Hello all,
We are planning on a 4 night / 5 day backpacking trip within Yosemite. Our wilderness pass starts on June 23rd (from Rafferty Creek trailhead). We have a proposed itinerary that we are looking for any feedback / suggestions.
Here are the things we are looking to accomplish on a trip to give you a sense of what we are looking for to see if our itinerary will meet these goals.
1) Stunning scenery for photography
2) Some isolation - I recognize we won't be completely isolated, but we would at least like to feel like we are "out there" a bit and not overcrowded. Ideally we can take photos of a great scene without people in the shots (I'm hoping for at least that much isolation)
3) Lakes (a chance to visit a few beautiful lake areas like I see in people's photos) - waterfalls flowing would be a plus (we will have a day to explore the Valley before heading up for our wilderness pass / trail)
4) Summit half dome (weather permitting, this is an important goal to us) - we have secured permits already
5) An agenda that is not too aggressive. We are all in shape, but don't want to be pushing for extra miles at the expense of having a little leisure time throughout the hike / camping.
Based on those goals, here is what we came up with:
- June 23, 2016 - Leave Rafferty Creek trailhead at sunrise (wilderness pass already secured)
- Day / night 1 - goal to make it to Vogelsang lake and find a great wilderness camping area with some seclusion and nice views (suggestions welcome)
- Day / night 2 - goal to make it around Merced lake area (doesn't have to be that exact stopping point) - same camping goals as above (suggestions welcome)
- Day / night 3 - goal to make it to Sunrise lakes - same camping goals as above (suggestions welcome)
- Day / night 4 - summit Clouds Rest and find a campsite somewhere near Half Dome
- Day 5 - summit Half Dome in the morning - hike out through LYV and exit Happy Isles
With those goals and itinerary in mind, here are our questions:
1) Is this a good itinerary that would meet our objectives? (we have the wilderness pass for Rafferty Creek, but could possibly change this if anyone has a different suggestion that would better meet our objectives)
2) Anything you would change / do different (we are very open to suggestions)?
3) Are our daily goals reasonable to account for some leisure or are they too aggressive or conservative? Would you change anything to go either further or shorter on certain days to get a better experience?
4) With a date of June 23, 2016 do you have any concerns about this itinerary as it relates to water levels (crossings, soggy trails), snow, mosquitos, etc? The June 23rd date is preferred, but if people feel we would be better making changes to our trailhead / dates to best accomplish our goals, we are willing to change.
Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Paul