by Phil » Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:46 pm
You might be able to pull off Lyell Canyon in that amount of time, but it's a matter of where you're willing to camp, and then, if you're not used to it, climbing and altitude. I don't know you, so I can't say for sure. That trip report leaves out Cloud's Rest, and that makes a big difference on the time. It's not that it's necessarily a hard trail, but it's not quite as easy and watered down as he makes it sound in terms of effort ( from the description, I could almost swear I could just get in the car and drive it). Don't underestimate the trail or overestimate what you have to give.
We usually like to spend the first night at Ireland Creek, because I like the area, and then do the climb up to Vogelsang the next morning. Ireland Creek is only about 6 miles out from Tuolumne though, so you're short on distance the first day. To effectively get to the next decent camping at Vogelsang, that first day becomes about 12+ miles, and again, don't underestimate the climb and altitude gain. There are some other spots up-trail from Ireland Creek like Ireland Lake and Evelyn Lake, but it's pretty open in both places. We try to avoid Vogelsang and pass-thru to somewhere like Babcock or Bernice Lake anywhere between about 5-3 miles on respectively, so that staying at Ireland Creek again sets us up for an easier second day. Although we could easily push on to Merced Lake ( a big, steep, sometimes painful descent ) and a really crowded backpacker's camp for the night, it really boils down to what's the nicest place to camp, and not pushing through to get somewhere we should be, but don't particularly want to be. That doesn't have to bo the case for you guys, but it's the journey for us. Once you get beyond Merced Lake, you'll enter Echo Valley. There are some scattered sites, but it's going to be marshy and not worth it. From there, you have a choice between going up the trail above Bunnell Cascade to the JMT along Sunrise Creek, then up to the base of Cloud's Rest (water sources are limited), or up Cathedral Fork Creek to the JMT at Sunrise HSC, then on to Sunrise Lakes. It's longer, but I would recommend the latter. Stay that 3rd night at one of the lakes up there. We prefer Upper Sunrise, along the opposite shore from the trail. Second choice is Middle Sunrise. Lower is usually too crowded to bother.
After that, hike up to Cloud's Rest and back down to the junction on the JMT at Sunrise Creek (another big, steep, sometimes painful descent). Either find a site above the trail spur up to Half Dome, or go on down to LYV. I recommend the former- LYV is gross, IMO. The problem is that you guys are probably going to be trashed after Cloud's Rest, regardless of a relatively short distance, and that 4th night is going to be almost a given, or you're more than likely going to come in late and maybe miss the last YARTS shuttle from the Valley back to your car at 5pm and then be stuck at the Valley backpacker's camp until morning anyhow. Seriously, if you're not a backpacker and used to altitudes and lots of climbing with a load on, stay real, it's going to kick your butt. You want to enjoy yourselves, not do a forced death march. Don't screw yourselves into scrounging for whatever lousy campsite you can find because you needed to make those extra few miles to make an already tight schedule. We base our trail placement strategy on where we want to camp and where there's water, and the miles to get there, not so much on where we need to end up to make an over all schedule (we always not only take at least an extra day's food, we add an extra night to our permits, without exception). And by the way, there are LOTS of bears from start to finish where you're going, some very sly and aggressive.
Okay, so Ten Lakes:
It's a climb, but it's not too bad. We usually like to head out cross-country for a few days when we go up that way, but we've done it on-trail in two days from Yosemite Creek to Tuolumne via Glen Aulin. I don't recommend it....we were destroyed. Three days is more reasonable, and each day it'll get you to camp with enough time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the area. Once you drop down into the basin, you'll come to Lake #2. Lots of sites there. You can head left and go to Lake #1 or right to Lake #3. There are a couple nice spots at Lake #3, but 2 and 1 have more and better. That's day 1, night 1. On the second day, go ahead and at least push through to the South Fork Cathedral Creek. I would look for a nice site at the back of the valley in the trees before you begin ascending Tuolumne Peak. Some people might say that going up to the tarns on the other side of the peak is best, but it's usually crowed and there's not much to choose from. There's day 2, night 2. Last day (if you want it to be), head to Glen Aulin and stay the night, check out the falls, or go ahead and exit back in Tuolumne Meadows and either stay the night at the backpacker's camp or try to catch the shuttle back to the trailhead and your car. ***A note about day 3: Once you're up and over Tuolumne Peak, you can move fast the rest of the way (2.5-3 mph easy). If you don't want to stay at Glen Aulin that 3rd night, you can find some sites along the May Lake trail (the one you're on), most notably, where the trail again crosses Cathedral Creek. It's more "wilderness" than the backpacker's camp at GA, and you'll still be in pretty good position to get back to Tuolumne and your car via shuttle before the end of that 4th day (staying on schedule).*** Your total distance is about 22-23 miles from the trailhead to Glen Aulin, then about another 6 back to Tuolumne, and while you'll do some fairly serious climbing and descending, your time out and daily mileage requirements are within what you're looking for. Piece of cake.
And if you don't already have one, get a good topo map so you guys can check out the details of the routes before you reserve your permit!! And bring lots of bug spray, no matter which you decide on.