Which trailhead to start at for a five day backpacking trip?

[MikeCicc]

Hi!

I'm planning a trip for 4-6 hikers, planning on 5 nights out in Yosemite in the first week in August. I want to get our permits ASAP before it's too late, but I'm having trouble getting my head around all the options. A good number of the most popular trailheads already seem booked.

Can anyone recommend a good trailhead to start at that will give us some good options for a nice summit, good views, and maybe a route that would enable making camp and hiking around for one of the days with daypacks? Any other tips? Our group would be all in-shape 20-somethings with a few 20-mile trips under our belts, but this would be the first big deal out west kind of trip.

Thanks for any advice!

[wookiebh]

Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne would be nice in August. you can do a good size loop there for 5 or so nights

[Vlado]

Looks like you could try getting a permit for August 5th:

Glacier Point->Little Yosemite Valley
......
August 1 2 3 4 6 .....

This availability is as of 5/26.

[hiker97]

You could also do a loop or short shuttle in the southern Yosemite area involving Chiquito - Chain Lakes - Ottoway Lake - Red Peak Pass - Post Peak Pass - Rutherford Lake. Plenty of passes and great exploring opportunities in the Clark Range.

[baseline bum]

If it was me, I'd do Tuolumne Meadows to Devil's Postpile and back, with a side trip of checking out the Lyell Glacier. I won't be able to make Yosemite this year (but I'll be in the Beartooths and the Tetons, so all is not lost!), but that's going to be the first thing on my list next year when I'll hopefully get to come out again.

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/40614

Of course, the Glacier Point to LYV trip that Vlado suggested would be incredible too, since you'd get to do the Panorama Trail, the Mist Trail, and have time to summit both Half Dome and Clouds Rest, see three great waterfalls up close (Nevada and Illiloutte on the Panorama Trail, Vernal on the Mist Trail), and maybe hit Merced Lake too, not to mention the incredible view from Glacier Point (and Washburn Point along the road just before it). Of course, you'd need a ride back to Glacier Point if you did the Mist Trail down, or a ride to Glacier Point the first day if you park in the Valley.

[hotrod4x5]

If it was me, I'd do Tuolumne Meadows to Devil's Postpile and back, with a side trip of checking out the Lyell Glacier.

57 miles in 5 days? More than I would care to do.

[baseline bum]

If it was me, I'd do Tuolumne Meadows to Devil's Postpile and back, with a side trip of checking out the Lyell Glacier.

57 miles in 5 days? More than I would care to do.

Maybe so, but then again they posted that they're in shape 20-somethings. If the distance ever became an issue, then turning around at Garnet Lake would be an option. The only downside is I don't know of any walk-up peaks in the area, as I think Banner and Ritter require some high-angle glacier travel. I read some trip reports that list Lyell as easy as a class 2 scramble up the nw ridge after a low-angle traverse of the Lyell Glacier, but quite a few of the reports on summitpost indicate there are class 4 areas on that ridge. I saw a trip report on summitpost listing Maclure as class 2-3 from the col between Lyell and Maclure, so that one may be realistic, though I'd probably want either a 6th day or to turn around a few miles before Devil's Postpile to give time for a summit.