Phil wrote:Sounds about right.
After descending Half Dome, go left on the JMT until you get to the trail junction up to Cloud's Rest. Look for a site to camp in that general area. Lot's of bears!
The ascent to Cloud's Rest from where you're camped is about 2700 feet, and steep. Depending on how you're feeling, Cathedral Lakes might be a little overly ambitious. Instead, try to shoot for camping at one of the Sunrise Lakes. Get an early start, and from there head through the Sunrise High Sierra Camp back to the JMT and maybe think about having lunch at Upper Cathedral Lake. You may want to go ahead and exit down in Tuolumne Meadows (there's not much to shop for), but depending on the time of day, you may also want to go ahead and spend the night at the Lake and take that last 3.6 miles down first thing in the morning, then head up toward Vogelsang via Lyell. ***A note here*** Once you've gotten to Tuolumne Meadows on the JMT, you've technically left the wilderness, and a new permit is going to be required. Address the "pass-thru" with the ranger when you pick up your original permit.
If you want a campsite prior to heading up to Vogelsang, once you get to the trail junction from the PCT up to Vogelsang, start looking off to the left of the trail around the bottom of Ireland Creek. You'll find better sites than for at least several more miles of uphill, better water, you can build a fire if that's your thing, and you might be ready for a bit of a break at that point, too. Besides being a nice area to camp, it's also a good strategic call if you're planning to push through Vogelsang on to Merced Lake the next day, because it breaks the distances down pretty well.
Once you get to Merced Lake, if you're exhausted, stay at the backpacker's camp there. Camping is restricted around the High Sierra Camp, and once you get past it, desirable campsites beyond that point are harder to come by through Echo Valley and down most of the Upper Merced River. If you want to hike-through to the Valley that same day, it's doable. If you want to stay at LYV (not Recommended by me!), you can do that, too. You will also face restrictions around LYV, and there's really not much to choose from anyhow. Instead of Merced Lake, LYV, or much in between, there are some really nice sites around Bunnell Cascade (cross the bridge, head uphill right). From there, you avoid the more crowded areas around Merced and LYV, and from what I understand of your abilities, you're also in a good place to get down to Yosemite Valley fairly easily by day's end.
Hope that helps. If you need more details, ask.
Hi Phil,
I think the trail revised as per your massage should fit, I like it.
I have some technical questions:
1) car: are parking at trailheads safe? I would leave my rent car there for 1 week, with the extra baggage we do not use while hiking inside it..... Do you believe that a storage (if exists) is better? Shall we ask at our accommodation?
2) food: in order to save weight in my pack I had planned to buy some food at half way (Tuloumne Meadows) is there any chances or I misunderstood there are shops there?
3) .............. .permit. .................: I checked the forms, noted the time to submit it etc. but I have some doubts about "options". Do you think is better to propose 3 totally different loops or do I change the trail head and modifiy the itinerary slightly? Regarding lottery: is there the chance that, even submitting 6 months in advance, I do not get any permit?
I think that's all for the moment!
Thanks and ciao!