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[Yosemite]

Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

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Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby shoc08 » Fri Sep 26, 2014 9:26 pm

I am trying to settle on an optimal itinerary for a 2-person trip to Yosemite, arriving Oct 12th and departing Oct 17th. This will be the first time for both of us in Yosemite. We have done various other backpacking trips and are in good shape, but haven't done a trip of this magnitude before. I will give give the park rangers a call, but the forum promotes easier discussions. Of particular interest to me is the availability of water this time of year in the areas we'll be going, as well as the weather conditions any of you have experienced in mid-October. I know there is obviously the possibility of storms and snow, but from what I've read, these are more likely to start showing up in late Oct/Nov. We'll be prepared either way.

Oct 12: Arrive around noon from SF, get our wilderness permits, and relax in the valley. Camp at Upper Pines campground.

Oct 13: Hike from Upper Pines campground to Little Yosemite Valley, stash our heavier gear leaving food in bear box or canister, and head up to Half Dome. This is the last day the cables are up so I am hoping we get lucky and have good weather. I saw a forecast for this weekend that listed a 50% chance of snow at 8600ft in the Tuolumne area. I assume this means there is the potential for snow to impact Half Dome hikeability in a couple weeks? After Half Dome, hike back to LYV for the night (I confirmed permits are available). Shouldn't be a problem finding water at LYV, right?

Oct 14: Hike from LYV, along Panorama Trail to Glacier Point. Continue west along Pohono Trail as far as we can, hopefully getting to Bridalveil Creek. I know this could add up to some significant mileage depending on how far we push. I also know photo breaks and whatever time is spent picking our jaws off the ground will impact our mileage. If we get to Bridalveil Creek, do you think there will be any water (probably better to ask a ranger)?

Oct 15: Hike from near Bridalveil Creek to Tunnel View and continue along Valley Loop Trail to Lower Yosemite Falls Trail. This part should be primarily downhill and then flat up to the Falls Trail. We may elect to catch the El Capitan shuttle at El Capitan bridge and get dropped off near the falls trail to cut out some hiking distance. Climb the Yosemite Falls trail and camp at the top near Upper Falls. I'm not familiar with how close we get to the falls; is there the potential to get water upstream from the falls?

Oct 16: Day hike west to Eagle Peak and El Capitan. We may also venture east from the Upper Falls before returning to camp at the same spot as the previous night.

Oct 17: Hike back down the Falls Trail and either catch a shuttle or hike the 2.5mi to our car at Upper Pines area.

If you were able to endure my musings, I'd be grateful for any comments or recommendations. I'm aware this may be a bit ambitious; I was trying to make a decent circuit of the valley area.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby AlmostThere » Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:25 am

You cannot count the valley floor as part of a backpacking trip. This itinerary will require two permits, since you will exit the wilderness at tunnel view.

If you are not very athletic, you probably won't enjoy that plan. Something tells me you may not have carried a backpack on a 4000+ elevation gain day.

The cables usually come down Oct 13, but may come down early if ice and snow make the climb dangerous.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby shoc08 » Sat Sep 27, 2014 5:31 pm

Thanks for the response. You're right in that we haven't done a 4000ft+ day with a pack before. I see Day 3 (Oct 14) as being the most demanding, climbing out of LYV to Glacier Point, so I'll cut down our ambitions of making it all the way to Bridalveil Creek. We'll get as far as we can and then on Day 4 (Oct 15), just plan to make it back to Yosemite Valley rather than climb up the Yosemite Falls trail. Day 5 (Oct 16), we can try Yosemite Falls, do some exploring and camp at the top before coming down on Day 6 (Oct 17).

Apparently the last few reservable permits for Happy Isles to LYV on Oct 13 were taken in the past couple days since I last checked, so we'll have to try for one of the first-come-first-serve permits when we arrive. I'm working an alternate option to hike from Glacier Pt to LYV, but that leaves our car at Glacier Pt or requires that we pay for the tour bus/shuttle which I was trying to avoid. Right now, I'm thinking the alternate could be Glacier Pt to LYV/Half Dome (1 day), then from LYV up the Snow Creek trail (1 day), hit North Dome and work west to come down the Falls Trail (2 days). If Snow Creek is too steep for our ability, we could go up the Falls Trail and then down Snow Creek. We're obviously trying to spend as much time in the backcountry as we can.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby balzaccom » Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:23 pm

The first day up to Half Dome is going to be a tough one. You'll need to start VERY early in the morning to lug packs up to LYV and then climb Half Dome from there. Remember that days are shorter in October....you wont' have 15 hours of daylight to do this.

I am not sure why you are hiking in and out of the Valley on this trip. The Valley is stunning---why not dedicate a couple of days for hiking and seeing the sights, without worrying about climbing out to get to a backpacking campsite, then hiking back down to do the next trail? Remember that you get one free night before your permit, and one free night after your permit at the backpackers campground in the Valley.

Here's my suggestion: Sure, try to climb Half Dome the 13th. If you don't make it, that's OK--it's still a great hike. (there's a shuttle in the Valley, so you might not have to hike from Upper Pines. Take the shuttle from the free backpackers campground...

14th--hike back out to the Valley, stay in the backpackers campground. Get a permit for the 16th.

15th Drive to Glacier point. Hike Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. If you have time, drive up to Tuolumne Meadows and check out the high country--well worth a visit.

16th. Hike to Youngs Lake out of Tuolumne Meadows (or Glen Aulin, or Cathedral Lakes---anywhere that's up high) and check out that area.

17th Hike back out and head for home

This way you will have seen the valley, Half Dome, the South Rim, Tuolumne Meadows...and Yosemite's high country.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby shoc08 » Sun Oct 05, 2014 8:59 pm

Thanks for that suggestion. I like the idea of getting out to Tuolumne Meadows.

I was unable to get a wilderness permit for Happy Isles to LYV, so I reserved a permit for Glacier Pt to LYV instead just to make sure we have the option to hike Half Dome on 10/13. People area allowed to day hike from Happy Isles to LYV/Nevada Falls and back, so what would be the harm in us starting from Happy Isles instead of Glacier Pt even though we don't have a wilderness permit for using the Happy Isles trailhead? We'll try to get a walk-up permit for Happy Isles the day before, but I'm not confident in our chances. Obviously I'm trying to avoid the transportation conundrum if we have to start at Glacier Pt.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby AlmostThere » Sun Oct 05, 2014 9:26 pm

The harm would be a big fat fine and being escorted back to the parking lot for not starting from the trailhead on your permit.

Please respect the rules or don't go.

The quotas protect the wilderness. Without quotas, the area around Little Yosemite Valley would be overrun with hundreds of backpackers per day, decimating the trees for firewood and trampling the countryside, leaving feces everywhere. If you think this is pessimistic of me - you've never visited a region without trailhead quotas. Jennie Lake is one such place - you can't pick up a rock within 200 feet of the lake without finding old poop. Yosemite is infinitely more popular and would quickly be loved to death.

The two hard and fast rules of backpacking in Yosemite - leave from the trailhead for which you are permitted, on the day you are permitted. USE A BEAR CAN and get all trash, food and hygiene items into it every night.

If you start from Glacier Point and return via Happy Isles, you can easily get a one way ticket on the tour bus if it is still running. Otherwise you may want to switch your permit to start on the Four Mile Trail and get going at 2 am so you can climb up, go down to Illilouette Creek, and wander the 2 miles up the creek to legal camping near the meadow. Pushing through to LYV (next legal camping) would make a hideous first day's hike. You may be able to switch to Happy Isles the day of the trip however.

And YOU STILL CANNOT MAKE THE VALLEY FLOOR PART OF A BACKPACKING TRIP. IT IS NOT WILDERNESS.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby shoc08 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:33 am

Understood on the reasoning for the permits for camping backcountry. However, there is no way to limit foot traffic on the trail from day hikers because they don't require permits. I see the backcountry permits as a way to limit the number of campers in a certain area, and Glacier Pt and Happy Isles permits both allow camping at LYV. Guess it's a friendly discussion I'll strike up with a ranger while I'm there. No sense breaking the rules - I'd like to be invited back!

I thought about doing 4-mile trail and camping along Illilouette Creek but that would mean hiking it with packs the same day we arrive so we could be set up to hike Half Dome the following day. Not going to push it. We'll just enjoy the first day in the valley.

Yes, I confirmed with a ranger that I'll need separate permits since we're re-entering the valley. We didn't reserve any additional permits ahead of time because he said there won't be an issue getting those when we arrive.

Thanks again for helping us out.
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Re: Itinerary Idea - 6 day trip (Oct 12 - 17)

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Oct 08, 2014 10:47 am

Half dome as a day hike requires a permit. You need an additional half dome permit on your wilderness permit as well. You can camp at LYV first night out only if you have that on your permit instead of a "pass through" permit, the latter would require you to be 2 miles beyond the designated area in LYV.

There are also a great many "no camping" zones along your route, and there may not be water along the Pohono trail.
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