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[Yosemite]

Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jun 08, 2016 8:11 am

There is a signed trailhead for Murphy Creek, and a signed trailhead for Sunrise. That trail does not exist.

I would just cross the road on the trail system and head up to May Lake, which while it is crowded being a HSC is worth seeing.

The permit tells you the entry point - they are a little less anxious about the exit, as it's the quota on the entry, not the exit trailhead or day (unless we're talking about Donahue Pass, which is not at all an issue here...). If you are leaving an itinerary with someone (which everyone SHOULD do, but few actually do) you can tell them "I may take an extra day to go to May Lake and climb Mt Hoffmann" and it will not trigger a search for you to be late. It also would not be out of bounds to, when you pick up the permit, say "I would like to exit on X" - they will change that without hesitation. they do not care if you exit a day early, either. If you leave a car sitting for a week past your exit date, they would search for you.

reconn.org -- don't go backpacking without it.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby Phil » Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:19 am

It does exist, but not as an official entry or exit trailhead. But then again, so do hundreds of other trails and "shortcuts" in that area. Shows up on some maps, but not on others, including the Yosemite wilderness trailheads map https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdf, which is what we'll go ahead and use as a default. If it was legitimate, as AT says, it would be shown, numbered and signed, but it's not. We're just trying to keep you out of trouble. Whatever you need to do though. Sadly, that's the way it usually works anyhow. This is your thread, meant to help you specifically, but thousands of people read these words of advice, and we would all suffer if every one of them did whatever they thought justifiable for their own purposes. Rules be damned, let's all go cut some switchbacks.

I have no doubt that you want to do what's right, are simply asking about what looked obvious on a map, and have no intentions designed to skirt the rules in any way whatsoever. Proceed accordingly.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:25 am

It's not on my Harrison maps. Neither are the 1,000,000 climber's trails that wander around that area.... Neither is the trail to Sierra Point, or the trail to Ribbon Falls, nor are the fisherman's trails around the various lakes. I would presume that when one says trail here, that one is referring to actual maintained trail instead of any of those things.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby YoseWeerjin » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:32 am

Well, what's one more beautiful lake (May) to camp next to? SOLD! :D

Thank you much.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby Phil » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:33 am

It's not on my Tom Harrison's either, but it is on a couple online maps and the Nat Geo 1:40,000, as well as on the ground. I can see why it can be confusing, but I agree totally, it doesn't make it right. If the map makers are going to include every trail that everyone ever cut, topo lines would be worthless, non-wilderness areas could be shown as nothing but a continuous series of dashed lines, and then we can all send Tom recommendations for new editions that include the best places to pull over and pee or where it's okay to stop in the middle of the road to take pictures of bears and deer.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby Phil » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:35 am

YoseWeerjin wrote:Well, what's one more beautiful lake (May) to camp next to? SOLD! :D

Thank you much.


No, Thank you! A little more trail for your hiking pleasure.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby AlmostThere » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:51 am

Well, the thing is -- Nat Geo just gets those old USGS quadrants and slaps on some purple ink showing where they think the trails are. EVERYONE gets the USGS quadrants and does the same. But unlike NatGeo and everyone else, Tom Harrison goes out there (or one of his folks does) every so often, and actually walks the trails, sometimes with the "wheel" that will measure the actual length of them.

For example -- the only map in existence that shows the three alternate trails at the Willow Meadow trailhead in Dinkey WIlderness is Harrison's. All the other show the old route with the two unnecessary creek crossings. It's because he went there and looked. The three trails are all quite well established. In that case he bowed to the majority ruling -- there are an equal percentage of hikers that like each of the routes, so they are all well traveled.

THe USGS doesn't update as often as Harrison does -- you'll be lucky not to have a 50 year old map. And trails can vanish in a forest fire. NatGeo mileages are sometimes so stupidly wrong it's laughable -- I have a few of them and use them only to eyeball the overall route. For actual map and compass navigation, I print 1:24000 scaled maps. For accurate trail route info, I go to Harrison.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby MadDiver » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:52 am

YoseWeerjin wrote:
And MadDiver, if that's the type of campsite we have to look forward to at CR, count us IN! Nice. Just out of curiosity, weren't you the least bit concerned that your food keg might go rolling down the canyon? :shock:


Yes, I was a touch concerned but that area is actually quite large and you can place the can a good distance away from the edge and on the far side of a downed tree or rock to prevent flying lessons :mrgreen:

I was asked to update the map for another person yesterday and I'll share it with you also. The "X" is roughly where I camped.

Have fun!

Image
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby Justin-T » Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:36 am

Just wanted to add that I camped with my son in the same spot as MadDiver is showing, last year. It was close enough to the top that we pitched our tent and went up to the top of CR again (20 mins max) to catch the sunset with just daypacks. Nobody else up there for the 90 minutes we were up there, the absolute highlight of our entire trip... Its partially wooded, but the views out over Tenaya Canyon were pretty impressive and you are invisible from the trail.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby mebgardner » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:40 pm

MadDiver wrote:
YoseWeerjin wrote:
And MadDiver, if that's the type of campsite we have to look forward to at CR, count us IN! Nice. Just out of curiosity, weren't you the least bit concerned that your food keg might go rolling down the canyon? :shock:


Yes, I was a touch concerned but that area is actually quite large and you can place the can a good distance away from the edge and on the far side of a downed tree or rock to prevent flying lessons :mrgreen:

I was asked to update the map for another person yesterday and I'll share it with you also. The "X" is roughly where I camped.

Have fun!



I have a question about using the "alternate" trail route from CR down to LYV, via the trail thru the "burn" area, shown on the map above.

I see at least three stream crossings associated with that route, but no words describing them. Can anyone describe these stream crossings?

I think I remember previous thread info describing the route as suitable for kids with packs, so I think I'm assuming, based on that, that they're "easy" crossings. But, they're water crossings, so I figured it best to ask.

Thanks...
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby MadDiver » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:45 pm

The stream the trail follows can be stepped/hopped over. Sunrise Creek has some stepping stones if I recall correctly (I didn't get wet at all) but even if not it's a "lazy forest" stream at that location, you'll get your feet/knees wet at worst. In anything other that a torrential downpour (and maybe not even then) I'd say it's very safe and nothing to worry about. Not sure what the third one you see is unless it's the last water creek which is very easy too. Or did you mean further down the JMT?
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby Phil » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:51 pm

Wet boots and ankles if you're not creative enough or prone to bouts of the vapors when hopping more than a few feet from rock to rock. :)
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby mebgardner » Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:21 am

Phil wrote:Wet boots and ankles if you're not creative enough or prone to bouts of the vapors when hopping more than a few feet from rock to rock. :)


Ha! You're a riot! "Bouts of the vapors..."!!. Hahaha.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby mebgardner » Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:22 am

MadDiver wrote:The stream the trail follows can be stepped/hopped over. Sunrise Creek has some stepping stones if I recall correctly (I didn't get wet at all) but even if not it's a "lazy forest" stream at that location, you'll get your feet/knees wet at worst. In anything other that a torrential downpour (and maybe not even then) I'd say it's very safe and nothing to worry about. Not sure what the third one you see is unless it's the last water creek which is very easy too. Or did you mean further down the JMT?


Yeah, further down, off the maps shown above. But, I get it, I'm good.
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Re: Questions/Suggestions-Virgin Yosemite Hiker

Postby YoseWeerjin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 1:39 pm

Now for everyone's favorite topic...POO!

I bogarted an idea for a way to carry all the used TP by carrying a ziploc within a bigger ziploc (with some powdered bleach to mask the smell). I'm wondering, though, how everyone stores it while at camp...in the tent? ...in the vestibule? ...placed in a paper bag and lit on fire in front of Yogi's den?

Any thoughts?
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