Inquiries about Yosemite Trip

[BonoboGirl]

2 of my friends and I are planning a first time backpacking trip to Yosemite and I was wondering if this sounds like a legit trip? I also can't find a very good Yosemite map with trail names on it, does anyone know where I could download a very detailed map other than the one on Yosemite's website?

Day 1: Hike from Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley
Day 2: Day hike to Half Dome and back
Day 3: Hike past Illiluoette Falls to Glacier Point.
Day 4: Sentinel Dome loop
Day 5: Hike 4-mile trail back to road.

I appologize for not having official names for the trails ... we are also wondering about permits? Are there decent places to camp off the trail or do you need to camp in a designated area? Thanks so much!

[AlmostThere]

When are you going?

I would go in the opposite direction - four mile trail to Glacier Point and out to Sentinel. Back up the Pohono trail to Ilillouette. Hike out the Panorama Trail to LYV and camp in the designated area - you cannot camp anywhere else along this section of trail (JMT/Mist trail to Half Dome) unless you go two miles past the Half Dome intersection on the JMT headed for Clouds Rest, or headed out toward Merced Lake. From LYV you go to Half Dome (8 mile round trip) and either camp a second night at LYV or hike down to Happy Isles and back to your car via the JMT or Mist Trail (Mist has a zillion steps, JMT is switchbacks).

Why? Because you will be far more likely to get a permit. Everyone else will be trying to get Happy Isles to LYV - reservations are booked for six months out. You can camp along the Pohono trail easily enough, there are a couple of good water sources like Sentinel Creek. Alternate trailheads departing from Glacier Point road would be Mono Meadow or the Panorama/Ilillouette itself. You could take the twenty dollar tour bus to Glacier Point and hike back to your car.

You can download topo map pdfs from USGS website - http://store.locator.gov
Click on Map Locator in the left column, type Half Dome in the search field, and you have the quad with Half dome plus surrounding quads as you find necessary. I usually crop into 8x11 sections and print.

Otherwise, you can buy good topo maps from stores like REI or from the USGS store online.

[bill-e-g]

Jessica,
Buy the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map of Yosemite (#206).
That will show you where you can legally camp. If you stay out of
the purple areas you are on the up and up.
Technically you cannot camp anywhere near GP or Sentinel. You
are suppose to be almost o Bridalveil Creek.
You have picked THE most popular trails. And I wouldn't suggest
4 mile for a FIRST time.
Unless you HAVE to do half dome go and pick something else.
Maybe do something easy. Go to May Lake. Maybe try to climb
Mt. Hoffman. Go down to Glen Aulin. Hike up to Tuolumne Peak.
(ok, Hoffman and Tuolumne are 'off-trail')... but I guess my point
is... maybe pick something a little less crowded and a little easier
both in difficulty and in terms of permits.
Getting a permit for Valley trails typically is a pain in the rump
in the summer unless you start mid-week and pick something
besides LYV.

Good Luck

[AlmostThere]

Maybe we should clarify whether it's the first time backpacking or the first time doing it in Yosemite? Not sure why I read it the second way.... But further consideration of the lack of knowledge of where to get topo maps leads me to suspect the first as well, now.

I think perhaps I need to sleep before posting.

[bill-e-g]

No worries. Maybe I didn't give them enough credit actually.
What you said is a very very nice trip.

I guess I myself was just going by seeing so many people
around the valley trails who are first-timers. Just recently we
led 4 Does (they borrowed gear)... up Yosemite Creek over
two creek crossing and then xcountry to Tioga Rd. to avoid roaring
Yosemite Creek in the afternoon at full force.
I told them about 3 times there were a number of ways out to the
road where they could hitchhike back to their car. Explained them
all, showed them 'em on the map... but they were still a little
confused. Anyway, I give them alot of credit ...
very smart girls actually.

So... I guess we need more info...

[travelster]

First off, you will need a wilderness permit which are hard to come by, but... Lots of people like to backpack all or some of the high country wilderness camps. A great book to pick up is called Hiking Yosemite National park. I hope this helped. I go to Yosemite. Awesome.

[tm]

My son and I started at Happy Isles 2 years ago. Our flight in was delayed (didn't get to the park until 9:30pm) and we lost our reserved permits. We woke up early 3:00am and waited in line at the wilderness center. We were 3rd in line and landed new permits the next morning. The key - get in line before everyone else.

Happy Isles is a good trail head except for huge crowds. The hike up to LYV was tougher than I expected. Just be prepared.

Also If you get the chance do Clouds Rest. In my opinion the view was 100 times better that Half Dome and you get to look down on Half Dome. But everyone has to do Half dome at least once in a lifetime.

Have fun.