First timer. suggestions?

[nashvillwill]

So, i'm new to the forum and new to California. I would love some advice. I'm spending this Thanksgiving away from my friends and family and can't think of any better way than a good backpacking trip. I'm headed to Yosemite over Thanksgiving weekend, and I'll be coming from the bay area. I've been looking at the Valley because of the climate, but i don't want to return to the same camp full of drunkards every night, I want to truly get away. Please help me pick an area.

1. What i am looking for.

-I want to explore the beauty that Yosemite has to offer. duh!
-I want to get as far away from people as possible and have some alone time.
-I would like to stay away from crowds.
-I would like a solid 3 night backpacking hike. I would really like 3 nights away from civilization, without having to return halfway through, but this might be too hard in winter at lower elevations.

2. What i bring to the table.

-General survival knowledge including map reading abilities (compass/topo).
-Understanding of "camping light"
-Novice backpacking experience. I've done good distances in moderate weather and short overnights in cold weather.
-A desire to learn and to embrace the wilderness. As well as the desire to become a "die hard" wilderness backpacker.
-Moderate health. I am in decent shape, but those dumb years of smoking can catch up with me quite often. Higher elevations (9000+) could be tricky for me, besides....it's winter.
-understanding of how to keep food items away from scavengers (bears). I don't have a bear canister yet, but i understand that it is a necessity. I've never camped with bears, but i've dealt with other resourceful critters my whole life.
-wilderness safety knowledge, as well as understanding how not to die! I was a boyscout after all.
-warm nature

3. What i expect.

-Distance from people and the feeling of being "truly disconnected"
-Some winter weather is great, i can definitely camp in light snow, but have no experience with building a snow tent.
-I've never snowshoed. I am willing to try it if someone can encourage me that it is not totally exhausting. I would also have to buy/rent some.

4. My gear.

-stoves/lantern using a butane/propane mix. I'm not sure of the mix ratio (it's the blue bottle, CV270/CV470)
-tent-REI Half dome 2
-bag- REI Thermo Pod 0-i don't think this is actually a 0- rated bag, i think it is more like 25- bag. I've searched the REI site, but can't get a solid answer. Will upgrade if needed.
-clothes from Tennessee, i.e., probably not the best layers. I've always hiked in jeans, but i understand this will probably not do in Yosemite.
-I am willing to purchase whatever i need to survive the trip. But i listed my current gear for the purpose of recommendations.
-I DON'T have snowchains for the trip there, but plan to get some in the next week.
-Gortex boots. These always seem to be the most important item on any list.

5. Yosemite knowledge

-I don't know anything about the park. Never been.
-Passes-From what i can gather, this time of year, it's pretty easy to get a "first come/serve wilderness pass". Is that true? Do i need to to plan for something different? Can i just drive into the park and get one day-of?
-I would like to stay far enough away from the Thanksgiving crowds to enjoy myself, but don't want to ruin my weekend before it starts by getting lost on a mountain pass.
-I can come back in summer for beautiful views. I just want a nice weekend alone.

That's it. Can you help me pick a trailhead? I'm leaning toward the Valley because of the temperate climate, but I'm scared of crowds, and can't seem to find a trail that will last a full weekend. Help me pick a trail and please suggest any gear necessities.


Thanks for the help, and i hope to see you on the trail!
-Will

[nashvillwill]

oh, also. Will my car be safe? Where can i leave it?

[bill-e-g]

This forum gets such little traffic... I'd suggest you post here:
yosemitenews.info
or
on High Sierra Topix
I'm not a member on HST but have looked a bit there and there
are a number of people on that site that are knowledgable.

You should go have a talk with a ranger at the wilderness center
in the valley...
If you post on yosemitenews.info I'll say more.
(I'm giving up on this forum... soon...)

[AlmostThere]

You'll have to be ready for winter conditions anywhere you go in the Sierra. The later in the year we get, the more likely storms will dump significant snow at any time. There's one coming in this weekend, for example. You will not only need winter camping skills but also be able to put on chains in dicey weather (not fun, pack a parka and gloves you do not care about getting muddy). If you're not ready for ice and snow, might want to reconsider.

I wouldn't trust the bag, either. A Half Dome is okay unless the snow really piles up - and it might, so you might be up all night knocking accumulating snow off the tent to keep the poles from collapsing. You're not mentioning a pad, but that will be necessary, and needs to be up to the task - a thermarest self inflating plus a blue foam ccf can work okay. The stove will not work well without efforts on your part to warm the fuel - best bet in snow when you are trying to melt snow or keep the stove lit would be a white gas burner.

How much is a crowd to you? you will not likely run into many people this time of year (relatively speaking). I used to drive into Yosemite in winter - they keep the main road plowed - to study while sitting next to the fire in Yosemite Village in the bar... we'd walk around for a while enjoying the scenery minus the thousands of tourists, and get warm while reading textbooks and enjoying a hot coffee with a little Baileys. There are still people but it's nothing like the zoo in summer. Many facilities are closed down and services are minimal. Those wilderness permits you need for backpacking become self registration and quotas no longer apply. The winter campers are far fewer - it gets real cold at night even in the valley.

Bill is right, you need to talk to the rangers, but I suspect they will warn you even more than I am doing about what you're wanting to do. Some of the trails that start in the valley close down when the real weather hits - ice and snow make them dangerous.

This is the time of year I start to backpack on the coast - it's the best time over there, the fog that plagues you in summer months is gone, and the hot low elevation trails just a few miles inland become tolerable. Water sources are renewed by rainfall. Crowds vanish over there as well - instead of being elbow to elbow with tourists you find just a handful of veteran backpackers/hikers who can be pleasant company.

[dan]

oh, also. Will my car be safe? Where can i leave it?

Your car is safe if you leave NO food in it. That includes visible containers that look like they might have food (grocery bags, ice chests, card board boxes). Don't even leave it in the trunk. The trailhead parking lots have bear lockers to store your food. The food and car are safe.

The problem is it's COLD around Thanksgiving--winter-like conditions without a lot of snow. I suppose you can backpack to Little Yosemite Valley from Happy Isles trailhead, but dress warm.

I think Tioga Road is open for the moment, but the next storm will close it again. Also, you're not allowed to park and leave your car, as the road may close at any moment.

[balzaccom]

Good advice here already, but I will add my two cents.

1. Check the weather, because it makes all the difference. If you have more or less clear skies, then a trip is a real possilibity. But it will be cold, and you should be prepared for snow. And yes, know how to put the chains on your car!

2. If it is snowing, I'd advise staying out of the backcountry with your equipment and experience. It can get too deep, too fast, and you really don't want to get caught in that. But that doesn't mean you can't visit Yosemite. Hike the valley and take some of the trails up onto the rim as far as you can go and still be safe. You'll get fabulous views, few people, and a great workout. I like the Yosemite Falls trail, Snow Creek, or Pohono at this time of year.

3. At this time of year, any time you get more than a mile from the road, your chances of finding solitude go up exponentially. One area you might want to explore is off the Glacier Point road. Hiking to Dewey Point from there takes you to a great view, and the trail isn't impossible, even if you have to snowshoe it.

4. You won't make it to any mountain passes--those are too high and far away for this kind of trip. That's why I would focus on the rim of the valley, with great views and lower elevations..around 7,000 or so.

And yes...before you do anything, ask the rangers. They know exactly where the snow level is, and they'll have trip reports from others who have been there recently.

[AlmostThere]

You may find a visit to nps.gov/yose (the official Yosemite website) illuminating.

You seem to be looking at the trails in the valley as potential backpacking trails - they aren't, since you can only stay in designated campsites in Yosemite valley. Your first backcountry camping opportunities will be four miles out - a steep elevation gain out of the valley floor to sites along the Pohono trail, the north rim trail, or up the JMT at Little Yosemite Valley. None of those is going to be as remote as you wish. By the time you get to the second night out you will be running a pretty high risk of snow and weather....

I would never recommend that anyone go out alone on a first winter backpack no matter how much gear they can afford. Check the Sierra Club schedule for winter outings. Don't go alone.

For remote, non-winter-camping, wilderness-y experiences minus crowds, there are a couple of coastal options as well. Henry Coe and Ventana Wilderness are both challenging and scenic in ways very different than the Sierra, and you could easily spend weeks in either. But you need very good navigational skills in Ventana (along with a sensible approach to poison oak if you are allergic) and to do some research into water sources (springs can be few and far between). Coe is very similar in terrain but has well maintained trails and a well documented list of water sources - you can be out there by yourself for days tho. And neither has a bear problem, tho you should hang food to keep it away from rats and coons.

[balzaccom]

Almost there--if you are refering to my post...maybe I wasn't clear enough.

if it is snowing, I don't think you should go backpacking. You should stay in the valley and do dayhikes, as in my #2 above:

2. If it is snowing, I'd advise staying out of the backcountry with your equipment and experience. It can get too deep, too fast, and you really don't want to get caught in that. But that doesn't mean you can't visit Yosemite. Hike the valley and take some of the trails up onto the rim as far as you can go and still be safe. You'll get fabulous views, few people, and a great workout. I like the Yosemite Falls trail, Snow Creek, or Pohono at this time of year.

[KC]

The above are all good points about the dangers of backpacking alone and as a novice this time of year in Yosemite. As AlmostThere points out, there are plenty of other good options. To his list, I'd like to Skyline to the Sea trail in Big Basin, Point Reyes, and the Ohlone Wilderness. None are as secluded as the Yosemite back country or High Sierras generally, but they do get less crowded this time of year. You may even have the Ohlone all to yourself if the weather is somewhat inclement.

Keep an open mind, and the coastal/Diablo range treks will treat you well. I've yet to do wrong in early spring or late fall on one.

[AlmostThere]

Almost there--if you are refering to my post...maybe I wasn't clear enough.

if it is snowing, I don't think you should go backpacking. You should stay in the valley and do dayhikes, as in my #2 above:

No, you made good points too - I was perhaps not reading yours thoroughly enough and rehashed a little.... but I was talking to the OP, as I missed a couple of things he said that hadn't been answered yet. It's easy to make the assumption that all the trails on the map are fair game for backpacking if one hasn't read the park website, for example, if one hasn't been to Yosemite and seen how developed the Valley floor is....

Also... I did the skyline to sea this year and liked it well enough - we were one of two groups doing the trail at that time - but it isn't what I would call a wilderness experience, as you are forced into designated camps and hiking along a road for a good bit of the distance. Point Reyes is a little better but much of the trail system is still within a dayhike of a trailhead - not so remote but wilderness-y to a larger degree than skyline to sea. And very beautiful, too.

[ProgMtl]

Supposed to be a nice sized storm coming in Saturday - Tuesday just before Thanksgiving...