thranduil wrote:1) What about late May/early June? Is it still too cold for my 0°C sleeping bag? Am I going to get eaten alive by mosquitos?
It might be too cold--wear extra clothing instead of bringing a heavier bag. Here's a temperature chart:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/faq/1.html#climateIt's usually too early for mosquitos--July or sometimes late June is worse. The mosquitos need a few weeks after the snow melts to grow.
Bring mosquito repellent and a mosquito netting for your head.
thranduil wrote:2) What to do in one week? My main interests are photography and wildlife, but surely I won't miss the chance of climbingthe Half Dome cables.
The cables to the top of Half Dome are usually installed middle or late May, depending on snow conditions.
Also, if there's a normal level of snow, May is usually too early to backpack anywhere--I suggest you visit in June instead.
thranduil wrote:3) How can I get there? Greyhound or rent-a-car? (I'll land in Frisco)
Greyhound heads to Yosemite from San Francisco, and is the most reliable and fastest.
Amtrak train service is available to Yosemite. The train starts at Emeryville and goes to Merced, then they have a bus that takes you to Yosemite Valley. Train service is slow, expensive, and unreliable though.
Rental car is the most flexible.
In summer (July-September), there's a "Hiker's Shuttle" that starts from the hotels in Yosemite Valley and stops anywhere you want along the Tioga Road. From there you can hike back down to the Valley. Popular routes are from Tuolumne Meadows or Lake Teneya to Little Yosemite Valley, then Yosemite Valley. The shuttle leaves each morning--ask in the lobby of any Yosemite Valley hotel for information and to buy a ticket.
By the way, people in San Francisco don't like their city being called "Frisco". I'm not from there, so I don't care :-).
thranduil wrote:4) How many chances to see (and photograph) a bear? That would be GREAT!
If you're backpacking in Little Yosemite Valley or around Tuolumne Meadows, there is a good chance of seeing a bear--usually in the evening.
thranduil wrote:5) I'm going to carry my EOS digital Rebel (EOS 400D, this is the european name), the 18-55 "plastic lens", a 75-300 tele, and a light tripod, some basic filters. Anything wrong in this? (except weight, of course :cry:) Where can I recharge batteries?
Recharging batteries can't be done in the backcountry. Near the roads, you can usually find a restroom with electrical outlets. Take multiple batteries.
thranduil wrote:6) When can I reserve a place in a camping site in May/June? Do I have to reserve every single night at every single campsite I'm going to sleep in? That would mean no flexibility at all, too bad!
If you are backpacking in the wilderness in Yosemite (away from the roads), you can camp almost anywhere except where it's posted or next to a stream or lake.
When you apply for your Wilderness Permit, you need to give the dates you are entering and leaving the wilderness and give estimated dates and places you are staying each night. But you don't have to camp at the locations you give--you can camp anywhere. They just want to know approximately which way you are going. Here is the official National Park Service (NPS) webpage on the Yosemite wilderness:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/wilderness/
For campgrounds near roads, you need to reserve them in the summer. All campsites in the summer are usually taken ahead of time by reservation. Half of the campsites in Tuolumne Meadows Campground on the Tioga Road are reservable. Here's the official NPS webpage about camping in Yosemite:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm
Here's an unofficial website that lists how many campsites are available:
http://www.yosemitesites.com/