Yosemite Forum

I'm looking for a 3 day route in early Oct. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Here's our wish list:
1. 6 to 9 mi/day 2. campsites< 9600' so that we can have a fire 3. no high elevation passes

Also, we have already done a lot of stuff in these areas so nothing here - North rim (el cap, yose fall, north dome) half dome and clouds rest ares, merced lake, all of the Buena Vista area, GCT and hetch hetchy.

I was thinking about ten lakes area?

It doens't have to be a loop. Out and back is ok. No shuttles only one car.

Thanks.

Ten Lakes has a nice 9,000 foot pass with great views of the mountains beyond. The lower lakes are below the no campfire line, but the trail beyond it heading out to May Lake will feature more passes.

Pretty much everything off Tioga is going to involve elevation. You could go out Lyell Canyon - fishing isn't half bad - then go out to Vogelsang and back out, or make it a long loop through Merced and back up through Sunrise.

AlmostThere wrote:Ten Lakes has a nice 9,000 foot pass ...
... You could go out Lyell Canyon - fishing isn't half bad - then go out to Vogelsang and back out, or make it a long loop through Merced and back up through Sunrise.

We were considering both of these routes for our late September trek, and though we have reservations for a Lyell Canyon entry, we would hope (irrational?) for the chance to revise as weather conditions become more predictable - and be able to choose Ten Lakes.
Thanks for the reminder that fires are allowed below 9,300 - makes Ten Lakes more appealing. Other option we considered was May Lake.
AND - the original poster said he wasn't planning more than 9 miles a day - so a Merced Lake-Cathedral Pass route - about 40 miles - would be crazy for a three-day stroll.

I had ruled out Hetch Hetchy but on second thought Lake Vernon looks like a good option for early Oct.

Does anyone know if there is a water source between the HH trailhead and Vernon?

mikecain3 wrote:I had ruled out Hetch Hetchy but on second thought Lake Vernon looks like a good option for early Oct.

Does anyone know if there is a water source between the HH trailhead and Vernon?

Hetch Hetchy, for a while. There's a creek near the trail about midway, not sure about its status in fall - I tend to visit this area in spring.

You will cross a "creek" that runs year-round about 1/4 mile after
you finish the switchbacks and continue north after the Eleanor
Rd. Trail Junction.
Beehive has a spring which is also year-round.
After Beehive that's it until Vernon late in the year.

Also be aware that during October the black flys can be rampant
at lower elevations. I tend to bring a mosquito net and
Buff with me. IMO they are much worse than mosquitos.
They will buzz into your eyes and bug the crapola out of you
when you are walking. Once you stop... they leave u alone.
Just the opposite of mosquitos.
Be prepared for them if you are hiking up out of about 4K elevation.
(Yose Valley, Wawona, HH)
Luckily they go away after you gain elevation...

Great advice bill. I had forgotten how bad those flies are. I had to deal with those before at halfmoon meadow on the way into ten lakes. That creek in question runs year round? I had always assumed it went dry late season, but i've never gone that way later than July.

To the original poster, I don't think you will be dissapointed in either ten lakes or lake Vernon. There's good dayhikes off of both places.

oakroscoe wrote:That creek in question runs year round? I had always assumed it went dry late season, but i've never gone that way later than July.

The "creek" comes from a spring. You walk right over it.
It's there year-round. It's not the same "creek" as the stream
which you will hear earlier in the year that runs east of the trail.

Great info, good to know. Thanks for the heads up Bill.

I will confirm that the spring at Beehive is year round though, that much I do know.

As for water into Ten Lakes, there is a very small creek after Halfmoon Meadow, but that one I am sure will be dry by October. However, there is a year round spring that I haven't seen on any map just slightly off the trail on your right hand side slightly more than 1/4 mile out from Halfmoon Meadow just before the trail starts curving. If you walk quietly or stop and listen you can hear it gurgling from the trail, that's how I found it.