Route Suggestions?!?!?!

[swarty]

I have been reading this forum and I have found some great suggestions. So, I am turning to you for some help.

My friend and I are planning our first trip to Yosemite and want to do "the quintessential" 4-5 day/3-4 night (all we have time for...) loop or easy shuttle. Probably looking for a 25-35 mile loop (we're on vacation) and some decent fishing spots would be a huge bonus. Since it is late in the game and I am traveling from CO, what routes do you think have the highest probability of providing "THE yosemite trip" experience and yet will still be able to reserve a spot for an early October trip? Any suggestions out there? We are both experienced backpackers, but I wouldn't call us experienced mountain climbers.

Thanks
Swarty

[AlmostThere]

You shouldn't have any trouble getting permits, but you will have trouble with shuttles. The concessionaire shuts down Tuolumne Meadows in late September. Shuttles will be weekends only in September. Overnight parking on Tioga Rd ends Oct 15. This is the time of year things start to shut down for the winter.

There's a lot of availability on trailhead quotas for early October, probably because of the dwindling of services. I would get a Happy Isles passthrough, maybe do a loop up to Merced Lake, up toward Tioga and looping back on the Sunrise Lakes trail toward Clouds Rest, Half Dome and back down the Mist trail or JMT to Happy Isles. That way you would see all the classic bits of Yosemite. The cables will be down on Half Dome by Columbus Day, but you can climb Clouds just the same.

You'll want to be prepared for dropping temps and the possibility of some snow... real heavy snow usually doesn't hit til later, but the chances increase with every passing week....

[swarty]

Appreciate the ideas, thanks. That sounds like a good route, hopefully it won't be too crowded that time of year...

[ggryd]

Good information here.

I am planning a similar trip (5-6 days) but coming from literal sea level in Florida. Is there any particular reason for the direction of that route?

Also, can I count on the streams (shown on Nat'g Geographic Trail maps) or are many dry?

Thinking about shipping gear by UPS and wonder if any recommended outfitters that may receive and hold a shipment? Anywhere between SF airport and YNP.

[AlmostThere]

Well, when someone says they want to see quintessential Yosemite, that usually means places like Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, Glacier Point, etc. So I suggested the Mist Trail out of Happy Isles. Since I guessed that they might want a burger or even just a sandwich from the store in the village (instead of a closed store, grill and campground in Tuolumne Meaqdows) when they got out I chose Happy Isles instead of a Tioga trailhead and made it a loop hike so they would not have to rely on a potentially nonexistant shuttle bus (YARTS runs weekend only starting in September until snow falls, then stops) to get back to the car. Since I was not sure if they would get out of the wilderness by Oct 15 (when parking overnight on Tioga Rd is no longer allowed) I suggested a trailhead in the valley which is open year round.

I suspect named tributaries will still have water. The route I suggest spends a lot of time near the Merced River and some lakes and year round creeks. (don't forget your filter)

You might be able to ship to the store in Yosemite Village. They are one of the few places that will be open. If you are calling to reserve permits, ask the ranger about that. Since I am a "local" I generally don't ship things to the park and am possibly not a reliable resource in this matter.

[hotrod4x5]

Good information here.

I am planning a similar trip (5-6 days) but coming from literal sea level in Florida. Is there any particular reason for the direction of that route?

Also, can I count on the streams (shown on Nat'g Geographic Trail maps) or are many dry?

Thinking about shipping gear by UPS and wonder if any recommended outfitters that may receive and hold a shipment? Anywhere between SF airport and YNP.

You can send it to yourself via General Delivery to the Yosemite Valley USPS.