Yosemite Forum

Hey everyone - I normally don't take my hammock set up on a first trip to a new area, but I'm going solo this trip and would love to not have to carry the weight of my 2p tent/buy a solo tent. From my research it seems like there should be good options for hanging a hammock on my route, but I'd love some confirmation. My current plan is to camp at Glen Aulin > May Lake > Sunrise Lakes > Cloud's Rest > exit and spend the night at the backpackers camp in Yosemite Valley.

Also any advice on best spots to camp around Cloud's Rest? Even if I take my tent, I wouldn't want to camp on the summit (because, rude) but would still love to have a killer view from my sleeping spot. I had seen a map on the forums that someone had posted indicating a good area, but I didn't download it right away and now I can't find it.

I'm there from Aug 10-17. Will mosquitoes still be super active?

Any other advice about things not to miss/things to watch out for on this route would be appreciated. I'm pretty thorough with research, but there's no substitute for first hand experience.

Thanks!

I wouldn't worry too much, there are plenty of trees at that elevation. And while I am sure there are those who actually sleep on that ridge I sure wouldn't ever be one, it's pretty darn narrow and vertigo-inducing anyway. You'll see. The ridge on either side of Clouds Rest will do fine by you.

Mosquitoes will probably linger that late, but looser fitting long sleeves, long pants and a head net are good, a little DEET and you're golden. I treat everything I wear with permethrin with good results.

Don't get casual about food storage - the bears in the area are habituated and will snatch and run if you turn your back. You'll want to keep the canisters away from water and cliffs that bears can easily knock them into. There is in fact a bear that hangs out around Snow Creek that pushes canisters off cliffs, and no canister on the market survives a fall on granite. My usual tactic is to find a tree well - the canister should be able to roll around, the bear can't pick it up and carry it off, but it also can't easily push it out of the tree well so can't roll it into a river or off a cliff.

Thanks for the reply AlmostThere, much appreciated!

CR sites are best to the right of the flats just before the final climb on the north end of summit, back in the trees at the rim of Tenaya Canyon. Last water is at the split creek you cross about 1/2 mile before the trail junction that drops back down to the JMT. You'll see it all on your map. Next water over the summit might be a spring on the way down to the JMT, but definitely Sunrise Creek junction.

A little bug spray and you should be good, but face and hammock netting would still be a good idea, just in case. And yeah, lot's of active and aggressive bears all along that route, so keep it tight.