it will be scenic and much of it higher than 9000 feet.

Another place to go might be 20 lakes basin - just as scenic, right outside the park, different permitting system, not as difficult to get.

[orion]

i've never had a problem getting a permit the day of the hike, but i don't hike out of the valley. maybe its a problem if its the weekend, or hike towards the valley or high sierra camps. don't follow the herd and you'll be fine.

[Vlado]

Look at what trailheads are available (as of today) - <Forum does not let me post links yet, but PM me if you need the link> and you could even reserve a wilderness permit now, if there is availability.

[hotrod4x5]

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm



http://www.yosemite.org/DSN/wwwyosemite ... ddates.htm

[bill-e-g]

In early Aug. TM is swarming... so it depends what day u start
somewhat and how many people you have.
Best bet from what you said IMO is Young Lakes. There are two
trailheads there. Still looks like lots of space avail.
Go in one way and out the other.
You can try Mt. Conness from Young Lakes or just bop around.

Have fun

[hiker97]

I concur with the Young Lakes recommendation!

[crazychester]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Will look into Young Lakes. Also, found a trip in an old backpacker mag that involved some off trail travel in the Cathedral Range. Anyone know what the terrain would be like off trail there? I assume this is generally above tree line so pretty wide open?

[bill-e-g]

Which issue? Or tell me the destination. Or both.
I prob. have about 10 yrs worth of the magazine.

[crazychester]

Super late response but the issue was December '06, "Undiscovered Yosemite" on the cover.

[orion]

That's a funny cover name. I don't think anyone has discovered that part of yosemite yet.

But if you look closely, everywhere has been discovered, it's just a matter of how recently it's been covered.

[crazychester]

Anybody w/ any insight on the Cathedral range route I mentioned above? It involves connecting the JMT and Lyell Creek trails I believe.

[bill-e-g]

Sorry. Completely missed your post re. the issue.

I'll try to find it tonight at home (provided I remember).

[crazychester]

Correction to my earlier post from today- it involves heading out on the Tuolomne Pass trail to Vogelsang Pass then traversing east through a col just north of Mt Lyell past Maclure Lakes, finally following the drainage south from the lakes to intersect the JMT at bridge where it crosses Lyell Creek. I primarily am curious about the off trail section and how difficult the terrain and route finding will be.

[bill-e-g]

Ok. Found the mag.

Are you looking at 2 night trip?

I have no idea what you are capable of but... I'll just assume something...
and say that you don't want to do the trip in BP Mag as a 2 nighter.
They even have 3 nights.
Just a note about that. Their older issues were notorious for
showing some route that maybe maybe maybe someone working for
the magazine actually did. Typically involved off-trail and not
simple off trail. Joe Schmo buys the mag and says... sounds cool...
S&R is subsequently dispatched. (I'm not kidding)
(I've talked to plenty of Rangers)
(Obelisk is one of the ones they showed once)
Anyway, I've done a number of their routes (did their Clark Range
Circuit in 3 day ball buster with some adders thrown in and a bunch
of xcountry not detailed in their trip)

Anyway! So... the Cath Range Crossing....
They mention this
"as you climb Tuol Pass, where the forests open to reveal
azure Evelyn Lake ..."
uh... that's bollocks... you can't see Evelyn from the trail unless I'm blind.

They say to ... I guess... x over to Gallison... uh... don't do that...
stay on the trail and go to Bernice on day 1.
Day 2 head over to Gallison and then up up up up up...
(if you go from Bernice straight up directly east... then you'll be
doing some major boulder hopping way too soon)
Anyway, yes, it's open... so the route finding should be easy...
The pass is called "Hell Hole".
It's supposed class 2. (I haven't been up it)
Here's from Secor:
This pass crosses the Cath. Range between Bernice and Maclure.
The eastern side is especially precipitous, and it is best to keep
to the north to avoid the steepest cliffs.

Lots o boulders. The problem is is that too many people carry
too much crap and overestimate ... thus get in trouble ...
day 2 you better be over and down past the 3 lakes.
(btw... was just at the lower 2 this last 4th of July.. and that
area is just spectacular... similar to Ireland (minus the monster lake))
Day 3 all the way out... (def. do-able... we did from there
out and alllll the way back to Mono TH).

With all the snow... I doubt you want to HAVE to do this in 3 days.
I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a lot of experience on
snow and xcountry. I'd recommend just getting to Bernice
and then day hiking around. If you want practice on boulders...
head xcountry directly over to Florence Lake from Bernice...
(one of my favs... since wife said "can't we just go straight over"
to which I replied... "ok.. sounds good to me" )

Anyway... just be safe.

Have fun