Bucket list.

[rick56]

Hello, I have some experience backpacking (Desolation, Trinnity Alps, Tahoe area)I'm also US Army. I have not packed Yosemite. I've been reading about permits, bear cans and the rules of the backcountry. My son is a new boyscout and I would like recommendations of easier trails for him. Nick has Klienfelters syndrome, he gets around ok but is not super atheletic. So a weekend trip of 3-5 miles would be doable. But I need to avoid steep climbs and decents and such. I personally could do a tough trail, but I want my wife and son to have fun, not get wiped out on their first time backpacking Yosemite. I'm new here and have no idea about the trails. I printed out a list of trailheads from NPS but it looks like alot are already gone. I would appreciate any info on short overnight trails and which trails are easier. I have car camped the valley twice, but never ventured into the backcountry. This is on my bucket list and I'm not getting any younger. Thanks in advance for any help or tips.
Rick

[AlmostThere]

For a trip of that length... I'd take him to Polly Dome/Lakes. Would be fairly straightforward and not a ton of climbing. Another easy first time would be out Lyell Canyon and back, but as that trailhead takes you down the JMT and toward the most popular area of the park, it would be more difficult to get permits.

Another possibility would be Rancheria Falls, but it can get very warm in the afternoon as summer wears on.

If you could manage 4 miles and some downhill/uphill, Mono Pass to Sardine Lakes would be awesome alpine scenery and a little history - some old cabins and a defunct mine to explore. But there are pretty strict camping rules in that area. You can camp over Mono Pass and over Parker Pass, but not within the park boundary, in that area. Beautiful scenery tho.

Saddlebag Lakes, if you take the ferry to and fro, would also be within your reach and less restrictive - it's not in Yosemite proper so permits would be simpler.

[rick56]

If you had to choose between Lyell Canyon and Rancheria Falls for a first trip which would you perfer? Also when I apply for a permit they require three choices for starting points. Which trailhead takes you to Polly Dome/Lakes? Thank you

[AlmostThere]

I would probably go with Lyell, second preference Rancheria Falls (out of Hetch Hetchy) and then Polly dome. The trailhead for the lake near Polly Dome is Murphy Creek.

And I would plan a day or two for exploring along Tioga Road if you get Lyell or Murphy Creek as a starting point - there are some great dayhikes to be done. Half of the Tuolumne Meadows campground is first come/first serve. Plus, with the permit you get for backpacking, you can stay a night before and a night after your trip in the backpacker camp, for five dollars per person. Pick up the reserved permit the day before you start hiking and do a little dayhiking in the meadow, or take the free shuttle down to Olmstead Point - it's worth it.

There is also a backpacking camp near Hetch Hetchy so the same applies there. Not as many options for dayhikes but from the ranger station at the gate there is a trail to Smith Peak.

[balzaccom]

I am going to agree with Polly Dome lakes...a nice hike, and there won't be many people. My experience with Lyell is that there are always a lot of people...and the campsites aren't so obvious until you get well beyond four miles up the canyon.

Rancheria Falls is a much longer hike---6.5 miles---so that's something to keep in mind.

There are also some great hikes in EMigrant wilderness and Carson-Iceberg, off 108, that would work: Bear Lake in Emigrant, or Clark Fork or Sword Lake in Carson Iceberg

There are links and photos to all of these hikes on our website...so feel free to play around there!

[KC]

I second all of the above. Lyell Canyon would definitely be my first choice though.

Another reasonably easy one would be to go to May Lake. It's only 1.5 miles, though it is up hill. But not terribly so.

[Nacci]

If your son fishes, I'd go with Lyell Canyon. You could set up a camp for two nights and just day hike, fish, swim, relax, etc on your layover day.

May Lake is a nice option because it has running water and an outhouse, but it's really more like a walk-in campground. No swimming in the lake, lots of people, great views.

[KC]

I guess I should say, respecting May Lake, it's a really nice place to put down before the HSC opens. I definitely can see it'd be pretty busy and not-so-quiet when it's open.

[rick56]

I got an reservation for Rancheria Falls. 6.5 miles each way, I'm hoping to get going before noon on that Friday. I found a link to a blog of a couple who pack a lot, the guy says people camp out at the falls. Can you fish near that camp or do you have to hike further up stream? Any one here have photos of the Rancheria Falls area? I'd love to see what it will look like. My pack arrived yesterday, a North Face. Today I'm seam sealing my tent. Last newbie question, I live in Lincoln above Sacramento and I considering checking out Good Wills and thrift shops looking for light weight clothing. Any advice on what I should look for? A fleece top would be cool. I once bought a new Patagonia jacket $95. yikes! Can't afford REI have not won the lotto. Yuppy puppies shop there. LOL

[AlmostThere]

Hetch Hetchy, Rancheria Falls, Leconte point

You can fish April - Nov and the bag limit is two for the streams around the lake. Unless you are below the dam in the Tuolumne where you must use barbless hooks and catch and release. Fish 12" or bigger can be kept.

As to the rest, REI has a great used gear sale, and given anyone can return anything for any reason, a lot of the clothing is in perfect condition. I have a membership at REI to hit the clearance racks and to go to the gear sale as it's members only - you can't beat five dollar shirts and ten dollar shoes that someone wore twice and returned. I also shop online at Sierra Trading Post, and thrift stores often have a lot of stuff cheap.

[rick56]

Thanks for the tips, there actually is an REI near where I live. I love to window shop there, the gear is cool. I was given a slip by a worker there to join but I think I lost it. $20. for a lifetime membership is reasonable. I was not aware of the used clothing sales there. I should find out more about that. Yesterday I found three fleece tops, a pair of lightweight shorts, an REI mesh top and a rain shell at three local thrift shops. All together it costs us about $27. Can't beat that. I found an Eddie Bauer fleece pull over, a man's small but fits ok. Very warm and light. I found a Calvin Cline zip up one for my wife and a LL Bean one for my boy, both of those are bright red, mine is black. I almost bought a pair of lightweight pants that have legs that zipped off. I was thinking of multiple use clothing thats light and functional. Although I live in Levis, they are too heavy for backpacking IMO. I'm a National Guard soldier and some of my issue can work. IE: black underarmor type thermal underwear for me and my wife. And I have an old pair of Patagonia thermals my son can wear. Thanks again for the help and I hope to meet some of you on the trail, be safe.

Rick

[rick56]

Almost there, your links did not work. That page is not available. Today we all went on a short 2 mile round trip to Hidden Falls near my home. It was my son's first time with a pack. He carried 11 lbs, my wife 19, me 24. They did great no complaining or gripping. It's a canyon walk all down hill, on the way back up hill 20-30 degree climbs Nick did great but he got pooped by the end. I stopped him on the way back to check his feet, no blisters. My wife said her pack felt good. My North Face fit like a glove and in June I'll probably have closer to 30 lbs. Dad's the mule LOL. Last night I set up my tart tent in my yard. I found that the so-called 20 degree bag got cold around 3am. I'm thinking of getting two liners to improve the temp rating. I don't believe these are true 20 degree sleeping bags. I've seen some for around 50-60 bucks that sqwish down to 3 by 5 inches at just under a pound. There seems to be no standard rating for mummy bags. I just can't afford a $300 bag. Anyone recommend a good liner? Thanks

[AlmostThere]

http://tinyurl.com/3c9jbko

You are probably going to have trouble finding a cheap bag that is accurately rated. Cheap, warm, compressible - pick two. You don't get all three...

Kelty has a few decent bags around 100, the Light Year has gotten decent reviews. The campmor 20 degree bags are 120-130 and actually good to 30F, not 20, but are frequently mentioned as decent budget options.

I am of the mind that I am sooooo cheap I would rather buy something for $300 up front and use it for decades, which is why I have high quality 800+ fp down gear, and not the heavier, bulkier, colder 650 fp versions. But I backpack year round and use the gear on an ongoing basis. For someone who goes a couple times a year maybe, the 100-200 range bags are perhaps a better budget option, with consideration that the bag can be anywhere from 10-20 degrees cooler than they are actually rated. Part of this is you - your comfort zone may be different, plus, people frequently try to climb in the bag long after dinner, and are often not drinking enough water... being dehydrated and not having some good slow burning fats and carbs in your system leads to being cold. You are not in an insulated house with a heater - all the heat comes from you, and is merely held in by the insulation of the bag. Frequently I take cheese sticks on colder outings to snack on just before bed, and take a walk around the area before climbing in for the night to get the blood moving.

There is a rating system for bags, but not all manufacturers bother with getting EN rating for their bags. Any bag under 300 will probably fall into that category. And since part of the equation of keeping warm is how you prepare and what you eat, this is no guarantee either... it's all very much a subjective thing. The one brand I consistently hear good reviews about and that the bags are actually warmer than their rating is Western Mountaineering - but you will rarely find one on sale and they are quite high quality bags.

[oakroscoe]

Since you guys started talking bags, I had to chime in and give my unwanted 2 cents. I've had quite a few bags and by far the quality and excellence in Marmot has surpassed all the others. I have a 0 degree Marmot down bag that I have been out in single digits, with no tent and was warm and comfy the whole time. My other Marmot bag a 30 degree bag that I use for late spring and fall packing. I've been down to the low 30s in that bag and never been cold. They are definitely not cheap, but in my opinion it is well worth money and they are extremely long lasting.


Also, on the REI point, they do rent all sorts of gear (I just rented a pair of snowshoes for a few days and it was very reasonably priced) and they are having their anniversary sale where you can get one item at 20% off. The 20% off sale is how I purchased both my sleeping bags. Combine 20% off and your yearly dividend, and that helps defray the cost. So anyways, if you don't want to get hit with a ton of gear costs, there's always renting, used sales at REI and craigslist/ebay.

Good luck and enjoy the hiking.

Also, I side with most other people on going to Lyell as a first trip as opposed to Rancheria. The posters here know what they are talking about!

[rick56]

The problem is Lyell is full, no more permits.