Re-check of old plan, Red Peak Pass from Mono Meadow

[Justin-T]

We had to abort a 6-night trip in 2018 due to wildfire closure, starting from Mono Meadow back to the valley, via Ottaway Lake, Red Peak Pass, Washburn etc. We haven't returned to Yosemite since then, because of the seemingly continuous issues with wildfires (we live in the Northeast so it requires significant cost just to get there). Given all the rain out West we're considering a return and to have another go at this route.

Here's the timetable and camp sites I'd planned out 5 years ago (with help from several people on this forum), with my guesstimates of distance and elevation changes in parentheses):

Day 1 - shuttle bus from the valley to GP, then Badger Pass shuttle back to MM trailhead, hike to Illilouette Canyon (7mi, 800' down, 800' up)
Day 2 - to Lower Ottoway Lake (9mi, 2500’ up)
Day 3 - day hiking near/around the lake
Day 4 - over RP pass to campsite just after trail junction with the Iceberg pass connector (9mi, 1500’ up, then 2000’ down)
Day 5 - to Washburn Lake (7 miles, 1500’ down)
Day 6 - to camp site just a little uphill from the two bridges just before Bunnell Cascades (7 miles, 1600’ down)
Day 7 - back to valley (8 mi, 2500' down)

Does this still check out as workable plan?

[balzaccom]

I seem to remember this plan, and yes, it still makes sense. Lots of options along the way, but all of them will be fine!

[Justin-T]

Great, thanks for looking it over.

The one thing I know of so far that will be different to what I’m used to is the closure of the TM campground, so we’ll have to figure out a different elevation acclimation plan for the couple of days before we start.

An aspect that doesn’t seem clear from the official NPS pages is how to get to the Mono Meadow trailhead without a car. My impression is that there’s no shuttle any more from GP, so we’d have to try and get the GP tour bus guy to drop us at the trailhead on the way up from the Valley?

[balzaccom]

In years past those tour bus drivers have been helpful...but it would certainly be a good idea to ask.

Of course, the other option is to leave the hike down into the valley for another day, and take the last day of your hike to get back up to Mono Meadow. It would be a long day, but not too much climbing.

[Justin-T]

Hmmm, interesting idea but it looks to be about 13 miles, a bit more than I think we'd really like to do on the last day.
I guess another option could be to try and catch a ride on day 1 from a kind soul the five or so miles from GP back to MM?

However, perhaps your idea could work nicely by extending our previous day and instead of the spot below Bunnell Point, camp somewhere closer to the LYV campground, maybe a couple miles east of it, which I think would be legal? This should work, because day 6 on the plan I posted initially is light at 7 miles and I think pretty much all a steady downhill. Also, now I look at my TH trail map again I think I underestimated the original day 7; its probably more like 10-11 miles from the Bunnell campsite back to the Curry Village lot where I think we'd be leaving our car. So, if the last day was instead 10-11 miles back to the MM trailhead it would all make really good sense, because 1) we'd avoid the huge crowds around Vernal Fall/hiking to Half Dome, 2) see more of the backcountry, 3) avoid needing to pay for the bus up to GP, and 4) we'd also be able to start day 1 whenever we wanted rather than being subject to the bus timetables. This all assumes we can leave the car for a week at the trailhead?

[balzaccom]

You can certainly leave you car at the Mono Meadow trailhead. Just remember to leave any food or smelly items in the bear boxes provided.

I like your revised version better, since it gives you more control over your start.

Where will you arrive from? I remember hiking out of Mono Meadow. We drove from our cabin above Sonora, and got to the Big Oak Flat entrance station about 10 a.m. It took more than a few minutes to get our permit, and by the time we got to Mono Meadow, it was close enough to noon that we chose to just eat our lunch at the trailhead, rather than carrying it another hald an hour to eat on the trail.

Your timing and mileage may vary.

[Justin-T]

Thanks for the feedback, the more we look at the revision, the more we like it.

Pre-hike plans not decided yet, but we'll most likely look to have a couple of days doing some dayhikes at elevation to get acclimated from near sea-level. So, quite likely looking for a campground in the valley, or if we're lucky, along Tioga Road. So, we'll be inside the park already and can control (to the extent in-park traffic allows) when we get to the trailhead.

Another question: do you have any experience of finding a good camp spot in the area circled red in the image linked below? We might try to reduce the average miles per day by cutting out the rest day at Lower Ottaway, so this area could be a way to split up the last few days into smaller chunks and make our camp exit a lot earlier in the day.

https://imgur.com/a/FQrROF1

[balzaccom]

There is a large campsite right where the Mono Meadows trail crossed Illilouette Creek. which is right at the the bottom of your red cricle. I think if you wanted, you could probably find other spots.

There are also plenty of campsites downstream from that area, along Illilouette Creek, which would be an alternative route to the Panorama Trail.

[WanderingJim]

Another option is that instead of going down towards Washburn lake, you can climb up towards Isberg Pass, then head north along the trail along the ridge that oversees the valley that Washburn lake is in. I went from TM to Volgasang to across this ridge to Red Peak Pass (so opposite your route), but found it a great route.

A great camping area with a great view of the lakes and Half Done around 37.72422, -119.36514.

So pictures and short description of my hike here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wanderingjim/collections/72157670050949537/

[Justin-T]

Thanks Jim, I think I see the route you mean. Will stash that thought away for another year; I'm already concerned we're taking on a high average mileage for us, and it looks like this would add about another five miles.

As far as the campsite near Bunnell Cascades, I recall the tip from Phil was to camp just before the two bridges. However, I'm not sure now if "before" meant closer to the Valley or closer to Merced? Judging by the flattish area on the Valley side, compared to the much steeper looking terrain (that I can see on the map) on the Merced side, I assume he meant the former, ie: the blue circled spot on my screenshot below (bridges in red)?

https://imgur.com/a/TG5SGo7

(Thanks balzaccom for the earlier response re: the later campsite)