Yosemite Forum

For those who backpack Yosemite regularly what are your favorite trails and why? Thanks Gary

Here's a few off the top of my head, mainly for the spectacular sights (not necessarily for isolation and get-away-from-it all :-):

* Heading DOWN the Snow Creek Trail. You get an unusual in-your-face view of the face of Half Dome.
*Heading DOWN the west slope of Clouds Rest--another close view of Half Dome and a view of Yosemite Valley.
* Top of Yosemite Creek. Crowded mid-day but thins out in morning and evening--I've camped there. Terrific views of the Upper Falls from the overlook just west of the falls.
* Little Yosemite Valley. Mist Trail is fun (although crowded midday). Above LYV backpackers campground lots of domes and rocks along the way.
* Lyell Fork of Tuolumne. Classic High Sierra with a braided stream and lakelets. Views behind you to the north.

My favorite trail (and please respond to "what is your favorite place" post)
is currently Jack Main Canyon from Golden Staircase to Wilma Lake.
Why?
- It's hard to get to so you can get solitude
- There are alot of lakes you can explore from there off-trail
- It's just soooo beautiful
- It's not on the PCT
- It's not on the High Sierra Camp Loop
- It has waterfalls and meadows and ponds .... (It's Falls Creek)
- It's a Canyon

bill-e-g wrote:My favorite trail (and please respond to "what is your favorite place" post)
is currently Jack Main Canyon from Golden Staircase to Wilma Lake.
Why?
- It's hard to get to so you can get solitude
- There are alot of lakes you can explore from there off-trail
- It's just soooo beautiful
- It's not on the PCT
- It's not on the High Sierra Camp Loop
- It has waterfalls and meadows and ponds .... (It's Falls Creek)
- It's a Canyon

I will have to look into this place thats the kind of hiking I like myself.
Solitude! One trail I like is the Glen Aulin trail in Yosemtie in Mono Meadows, it's great early in the year with all that water going down the river it also has numerous water falls and (water wheel) what a spectacular site that is.

Hey Bill--have you been up Kibbie Lake trail, and then cross-countried over to the Boundary Lake/Little bear/Spotted Fawn area? How tough is the terrain? We're looking at a short trip for the week after Memorial Day...and that might be an option...

We talked a little bit about Boundary, etc. in this thread:

http://www.yosemite.ca.us/forum/viewtop ... ight=#1443

I've been to all of the lakes up in that area except Spotted Fawn.
The cross country in that area is not terribly difficult but you can
get into some major bush wacking if you don't go the "right" way.
Case in point... try hiking around Kibbie Lake...

Again, I would recommend to stick to the trail mainly... xcountry to
Mercur, xcountry to Many Island... take the trail to Boundary and
Little Bear... hike up Mercur Peak. There is plenty to explore without
having to go off trail... esp. if you haven't been there before.

I'd expect snow around Sachse until Memorial Day.

If you go up near Mercur Peak you will see Lord Meadow and
a bunch of Cherry Creek Canyon. Granite, granite everywhere.
Really pretty.

Be forewarned that the area by Styx can really get wet... so it is
possible you could be stimied there or have to hike thru some
serious water early in the year.

If I should happen to go in there soon I'll post something to
tell you how it was.

If you want some routes I can probably send you something.