Tenaya Lakes (Sunrise Lakes TH) to Half-dome and back

[spencewine]

Planning on hiking Half-dome at the end of August. My permits are to enter and exit at Sunrise Lakes. Is this doable in 2 days? I'm thinking I will hike to the Half-dome junction via Cloudrest and camp near the junction. I'll wake up very early and summit Half-dome before the rush (if possible) and then head back to the Sunrise Lakes Trail-Head. Is this a good idea, bad idea? What's the water situation like along this route? Can I camp near the junction without camping in Little Yosemite? My understanding is that I can't camp there because I don't have a permit through Happy Isles. Any advice would be great. I don't see a lot out there about this route. Thanks.

[bill-e-g]

This is a HUGELY popular route.

Is it do-able in 2 days? No idea what you are capable of.
I dragged a friend that way and then back the longer
way via Sunrise HSC camp and he still talks about it...
(Come back via Forsyth and it won't be soooo bad)

Anyway, you CAN-NOT camp at LYV but you CAN come out Happy Isles.
Anyone tells you different is wrong.
You do NOT have to come out what your permit says.
You only have to ENTER on the date and TH that it says.
Everything else is up to you as long as you follow the rules
and regs on the permit and what they told you when you picked it up.

You won't really want to drop all the way down to LYV anyway
on your first day. You'll want to camp somewhere below Clouds.
And yes, there is always water about 1/2 way from sunrise lakes
to clouds and there is always water at the clouds/jmt trail jct.
along with the spring that crosses the HD trail on your way up.

Have fun

[cjoz]

3 days/2 nights? Or 2 days / 1 night? Latter definitely not my idea of fun.

You can definitely camp at the CR/JMT junction (which puts you about .5 miles from the HD trail). Plenty of water there.

I have an earlier post somewhere explaining where it is (http://www.yosemite.ca.us/forum/viewtop ... highlight=)

[spencewine]

It'll be 2 days/1 night. On paper, I've done more grueling hikes than this. My main worry was water, but it sounds as if it won't be a problem.

After reading Bill-E-G 's response, I think I'm going summit cloudsrest and then stay the night at the JMT junction. Day 2, summit in the morning and head out via Happy Isles.

[bill-e-g]

I guess I need to say that what I originally wrote was just plain wrong
regarding LYV. Sigh... (I corrected it above)
The only way to camp at LYV the FIRST night is to get a "LYV" permit.
ALL other permits... you cannot camp at LYV on day 1. Period.
You can on the second + though.

Going back out Forsyth wouldn't be tooooo bad IMO.
With long days it still gives you a lot of time to enjoy.
(it's about 23 miles)

Thru Sunrise HSC is approx. 26 miles although my friend
tells eveyone it was 30 miles in 2 days.

Have fun