2 day backpacking

[swilliams23]

My friend and I are embarking on a 2 day backpacking trip and I need some advice. We will arrive around 3pm on Saturday and need to leave Monday night. Permits are available for the following trailheads:

Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley
Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced
Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley
Cathedral Lakes
Lyell Canyon
Rafferty Creek to Vogelsong

Which trailhead would you recommend? I know some of these are fairly short so I was also wondering the logistics of doing two. I'm not sure how transportation would work out. Any recommendations?

[swilliams23]

Also, I don't want to hike with a ton of loud annoying people.. so I'm assuming the LYV hikes are out on that.

[Dave Miller]

You have some good options there. Little Yosemite Valley is definitely out if you don't want to deal with people.

I just returned from a day hike to Cathedral Lakes and really loved Upper Cathedral Lake. There are a number of camp areas around the lake. The spires of Cathedral Peak are magnificent and probably more so in morning and evening light. No campfires are allowed up that high.

Lyell Canyon is great too, it is fairly flat the whole way and there are some nice camp areas near the Ireland Creek trail and beyond.

Vogelsang is another great option, but if you are there when the High Sierra camp is active, it would be too crowded for my tastes. I was there last year after the camp closed and really enjoyed camping near Fletcher Lake. No campfires allowed there also.

I haven't been to Sunrise, so I can't really comment. I have heard that the Sunrise Lakes are special.

Don't know when you are planning on going, but if is soon, you could be affected by the road closures from the fire.

You got some good choices. Good Luck!

[swilliams23]

So I just realized that I looked at the availability wrong.. those were the trailheads that weren't available. The only options are:

Budd Creek (Cross Country only) What does this mean?

Glacier Point to Illilouette

Mono Meadow

Ostrander (Lost Bear Meadow)

Yosemite Creek Campground


So my questions are:

1) If we are camping two nights and we get the Glacier Point to Illilouette permit, does this mean we have to stay along that trailhead both nights?

2) What does cross country only mean?

[AlmostThere]

1) if you get Glacier Point to Illiouette, you will be expected to hike four miles, camp in Illilouette drainage somewhere, then hike to Little Yosemite Valley or beyond to camp again. This will take you along the Panorama trail, connect to JMT right before Nevada Falls, and from there the trail goes to Happy Isles or to points north of Nevada Falls, ie Half Dome, Clouds Rest, etc. You cannot camp between Illilouette and LYV.

2) cross country means there is no trail - you must navigate your own path. This is not really something I'd recommend.

Of the trailheads you have available, I suggest Ostrander Lake. I just finished another three days at Ostrander - camped both nights at the lake, dayhiked to the top of the ridge and explored over to Hart Lake. I caught three good sized brook trout. The nights were quiet and peaceful. The smoke from the fires doesn't travel up there - we were originally intending to do Cathedral Lakes to Happy Isles, but the roads were closed and we did Ostrander instead.

[swilliams23]

Thanks for your help! We were able to get permits to Ostrander last minutes so I will be spending my Labor Day in the area. I'm now planning a return trip later in the month and have more options