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[Yosemite]

Trip this weekend, please check my itinerary.

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

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Trip this weekend, please check my itinerary.

Postby dmede » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:39 am

Here's the route plan for our 4 day trip this weekend (Tuolumne Meadws to YV):

Our plan is to get on the trail just before the Tuolumne VC by noon on Sat and head for the valley just beyond the Cathedral Pass (Long Meadow) for our first camp. That?s about 6 miles in, mostly uphill.

Next leg (Sun) will be from Long Meadow to Echo Valley via Cathedral & Echo Creeks, about 8 miles.

Next day (Mon) will be a shorter hike day so we can relax a little. We have two choices here, either go from Echo Valley back up to the JMT and around the back of Moraine Dome and camp in the flat area there. Or go down the Merced River to LYV and camp under Moraine Dome.

Day 4 (Tue) we hike into the Valley and get some beers!

So my questions are:
1) am I nuts to think we can make Long Meadow on the first day?
2) Is there anything important I need to know about any of these locations or routes?
3) Any opinions on my two routes out of Echo Valley? How are they different and is one way better than the other?
4) Are there trout in the creeks we will be passing along the way? (Cathedral, Echo Merced)
5) And finally, has anybody been up to this area In the past week? What?s it like right now weather and snow wise?

Thanks,
Dave
Last edited by dmede on Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Trip this weekend, please check my itinerary.

Postby dan » Wed Jun 06, 2007 11:42 pm

dmede wrote:1) am I nuts to think we can make Long Meadow on the first day?
No, but it's slightly long for a first half day.

dmede wrote:2) Is there anything important I need to know about any of these locations or routes?
Bears everywhere. Mosquitoes near water (I find a head net very useful and lightweight).

dmede wrote:3) Any opinions on my two routes out of Echo Valley? How are they different and is one way better than the other?
LYV is prettier than the JMT, which is drier and in more forest. The Backpackers Campground on the west side of LYV is crowded in Summer. Some people like being able to talk to other backpackers, but I think there's a few too many there.

dmede wrote:4) Are there trout in the creeks we will be passing along the way? (Cathedral, Echo Merced)
Don't know for sure. I remember a friend of mine catching trout around Cathedral Lakes. I seem to remember reading about trout in the Merced. This same guy once fried up some fish for everyone, but used soap instead of oil by mistake--not so tasty that time. Trout haven't been stocked in the streams for several years.

dmede wrote:5) And finally, has anybody been up to this area In the past week? What’s it like right now weather and snow wise?
I was at Glacier Point and the top of Yosemite Falls last weekend (June 2-4). No snow there. The webcam at Tioga Pass shows patches of snow in the shade (see http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/ )
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Postby dmede » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:16 am

Thanks for the info Dan.

I?m concerned about our first day. It?s all uphill at high elevation, but we need to make that first camp in order for the rest of the trip to stay on schedule.

As I?m looking at the topo of the Cathedral Pass area I?m wondering about a cross country trip to Echo Lake for our first night, instead of Long Meadow? It would allow us to stop short of Long Meadow and get us off the trail a bit. I wonder if it?s possible to continue past Echo and rejoin the trail a little further down the Cathedral Creek?
Last edited by dmede on Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby dan » Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:56 pm

Taking a cross-country shortcut will slow you down. Cross-country travel is at best half as fast, and often slower. Once you reach Long Meadow it's mostly downhill.

If you're really short on time, take the JMT from Long Meadow, instead of heading through Echo Valley. I highly recommend Echo Valley as it's beautiful country.
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Postby dmede » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:09 am

Just got back from this trip on Tue. It was great! We made better time to Echo Lake than I thought we would. By heading down to Echo I think we were able to make camp earlier than we would have if we continued to Long Meadow (and of course we got to enjoy a pretty remote feeling campsite). It probably took a mile or two off the total route but we were slowed up by having to find our way out of the south end with no trail, so "6 of one, half dozen of the other" I guess.

25*f the first night at Echo... burrr. No bears the whole trip.

Didin't see any other hikers until LYV. LYV wasn't too bad population wise but the level of stupid was extordinary and somewhat entertaining after 3 days in the woods. For the record there are MANY trout in the waters of Yosemite.

At about 12:30am Monday night (tue Morning I guess) there was a 4.6 earthquake at Mamoth Lakes. It rolled right down LYV to the Valley below. You could hear it coming, then 3 seconds of shaking, then you could hear it going down below. Very cool.

Thanks for all the help with the trip planning!

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