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3 day itinerary (fairly) difficult-HEEEEELP

PostPosted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:29 am
by bluepigband
Background: I'm very fit, and have done trekking in Thailand go bouldering, but have never been to Yosemite.

I'm planning a 3-day, 2 night hike on Labor Day weekend (we didn't have a choice) for 2 people. We're coming from San Francisco, and driving up Friday afternoon.

So here's some questions that I had:
1. Assuming we arrive Yosemite at around 7:00 pm (just to camp for the night), will the gates still be open. Is there a designated area where we HAVE to go before "entering" Yosemite? I'm trying to picture it, and images of a theme park parking lot comes to mind where everyone is converged then let lose after the gates.

2. Can anyone suggest a fairly difficult trail/itinerary through some off-the-beaten path? I was hoping that by following a more difficult itinerary, we'll get some more gorgeous sights and less crowds . I was hoping that at night we can just plop our tent down and sleep on a cliff or by a river or some really remote area. But because of the popularity of Yosemite, is it true that there's almost always a designated campground already and it'll be difficult to find a more secluded spot?

I was using the popular landmarks as my itinerary guide, but then realized that at that weekend, so will everyone. So I was hoping to do more trekking than just sight seeing this trip, and save the easier routes and more popular routes next time when it's less crowded.

Like I said, I've never been to Yosemite, and I'm fairly new to California. I don't really know anyone (personally) who enjoys trekking and backpacking, so my resources are limited.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books or some other itinerary samples for Yosemite?

Thank you very much a million times!!!

-bluepig

Re: 3 day itinerary (fairly) difficult-HEEEEELP

PostPosted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:40 pm
by dan
bluepigband wrote:I'm planning a 3-day, 2 night hike on Labor Day weekend (we didn't have a choice) for 2 people. We're coming from San Francisco, and driving up Friday afternoon.

You need a place to stay. You need to have a hotel reservation, campground reservation, or a wilderness permit.

A Wilderness permit is needed only if you stay overnight in the wilderness (backpacking away from the roads). If you have a wilderness permit you can stay 1 night before and after the trip in the Backpackers Campgrounds at Tuolumne Meadows or in Yosemite Valley. The Backpackers Campground in the Valley is not on maps, but is located north of Lower Pines Campground on the north side of the Tenaya River.

For wilderness permit information, see
http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/

Campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are by reservation, and are all reserved by now. Some campgrounds outside Yosemite Valley can be reserved and others are "first come, first served"--no reservations. They may be all taken by Friday, as this is a popular weekend.

bluepigband wrote:1. Assuming we arrive Yosemite at around 7:00 pm (just to camp for the night), will the gates still be open. Is there a designated area where we HAVE to go before "entering" Yosemite? I'm trying to picture it, and images of a theme park parking lot comes to mind where everyone is converged then let lose after the gates.

Yosemite National Park is always open (except for natural disasters, say a snowstorm or flood, which is unlikely). No gate. No parking lot.

The problem is you need a place to stay.

bluepigband wrote:. . . is it true that there's almost always a designated campground already and it'll be difficult to find a more secluded spot?

In the wilderness, away from the roads, you can camp anywhere. Near the roads, you can only camp in designated campgrounds.


bluepigband wrote:Does anyone have any recommendations for books or some other itinerary samples for Yosemite?

For backpacks, there's Jeffrey Schaffer's Yosemite National Park A Natural-History GUide to Yosemite and Its Trails. It has detailed descriptions of trails, but I don't like it--it should have maps for each trip.
I've seen Suzanne Swedo's Hiking Yosemite recommended, but I haven't read it yet.