I am starting to put together what I hope is a phenomenal 2 1/2 week (18 day) hiking trip in Yosemite in August 2013 picking what looks like the best Yosemite has to offer. Some requirements and notes. No backpacking other than staying at High Sierra Camps. We are strong dayhikers but need to acclimate to higher altitude. Can hike up to 20 miles in a day with an average of 12. We live in NY so coming by jet,my group (hopefully 6) would require all meals and would not have camping equipment with us. I have started plotting everything out and now I am ready to get into specifics. I have Jeffrey Schaffer's "Yosemite - Must-do Hikes for Everyone", and a National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map. So now i am ready to get into the nitty gritty and over the upcoming month will start asking questions. So here goes:
Coming from either San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento (whichever rates and times look best - to be determined downstream) I plan on day 1 - air travel and stay in motel. Day 2 - Drive across park to Lee Vining. Hopefully find a kitchenette efficiency. Any reccommendations? En route grocery shop for 3 dinners & 3 breakfasts, do the Gaylor Lakes Hike which is something small (good for altitude acclimatizing - right?) and take in tourist attractions along Tioga Road as well as maybe an evening hike at Mono Lake. So here is the bait, now I hope I can catch some good advice. Lots more questions as I continue the planning process. Look forward to hearing from you.