Early June 2/3 night Backpack

[jackattack]

Hi all, my wife and I are trying to plan a trip to Yosemite June 5-8. This is a last-minute development, but we would like to make the most of it. Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions. -Kai

Some of the logistical details that may impact route choice:

- On 6/8 the in-laws will arrive in the park, and we'll likely day hike Pohono or 4-mile/Panorama on 6/9.
- One benefit of meeting the in-laws is that we can arrange to have them pick us up at our exit point and drive us back to our car.
- We are both reasonably fit, but this will be our first real backpack of the season.
- We have been living/skiing/hiking in SLC this year so high elevation should be okay.
- It would be ideal to have a permit prior to arrival so that we can camp in backpackers camp on 6/4.

Based on the available permits. I've come up with a couple ideas.
Ambitious approach:

Rafferty > Vogelsang > Merced > JMT > Clouds Rest > JMT > Happy Isles
Rafferty > Vogelsang > Merced > Sunrise > Tenaya

Conservative approach:

Two separate overnights...
6/5 - Rafferty > Vogelsang > Lyle
6/7 - Porcupine > North Dome (camp) > Yosemite Falls

If this all sounds misguided, this is a list of permits currently available on 6/5 and/or 6/6.

Bridalveil Campground
Budd Creek (cross-country only)
Chilnualna Falls
Glacier Point->Illilouette
Glen Aulin->Cold Canyon/Waterwheel (pass through) [ June 6 ]
Happy Isles->Illilouette [ June 5 ]
Luken->Lukens Lake
Lukens Lake->Yosemite Creek
May Lake->Snow Creek
McGurk Meadow
Mirror Lake->Snow Creek
Mono Meadow
Mono/Parker Pass
Murphy Creek [ June 6 ]
Nelson Lake
Old Big Oak Flat Road [ June 6 ]
Ostrander (Lost Bear Meadow)
Pohono Trail (Glacier Point)
Pohono Trail (Wawona Tunnel/Bridalveil Parking)
Porcupine Creek
Rafferty Creek->Vogelsang [ June 5 ]
Rockslides
Tamarack Creek
Ten Lakes [ June 6 ]
White Wolf Campground
White Wolf->Aspen Valley
White Wolf->Pate Valley
White Wolf->Smith Meadow (including Harden Lake)
Yosemite Creek Campground
Yosemite Falls
Young Lakes via Glen Aulin Trail [ June 5 ]

[balzaccom]

None of that sounds crazy. And the good news is that the rangers who issue the permit really only care about where you are going to start your trip and spend the first night. After that, they always give you a certain amount of latitude, based on the fact that plans change, weather changes, and people change their minds.

If you can get the Rafferty trailhead, that would give you the options of going up Rafferty over Tuolumne Pass, down Lewis Creek to Merced Lake....from there you could continue downhill to Happy Isles, go up Sunrise Creek to Cloud's Rest and Exit via Cathedral Lakes back to Tuolumne Meadows, or just head back up Fletcher Creek to Tuolumne Pass...and then maybe down Lyell, or back down Rafferty. All of those are good routes, and you don't really have to make a decision until at least the second day on the trail!

[jackattack]

Cool. I faxed in my permit request form late last night. Fingers crossed...

[jackattack]

Rafferty is a no-go. Appears there must be only 1 space left for 6/5.

My backup plan is to shoot for a walk in permit for Cathedral Sunrise or Lyell, but I'd still like to be holding a permit if all else fails. So, any other suggestions given the list above?

[balzaccom]

How do you feel about cross-country? You could get a permit for Nelson Lake, then hike up through Reymann Lake to Tuolumne Pass on Day two...camp at Evelyn, and hike out the next day down Lyell Canyon.

[half dumb]

Two of my friends have been trying to get permits starting around the May Lake area for a couple of days now. There are several trailheads nearby that still show available for their dates, but they all apparently only have 1 slot available.

[balzaccom]

It's one of the most popular trailheads, so that's not unusual

You can take your chances with a "same day, first come first served" permit, or you can try something else.

Murphy Creek is one option that might work for you---but with more hiking

[Dave_Ayers]

Lukens Lake and White Wolf Campground both show openings in the Full Trailheads report (http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/u ... lheads.pdf). You could go in either TH and hike to Ten Lakes the 1st night, then to Tuolumne Peak area or May Lake the next day. Both Tuolumne Peak and Mount Hoffman are good climbs and have excellent views. Then you could cross 120 and head up Sunrise and bag Cloud's Rest if you have the legs and time or you could go to Glen Aulin and check out some of the cascades along the T on the 3rd day, exiting to TM on the 4th day (6/8). If you start at White Wolf and end near TM, you can catch the Hiker's Bus (http://www.yosemitepark.com/tuolumne-meadows-tour.aspx) to return to your car and save the in-laws some driving.

[jackattack]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Dave, That looks like a good option. I'll submit a request for either of those TH's.

I put the anticipated exit point as Glen Aulin, but I wouldn't mind hustling a bit to link up Lukens > 10 lakes > Tenaya > Sunrise > JMT > TM. We'll see how our progress is and then call an audible on the second day.

[Dave_Ayers]

And I probably should have mentioned snow. Despite the drought, there was snowfall last week and some is showing at higher elevations in satellite images. Ten Lakes is ~9400 feet and the trail hits ~9,800 near Tuolumne Peak, so be prepared to walk on some on the north slope trail sections and perhaps check with the rangers on pass-ability of the trails.

[Dave_Ayers]

And I've just learned that the Hiker's Bus did not start on 5/22 as they hoped. The start date is unclear, see http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,80024 .

[Dave_Ayers]

I called this morning and the person told me the Hiker's Bus is now running per the posted schedule and is free this year too.

[jackattack]

Dave, Thanks for the updates. I checked on the snow levels and it sounds like things will be ok (fingers crossed.) We'll definitely check in with the rangers when we arrive in the park.

We got the Permit for White Wolf Campground > Glen Aulin. Getting packed for an after work departure tomorrow.

See you on the flip-side.