Between two trips

[mdewey12]

Hello again!

In terms of what makes the most sense with elevation, which trip looks to be the best?

Tuolumne - > Lyell -> Vogelsang ->Merced -> LYV -> Sunrise (via clouds rest) -> Tuolumne

Or the reverse?

I am also thinking about through hiking Tuolumne, Sunrise, Cloudsrest to Sunrise again, Merced, LYV.

Or, if there is a larger resource that I could utilize that would be awesome. Having difficulty finding my answers =/

Thanks!

[balzaccom]

That's a pretty standard loop you are describing, and you'll have plenty of company on that hike. You'll also see some great parts of Yosemite. Is there a better direction? For some reason I favor a clockwise loop...not sure why. But it would leave the best view, from Cloud's Rest, for near the end of the trip.

There are lots of great hikes in Yosemite. We have about twenty in the destinations section of our website. (see my signature line) . If you want to see fewer people, just about any other hike in Yosemite will meet that goal. And if you are comfortable with a bit of cross-country navigation, there are versions of your route that will be far less crowded as well...

Let us know what other questions you have...

[Phil]

I would go with the first route, with the exception of LYV. Instead, after you leave Merced Lake, either head up from Echo Valley along Cathedral Creek and come out a short distance from Sunrise High Sierra Camp, then go up and over to camp at Upper Sunrise Lake (on the opposite shore from the trail) , then on to Cloud's Rest, then camp near the trail junction on the JMT above LYV when you descend from there, before you exit at Happy Isles. Truth be told, I find LYV foul...not much more than a glorified Valley campground that just happens to require carrying your gear to.

The other alternative is to go from Merced Lake, again via Echo Valley, and instead of following the river down, pick up the 3.1 mile trail above Bunnell Cascade, You'll hit the JMT at Sunrise Creek where you'll find some of the nicer campsites on the route, not to mention, a few less people if you're mid-week. If you then go back toward Tuolumne (northeast) a short distance, you'll find a trail directly up to Cloud's Rest, bypassing Sunrise Lakes. As above, descend and hit the JMT a little further along and find a site that keeps you above LYV. Just for the sake of mentioning it, all the areas you're planning as your route have a serious bear population, so be vigilant with your food storage if you enjoy eating.

Aside from a good map (Tom Harrison 1:63,360 "Yosemite High Country"), this is probably the greatest single source for relevant and insightful information from people that actually know the park and the finer nuances of exploring it.