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[Yosemite]

Illilouette v. LYV

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

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Illilouette v. LYV

Postby Mr. Beeks » Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:12 pm

I'm trying to decide a 2 nights/3 days backpacking trip. I am pretty sure I want to take my group up the mist trail and then either go into LYV towards Lake Merced or veer off around the panoramic trail and follow the Illilouette Creek back up that valley. (Most of the people I'm taking have never been to Yosemite, and I kind of feel that making the trip UP the mist trail will be worth it for all the newbies i'll be with).

I am leaning toward the Illilouette version of the trip, but I am concerned there will be too may day hikers considering the Glacier Point trail head is right above Illilouette Valley. I've been to LYV 3-4 times now, and love that trip. Should I just stick with what works and head up toward Lake Merced, or whip it around toward the Illilouette.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
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Postby bill-e-g » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:40 pm

I guess really need to know what the people that you are taking abilities are.
And what time you are going.

You said you've been up LYV a few times so you probably know how
crowded the Mist Trail can get.

There will be a lot less people going to Illiouette from GP than going up the Mist Trail.

My recommendation would be to try to get Happy Isles to LYV since it
is what you love. You might have some serious trouble getting that though since currently all the
reserved permits for that are already taken well into July.

Happy Isle to Illiouette is really open... (only 1 day fully booked).

Illiouette is really beautiful... I just love Starr King... but Merced River
Canyon is classic Yosemite ... lost of waterfalls and domes...
I'd really lean towards heading up toward Merced Lake..
gives your party alot of options... HD, Merced Lake, Clouds Rest...
And to avoid the huge crowd crowds you can take JMT to Clark Pt.
and Mist from there on...

Anyway, you can't REALLY go wrong since you said a number have not
been to Yosemite...

Please post what you end up doing and your experience. Thx.
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Postby balzaccom » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:32 pm

I am going to offer an alternative opinion. Bill is right the LYV is classic Yosemite...but so are the crowds. Start at Mono Meadows or Glacier point, and then head up Illiliouette Canyon. Spend a lovely couple of days there relaxing with no people around...then head down to Happy Isles via the Mist trail. It's all downhill, and your packs will be lighter. You can see all scenery, and have solitude up IC

Best of both worlds.
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Follow-up Posting

Postby Mr. Beeks » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:19 am

This follow-up is in response to a request from Bill-E-G to do so. Sorry for the late response to your request. Anyway, we ended up doing MT - into Illouette. (June 12-14) All the guys with me were rookies and I think that while both crowded and streneous, the decision to take the Mist was correct. I figured that if none of these guys ever retuned to Yosemite, they'd at least have the MT experience, crowds and all (which weren't that bad, comparitively speaking). Waterfalls in full bloom, and we had a great hike into Illouette. We hung the sharp left at the top of the switchbacks heading toward Glacier and made our way down to the river from there. The Illouette itself was flowing pretty heavily, and it took a relativley precarious log crossing to get to the buena vista creek/illouette creek junction on day one. We camped pretty close to that junction - which as you know is not that deep from GP trailhead, but a decent hike from Happy Isles. Day two we day hiked and fished the illouette. Tons of catch and release trout, nothing longer than 6 or 7 inches, but using ultralight tackle, so still fun. That afternoon it started to rain and rained pretty good between 2-6pm, then clouds let up and had a cold, starry night (this was the same day the guy fell off of HD). We were decently prepared for rain, relying heavily on heavy duty trash bags for most water protection, and we were all packing tents w/rain flys. Since camp was alread set up, this wasn't a big deal and to be honest for the value to weight ratio of black garbage bags, i'm not sure i'd use anything else while summer backpacking (some inexperience speaking there no doubt). These were the HUGE home depot contractor style bags, not the black hefty's. There were five of us hanging out around the river/camp with huge black "moo-moo's" on. Made for some classic pictures. Besides this four hour rainstorm, weather was nice, overcast on day 1.5 and clear last 1.5 days, but nice. Not many people, perhaps 10 total that we saw once we made the turn off the Panorama Trail. (We did pass a college-age kid and his buddy - one of them backpacking barefoot - literally no shoes on whatsoever, trucking down the trail). The second night one of our party members sliced his thumb wide open which caused the pucker factor to increase exponentially. Fortunately, we got the bleeding to stop, and we headed back to valley floor early the next day, took the JMT down to vernal - beautiful end to the trip. The injury required six stitches at the medical center down in the valley (which was pretty busy due to the HD drama), and the rest of us had a beer at the awahanee while he got stitched up. All in all a great trip, perfect for the group of first timers I brought, and all are definitley in for next summer's trip to GCT. Thanks again everyone on this board, (esp. Billy-G) your comments and suggestions are invaluable. Take care.
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Postby bill-e-g » Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:32 am

Cool. Thanks!
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