Home A - Z FAQ Bookstore Art Prints Online Library Discussion Forum Muir Weather Maps Lodging About Search
CalHotels.US--online reservations now CalHotels.US Lowest Hotel Rates Guaranteed. Click Here For Yours!
Hotel photos, maps, reviews, & discount rates.

U.S. Hotels in California (Yosemite, L. A., San Francisco ), AL, AK, AR, AS, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, FM, GA, GU, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OK, NV, MH, MP, NM, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, PR, PW, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, VI WA, WV, WI, WY

[Yosemite]

Glacier Point to ?

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

Moderators: Wickett, dan

Glacier Point to ?

Postby Eskimoke » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:57 pm

Hi all,

I have a wilderness pass for mid-June beginning at Glacier Point. We will have 5 moderately experienced and fit adults in our group but I am having a hard time stringing together a good route so need your advice. Our goals are to climb Clouds Rest, avoid crowds and maybe catch some fish. Would prefer to keep mileage to +- 10 per day and not be too rushed.

Day 1: park in valley and catch bus up to Glacier Point in the afternoon. Down to Illilouette creek, camp the first night.

Day 2: Head towards or through LYV but which route? Which camp area if we want to do Clouds Rest the following day?

Day 3: drop some gear and do Clouds Rest (out and back). Which is the best (easiest/quickest) route?

Day 4: would like to end up near Sunrise or Cathedral Lakes and out to Tioga Rd. but there are no shuttles or YARTS back to valley from what I can tell. Options?

We have some flexibility but would be really interested in advice from those familiar with the area.

Thanks!!
Eskimoke
Newbie
Newbie
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby AlmostThere » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:20 pm

Eskimoke wrote:
Day 1: park in valley and catch bus up to Glacier Point in the afternoon. Down to Illilouette creek, camp the first night.

Day 2: Head towards or through LYV but which route? Which camp area if we want to do Clouds Rest the following day?

Day 3: drop some gear and do Clouds Rest (out and back). Which is the best (easiest/quickest) route?

Day 4: would like to end up near Sunrise or Cathedral Lakes and out to Tioga Rd. but there are no shuttles or YARTS back to valley from what I can tell. Options?



The options to get to LYV from first night's camp are the Panorama Trail (about 6 miles or so to LYV from the required 2 miles upstream along the creek) or a long loop over Red Peak Pass (around 40 miles or so by way of a pass and some lovely lakes, ending by hiking along the Merced River into LYV). Unless you like off trail travel over steep terrain.

On day 2, you will either camp in LYV or go up the trail 2 miles. LYV is a no-camp zone outside the designated area for camping. There are campsites at the trail junction to Clouds. It's not really a full day of hiking from there to the top of Clouds. Plenty of time left in the day for a long nap.

YARTS or the hiker bus will go back to the valley. You'll want to catch the free shuttle to Tuolumne Meadows. This would require timing, or willingness to spend the night in the backpacker camp at Tuolumne Meadows, which you can do with your permit and $5/ per person. Personally, I would drive the car up to the trailhead parking, take the free shuttle to the bus stop at the Tuolumne Meadows store - or if scheduling demands it spend a night in the backpacker camp and catch the bus back to the valley floor to start - so as to have my vehicle waiting for me, so I can dawdle, watch the sunset and headlamp hike out if I want to.

I doubt that YARTS or the hiker bus will wait til the usual seasonal start - they'd lose an awful lot of revenue. The hiker bus tickets can be reserved at yosemitepark.com through the concessionaire and picked up at Yosemite Lodge. YARTS is cash in hand, no reservations, and there's one stop at each location.
AlmostThere
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 2077
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Central Valley California

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby Eskimoke » Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:05 pm

Thank you so much for taking the time to help!

It looks like you can do Clouds Rest by approaching from either the south (LYV) or the north (Sunrise). The approach from the north looks easier (on a topo anyway) so presumably you would want to follow the JMT north and camp on that side, right?

Still stuck on how to get back to the valley from Tuolumne. I called YARTS and they are not running the 120 route on weekdays until July. The "hiker bus" doesn't start service to Tuolumne until 6/19. Can't drop a car since we are entering the park from the Fresno side and won't have time to get back down to the valley AND that would be $250 in bus fares alone just to get back to Glacier Point. Not sure Uber covers that area yet :) Stumped....

If we can't exit via the Tuolumne side, are there any lakes worth seeing around LYV? Merced looks close by but pretty average. Any other ideas so we could exit via the valley on Day 4?
Eskimoke
Newbie
Newbie
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby AlmostThere » Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:42 pm

The yarts schedule on their website version says May 16. I have the feeling their staff are all smoking something. would not be the first time the phone folks are out of the loop.

of course, it could always snow some more, delaying the opening of the pass in which case I would guess they would delay the bus route.

Merced lake is where the high sierra camp is. It's likely to be very crowded. And there is a great swath of burnt forest between there and LYV. you'll probably see more of the fires damage upper around the north end of the cloud s rest.

there is a trail that goes over clouds rest which at the top is about 50 feet wide. If people are prone to vertigo or are very anxious around lots of exposure and drop off, there is another trail that goes behind clouds rest on the forest side. I believe it's what the stock users take instead of taking the horses over the top. The slope is not particularly steep on either side in my opinion.
AlmostThere
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 2077
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Central Valley California

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby Eskimoke » Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:47 pm

I think the YARTS 120 bus runs from Sonora to the Valley starting in May but not up to Tuolumne area. I spoke to an, er, not exactly friendly fellow on the phone and he assured me that there is zero public transportation between anywhere on Tioga Rd. and the valley until July. Guess I can check it out when we get there.

My concern with going right over the top of Clouds Rest heading north is that we will have big, heavy backpacks and lots of gear with us. Most people rate it as "strenuous" and that's probably just day hikers so don't want to bite off more than we can chew. If going from LYV right over Clouds and into Sunrise area is dooable for mere mortals in one day, that would be great and give us many more options.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the info!!
Eskimoke
Newbie
Newbie
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby AlmostThere » Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:27 pm

Well, ok, seeing that the busses are quite different than they were before.

However, I wouldn't give up without calling the reservations line for the hiker bus and see if they are starting early. The pass isn't going to need much plowing, if any. It may close temporarily, if it spits snow again in May.

If you're going to approach Clouds from the north, you're climbing the same elevation gain anyway. Fit people who have been hiking at elevation before would be ok. If you're not hiking a lot and new to elevation gains it might be tough going regardless of which way you go. Steepness is less important than endurance.
AlmostThere
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 2077
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: Central Valley California

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby Eskimoke » Fri Apr 24, 2015 11:27 am

So I found out that the Toulomne tour/hikers bus DOES run as long as the area (Tioga Rd. and area campgrounds) is open. Yes! Based on the weather so far, highly probable it will be open early but you have to check to call to make sure. Thanks for the tip.

So, provisionally - does this look reasonable?

Day 1: park in valley and catch bus up to Glacier Point in the afternoon. Down to Illilouette creek, camp the first night. Have to do this for permit reasons and good for altitude acclimatization anyway.

Day 2: head down through Panorama trail through LYV and over Clouds Rest. Camp wherever seems reasonable given conditions and fatigue. Sunrise lakes would be a good target if all is OK.

Day 3: hike to Sunrise Lakes to Cathedral Lakes and camp.

Day 4: Cathedral Lakes out to Toulomne and catch bus back to valley.

Day #2 seems a little ambitious given the Clouds Rest part and heavy packs. Any advice appreciated.
Eskimoke
Newbie
Newbie
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:25 pm

Re: Glacier Point to ?

Postby Dave_Ayers » Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:34 am

That's not very balanced on days 2 and 3. For more balance, I'd head past LYV on day 2 as AT already suggested and camp at the JMT/CR junction a bit past the Half Dome trail junction, doing perhaps ~8 miles that day. If you have time and energy, you could stash packs and bag Half Dome (permit is required) or at least hike up to HD's shoulder on the afternoon of day 2 also. Then I'd go over Cloud's Rest the morning of Day 3 and over to Sunrise Lakes later that day, leaving plenty of time to fish that afternoon/evening. On Day 4 with an early start you should be able to go from Sunrise over to Cathedral and wander around a little, then get down to the TM store for the 2:15 p.m. Hiker's Bus pick-up (http://www.yosemitepark.com/tuolumne-meadows-tour.aspx). Note that the Hiker's Bus starts running June 19th (per the web site). So I'm assuming your Day 1 is June 16th or later. Don't forget to bring $ to pay the driver.

Regarding your goal to "avoid crowds": This route is very popular so don't plan to achieve that goal. The Falls and LYV are always bustling. HD is somewhat less crowded later in the afternoon. Cloud's Rest is much less likely to be crowded earlier in the morning as most traffic is from day-hikers out of Sunrise that usually reach the top in the afternoon. Sunrise Lakes are usually less crowded than Cathedral Lakes.

There are excellent views from the saddle between Tresidder Peak and Columbia Finger (and in that general area). The Cathedral area has fine vistas from the ridge between the two lakes with easy access to the ridge to be had from the upper lake.
Dave_Ayers
Veteran-poster
Veteran-poster
 
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:14 am


Return to Yosemite Hiking & Backpacking

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests

cron