Southern Yosemite trips

[hiker97]

I'd love to get some feedback on southern Yosemite trips. I've been doing some research and am interested in destinations either up Illilouette Creek or from trailheads starting outside of Yosemite such as Granite Creek or Chiquito (i.e. out and back). While my ideal trek might be a great 7-8 day loop sampling everything throughout the Clark Range, I'm limited to 4 days and probably 32-36 miles maximum for the trip. Do folks have some favorite destinations in this part of the park? i.e. Cora Lakes, Isberg Pass/Lakes, Chain Lakes, Rutherford, Ottoway, etc. I'm also curious as to how you rate these trips as compared to the trips off Tioga Road which I know very well. Thanks in advance for your input!

[AlmostThere]

I'd love to get some feedback on southern Yosemite trips. I've been doing some research and am interested in destinations either up Illilouette Creek or from trailheads starting outside of Yosemite such as Granite Creek or Chiquito (i.e. out and back). While my ideal trek might be a great 7-8 day loop sampling everything throughout the Clark Range, I'm limited to 4 days and probably 32-36 miles maximum for the trip. Do folks have some favorite destinations in this part of the park? i.e. Cora Lakes, Isberg Pass/Lakes, Chain Lakes, Rutherford, Ottoway, etc. I'm also curious as to how you rate these trips as compared to the trips off Tioga Road which I know very well. Thanks in advance for your input!

Cora and Isberg are in Ansel Adams Wilderness, which isn't part of the park. But it's a nice destination nonetheless... as you approach Ritter Range you can see the backsides of the Minarets. Some nice destinations out there. I believe you can reach Mammoth in two or three days from one of the trailheads. Chiquito trailhead is kind of a waste of time, Chiquito Lake is a bog - you can cut off a few miles of uphill through woods by starting at Quartz Mountain. Chain lakes is beautiful and a nice overnight destination. You can continue on to Buena Vista, Chilnualna and eventually Ostrander Lake from there. You're not going to get a ton of views at every turn of the trail and I've heard that some folks have had difficulty finding the trail in some portions of the loop, but that only adds to the quiet and lack of tourist travel.

Going up Illilouette Creek from where? Mono Meadow or Glacier Point?

[balzaccom]

We loved this hike from Mono Meadows to Ottoway Lakes... I agree that some of the other trails don't quite have the "vistas" that you get in other parts of the park, but this one is a winner! Here's an excerpt from a trail report on this area....it's from a website I am creating about backpacking in the sierra.

YOSEMITE: Illilouette Canyon to Ottaway Lakes:

Have you always wanted to take a nice trip off to a distant lake, nestled amid granite peaks, where you will find solitude, stunning beauty and great fishing? This trip is one to consider. We like doing it from the Mono Meadow trail head, for a couple of reasons: it's easier to get a permit for Mono Meadows, and it actually saves you about a mile on the trail in each direction. Plus you avoid the crowds and traffic of Glacier Point.
The trail leads down to Mono Meadows in a steep mile, then continues a less steep descent, crossing the Buena Vista trail into the Illilouette Canyon. From here it is a long gentle ascent up the canyon, through an area that burned about ten years ago, with some nice views of Mt. Starr King and the Clark Range. Once the trail wends its way back to the creek, there are lots of good campsites. Upper Merced Pass Lake is lovely, and the the final climb up to Lower Ottaway Lake is wonderful, with trees growing straight out of solid granite slabs. The photo shows Lower Ottaway Lake at sunset. And you can probably see fish rising...there were so many that it was hard to take the photo and get a clear reflection in the water. A note: this is above the fire limit, so no campfires are allowed. Which hasn't prevented some people from building fires. But it should.

You can have even more fun by following this trail up and over Red Peak Pass, and down the LIttle Yosemite Valley back to Happy Isles (or across the Panaroma Trail and back to Glacier Point.) But you will run into a lot more people there!


And here's a link to the website itself: comments, corrections, or criticism is warmly encouraged!

http://www.backpackthesierra.com/home

[SteveH]

Great website much Mahalo

/r
SteveH

[hiker97]

Nice web site and helpful replies! What's that road like going up to the Quartz Mountain trailhead? I'm familiar with the roads going up to Fresno Dome and can kind of picture what this would be like as well. Thanks for the heads-up on the bog area...I'm one to avoid mosquito-infested areas whenever possible.

For the Mono Meadow trailhead to Ottoway Lakes, that looks like about 15 miles each way - is there a good halfway point for camping, perhaps along the creek area, assuming we took 2 days to hike up to the lakes?

[balzaccom]

Yep--nice camping spots along the creek. And there are tons of small trout there as well...


WE did this trip as a four-day trip, although you could probably hike out on the last day from Ottoway...it's fifteen miles, but only the last couple are uphill

[bill-e-g]

There is so much to explore it really doesn't matter where you go
if you haven't been there before. Just go.

Quartz Mtn is delicious. If you take Sky Ranch the entire way it
just long and ok until the gravel part. Then could be washboardy
til the end. If you take the shortcut it wasn't too bad .. only
washed out in a few places. Either way figure a good hour from 41.
Just ask at the Ranger station and they will give you a map.
Not sure how early it opens up to Quartz. Anyone know?
I've only hiked Quartz past july in the year. I'm able to go
over 40 once back on Sky Ranch to the end. But it's not fun.

From Quartz you can explore alot. Chain and Spotted are very very
very nice. If you have no issue with xcountry then go check out
Chain and Spotted. Did that with the wife earlier this year and
she loved it.

One I loved from Quartz was what I dubbed "Five Pass Loop".
Chiquito/Fernandez/Post Peak/Red Peak/Merced.
About 40 miles and just loads of beauty.

Ottoway is incredible too... There are a number of domes
you see along the way and once you get up Ill a bit there is
some great granite.

Here's my excursion there earlier this year if you like:
<removed... pm me if u really want to see them>

(btw... if/when you go please post... the people who take the
time to reply would like to know... )

[Hikin Mike]

I love Chain Lakes! I've backpacked this several times, including our 2 year-old daughter at the time. Always wanted to explore pasted Chain Lakes, but I doubt I can make it now.

Here's some pics and a trip report: The Backcountry: Chain Lakes