1st time trip, lots of questions

[shreddedshoe]

Hello all. I'll be going to Yosemite for the first time in September for a week. After reading thru a guidebook of suggested hikes, reading this forum and looking at the Nat Geo Trails Illus. Map, I need some help. I would like to do an overnite hike and the rest dayhikes, however it seems 2 nites is really the minimum for a decent overnite. I don't want to rush and I know I will be stopping to take a ton of pix. Plus I'm a newbie to overnite backpacking. I've done alot of car camping in the past and I currently do alot of dayhiking. To prepare for this trip however, I will be doing a few local overnites (east coast) and on my dayhikes, I will be increasing my distances while wearing a loaded pack. So by trip time I will be a bit 'broken in', but still new to Yosemite. I need suggestions please for 1-2 nite overnites and have some other questions also. I apologize in advance for such a long post...I hope I don't get flamed!

1. The main hike I was focused on was something from TM to Sunrise to Clouds Rest to Happy Isle or some sort of variation btw TM and the Valley. Regardless of the combo, it looks like it would require 2 nites. I'm thinking I would really rather do just 1 nite. But I'm open to all suggestions, esp. if it would make for a better exp. and get me the most bang for the buck. It doesn't have to be TM to the Valley either. This type of route looks very popular (ie. crowded), so I'm open to suggestions for the less travelled. Any thoughts? (See next question though)

2. I originally planned on doing Half Dome, but after a recent trip to Mexico to see some Mayan ruins I'm re-thinking that hike and also now have pause for Clouds Rest. I climbed the Coba ruin and if anyone is familiar with it, it's the second highest pyramid in the Yucatan State (or pennisula, can't remember)...at any rate, it's high and steep. I got to the top, sat on the top step and couldn't move any farther. There's a platform just above but no way was I letting go of the rope to go completely to the top. Plus there were quite a few people around which freaked me out too. Going back down I was fine, but after that, I'm thinking summiting Half Dome may be a mistake. I've also read that Clouds Rest is a little hairy, so that might not be a good idea either. I'm not necessarily afraid of heights, but I do have a problem with narrow ledges. If it's wide with good footing and not alot of people around I'm ok.

3. There's a very good chance that I will be doing this trip solo...not my original plan, but s*@! happens. Alot could change btw now and then, but if not, being female, will I be safe doing an overnite? And I'm not talking about critters and bears. The rest of the week I'm staying in a hotel and I'm perfectly comfortable solo dayhiking, but I am a bit nervous about camping out in the wilderness alone. I'm not really looking for company and would actually prefer to be away from crowds, but at the same time I do have some concerns. Am I being paranoid?

4. Getting my gear there...check or mail? Some people seem to have no problem and for others it's a nightmare. Don't know if I can bring trekking poles or tent poles/stakes on board, but definitely not my knife and stove. And everyone seems to have a different exp every time...there's no consistency. Shipping seems to be my best bet. What are your experiences with this and where's the best place to ship to. I will be flying into San Fran and driving to Yos.

5. Anyone have any experience with the new SnowPeak Lite Max stove. I haven't bought a stove yet and this was one of my pics. The MSR Pocket Rocket is my other choice.

6. One more....a bit off topic, but has any one done any horseback riding. I am an experienced English Center Seat trained rider and wanted to maybe do a half or full day in TM. I would like to 'ride for real' not just get stuck in a group walk with a bunch of inexperienced track suit wearing 'city slickers' I haven't really researched this yet, but does anyone know if the rides are geared towards this or can they be tailored to exp. level?

I know that's alot and again I apologize for the long post. I hope my questions aren't too ignorant...we're all new at some point. And thank you all for your input...it's much appreciated! Lori

[holz]

Hi Ms Shreddedshoe,

I will address what I feel comfortable with and allow others to chime in on the rest.

First, one almost cannot go wrong with an overnighter or two in Yosemite. It will be spectacular and there are lots and lots of good trails to be had. Since you said something about TM to LYV. You are right in that the trail will be busy although I think your timing (Sept) should help a great deal. If you go to the Yosemite National Park website, you can look up all the details on getting a permit and the such. You will also notice that the whole summer through late August. Yeah, very popular trail.

I too am not so fond of heights and really don't intend to do Half Dome anytime soon, but hadn't heard that Clouds Rest was as bad. I will defer that question to the Bill's and Dan's that will certainly chime in soon.

I personally think you will be fine travelling solo in the national parks here and especially on the trail you have selected. There will be plenty of folks around and during my trips in Yosemite, I have run into solo females a couple of times so I think it will be fine, but again, will defer to the true experts. Honestly, I have never run into anyone in the back country that would give me pause, but I'm also not a single female.

Gear is always a problem. I personally prefer to check it assuming there aren't a whole lot of landings/takeoffs. For example, if you are going from LHR --> SFO non-stop, then there is very little chance that your bag will be lost. If you are going GLA --> LHR --> ORD --> SFO --> FAT, then it becomes much more likely. Might be better off to mail it then. When I travel with my gear and check it, I always have a "fall back" plan in case the gear doesn't make it with me. If you allow a day for the gear to catch up, you will probably be fine. You might also consider taking the high value and/or super important (like boots) in your carry-on. Then the worst case is you stop by REI in Fresno and pick up a sleeping bag, tent, etc to rent and still can enjoy your trip. I would imagine trekking poles would be a no, stakes probably not either. I think the stove is ok as long as there is NO SMELL OF FUEL whatsoever. Really clean it up good and it should be ok. All of those items can be checked without a problem. If you do ship, I'd ship your stuff to a hotel where you are going to stay. I hope you aren't planning to get off the plane and drive another few hours right away. You are going to be very tired and the roads are two lane and quite twisty/curvy as you get near the park. Not a good thing for a Brit learning to drive on the correct side of the road.

I have a pocket rocket and it works like a champ. Nowadays I use a Jetboil, but for such a short trip, there is no need to spend the extra cashola. I'd buy what is cheap for one or two nights out as trimming a couple of ounces isn't too horribly important. Also note that you will need to put all your food and anything with a scent (toothpaste, spices, deodorant, etc) into a bear canister. Don't buy one, you can rent one in the park when you get your permit. I think it is $10 or so.

Any other questions? Give me a holler anytime.

[shreddedshoe]

Thanks so much for your input. I'm going to look into shipping my gear...I have a direct flight from Newark to SFO and really, the only things I would check would be the stove, knife, tent, trekking poles, maybe the pad, a few other things I guess, so I would probably be ok, but since I'll have to pay to check the bag both ways anyway...I'll see about shipping it. Thanks for the tip about the REI in Fresno...good to know.

I think I have a pretty good idea of my itinerary...still have some research to do and I have to nail down a couple of overnite options in case I can't get permits for one or other, but I just wanted to put it out there for critique from those in the know.

Thanks! Lori

[bill-e-g]

Hi.

Stove:
I'd go with the MSR. I've had that one for 3 or 4 years now and it's
the one I use. It's not too expensive and then you'll have a stove
that is good year round. btw... you shouldn't use a windscreen
with this stove. (saves you weight too)

Half Dome:
I took a newbie over Clouds with intention of going up HD and then
back out to Sunrise TH via Sunrise HSC.
Well, I didn't find out he was afraid of heights when he started to
panic before Clouds. I was able to easily coax him over Clouds.
Clouds does narrow into sorta knife edge but the width is probably
still a good 20 ft., maybe more, and that is only for maybe 100ft.
(my apologies if you feel diff.).
Ok, anyway, on the way to HD maybe about 1/20th of the way up
the first dome he say's "no way"... didn't even make it to the cables.
So... my conclusion is that Clouds is not bad at all and that probably
even if you make it to the cables you won't want to go up them.

Solo:
I wouldn't worry at all. The wife goes solo every once in awhile and
as you, she only worries about people not wildlife, but has never
felt unsafe. Go and enjoy w/o worries...

Where to go:
OMG. Anywhere IMO. The longer you can stay in the backcountry,
I say, the better. You picked a good one already... but you
can also "see" the valley backpacking on the north or south
trails above the valley.
As I would tell anyone just don't plan >10 miles per day and really
take elevation into account. 10 miles with a pack is too much for
most people...

Anyway, have fun.

[johnstream]

You should consider departing out of the Sunrise Lakes TH (Just south of Tenaya Lake). We were able to hike over Clouds Rest and camp at the junction of the JMT and the Clouds Rest Trail. We hit the summit of Half Dome early the following day and avoided all traffic up and down the cables. We were able to get back to camp in Happy Isles sometime in the afternoon. This was extremely fun and not too terribly difficult.

The view up Tenaya Canyon from the base of Half dome is amazing!! You get a chance to savor the view and to take a look at what you were able to accomplish the day before.

[shreddedshoe]

Hey thanx for the tips! Very helpful.

I think I'm better off staying away from trying to summit HD...I'd be getting myself in a bit too deep I think, but CR I might give a try. And I'll keep the Sunrise Lakes TH in mind...still not sure if I'll do a 1 or 2 niter, but that's a good option.

Thank you again all for the very helpful info...makes me feel confident that I'm on the right track.

Lori

[bill-e-g]

Lori,
If you can I would really recommend you go from Cathedral TH
past Sunrise HSC .. up to Sunrise Lakes then over Clouds Rest
and down down down to Happy Isles.
That's about 22 miles. I think this was your original plan.
It's alot of elevation though. maybe even give yourself 4 days to do it.
There's alot of great views once you get near Upper Cathedral
all the way to Sunrise High Sierra Camp. And you'll also see all
3 Sunrise Lakes... and one of my favorite features in the park,
a true knife edge, Matthes Crest.
With when you are going you'll almost suredly be able to sleep
under the stars sans tent the entire time.
Anyway, again, you can't go wrong just about anywhere you go.
I'm incredibly biased towards hoofing it in the backcountry rather
that swimming with the masses on the valley floor so take
that into consideration in your plans.

[shreddedshoe]

Yes, that was my original plan...and I think I've pretty much decided to go for that route...as long as I can get the permit. I think I apply next month, I have to double check that. And if I can't then I'll try in person. For a newbie to Yos, it just seemed to give me a good variety of scenery...plus it will be my first 'real' wilderness experience, so, although I do like to get a bit off grid whenever I travel I also want to play it a bit safe for this one. Not that I think it's easy, but I get the impression that it's well travelled.

For day hikes I was looking at Eagle Peak/El Capitan, 4 mile-Glacier Pt-Panorama-Nevada-Mist or more likely something up in TM...esp if I don't do a horseback ride up there, then I'll find a hike. I've also read North Dome is a worthwhile hike...among others of course...too many hikes, too little time!