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Newbie to Yosemite Backpacking - Route Suggestions?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:10 am
by El Derpo
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hiking 20-25 miles in Yosemite

PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:24 pm
by centurycyclist
First of all, get yourself a good trail map. You are starting a little late, and the hiker's shuttle between Tuolumne and Yosemite Valley ends in a couple of weeks (check the website for the exact date) I would start by spending a day getting acclimated in Tuolumne. (leave your car in Yosemite Valley, take the shuttle up to Tuolumne to camp one night) Then, there are a couple of routes down to the valley, about 27-28 miles. Since you are going down elevation, you can do that. You can leave from Tuolumne, go through the Vogelsang area, pass Merced Lake, then continue through Little Yosemite Valley, continuing to Nevada falls, then either down the Mist Trail, or the JMT. OR, leave from Olmstead Point (up on Tioga Road also) going through either Sunrise Lakes to the JMT, then LYV, and the rest the same OR, again from Tioga Road, through Cathedral Lakes to Sunrise, etc. Look at the map. Keep in mind, a lot of creeks are dry, depending on which route you take---you need to carry water until you get to the Merced. Also, it is quite chilly (30's in Tuolumne LAST week!) so prepare for cold. If you look at a trail map and have more questions, ask.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:40 am
by El Derpo
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:57 am
by centurycyclist
you won't need a GPS, (but it is nice to have!) unless you are cross-countrying anywhere....the trails are really well marked, and even when you are traveling across granite the rocks are lined up, etc. After you get through looking at the maps more closely, ask more questions if you like. Don't forget bear canisters----and for details about where you can and cannot camp, you will get that specific info when you get your wilderness permits. Have fun!

3-4 hike

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:45 am
by adrianhoff
You can’t camp within 3 miles of a road. You’re supposed to be at least 100 feet off the trail / away from water. Other than that, except for a few special, high traffic areas, you can camp pretty much anywhere.

The most popular trail (John Muir/Mist) starting in Yosemite Valley leads to / through Little Yosemite Valley. You cannot stop between the trailhead and LYV. If you don’t want to stay in LYV’s designated camping area, you have to hike a certain distance beyond it before you can stop. I think it’s two miles, but I’m not sure. All of that info is available on the NPS Yosemite site. I generally enter the backcountry through LYV, but I start at Glacier Point on the Panorama Trail. The distance to LYV is slightly longer, but (except for one 1.5 mile section) it's mostly downhill. The John Muir Trail gains a couple of thousand feet in its first three miles.

There are several great 3-4 routes from Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley, but they require a shuttle ride. Firm up your dates and check to see if you can work around the fall YARTS schedule: www.yarts.com or 1-877-989-2787. Summer schedule ends August 31.

If you can't use the shuttle, I'd suggest a loop starting at one of the Tioga Road trailheads near Tuolumne Meadows. But you probably need to figure out your shuttle options first, and then ask for advice that fits.