I am looking for some suggestions and advice.
I will arrive in the Yosemite Valley on Monday, August 15 at around noon. (I might be able to get there a day earlier on the 14th, which would change things a bit)
I have a reservation for a canvas cabin in the formerly named Curry Village for that night.
I will need to get a walk-up backcountry permit to do a 2-4 night backpack with my 22 year old daughter. We are both experienced hikers/backpackers.
We will need to leave Yosemite early on August 20th. My daughter has a 2:30 pm flight out of San Francisco.
I have been to Yosemite once before, in late July few years back, camping at Tuolome meadows and doing epic day hikes and a short solo backpack from there.
I am a little afraid of how crowded it will be at this time in August and I want to make sure all the logistics work out with our limited time frame. I will have a car.
Ideally, my schedule would look something like this:
(there is also the chance that I could arrive on Sunday, 8/14 … which would be excellent)
Monday, 8/15: arrive at noon, go on afternoon hikes from the valley, talk with permitting rangers to see what will work. (stay the night in the valley cabins)
Tuesday, 8/16: get permit to start the next day, 8/17, do more acclimatizing hikes, stage/prep for our backpack and sleep at backpacker campground that is near/convenient to our trailhead.
OR
Tuesday, 8/16: get permit early, and leave to start backpack hike that morning, on Tuesday
Wednesday, 8/17: start hike
Thursday, 8/18: hike
Friday, 9/19: hike out >> spend night in backpacker campground
Saturday, 9/20: leave early for SFO.
Which backpack hikes should I consider? I guess I am looking for a great hike that will likely have good walk up permit possibility. Probably in the 24-30 mile range. Here are some that I have in mind:
1) Balzcom’s recommendation for the Illilouette Canyon to Ottaway Lakes from the Mono Meadow trailhead looks like a winner
2) Ten Lakes Basin looks like a good possibility -- will it be very crowded?
3) One of the High Sierra camp loops -- very crowded ??…
4) making it to Boundary Lake? I can’t see how to get there on the map I have …
5) Rafferty Trail down to Merced Lake, over and up to the John Muir and then back to Tuolome … what would that be like?
5) Buena Vista Loop?
6) others??
Don’t want to be tooo hot. Would love to not have to carry too much water between springs/creeks/lakes.
Where to pick up permits? When? For walk-ups >> do all permitting ranger stations handle permits for all the trailheads? When does one get in line for permits?
What am I not thinking of or forgetting?
Thanks in advance.
Best,
Reed T.