Glacier Point to Illilouette good for LYV?

[guyd]

Hi,

I'm really confused regarding which destination(s) can we used with a given wilderness permit. For example, if we've got a Glacier Point Trailhead to Illilouette permit, can we hike down Panorama trail and camp along Illilouette Creek, and next day camp in Little Yosemite Valley?
Thanks

[gtbhiker]

Your best bet is to call the Wilderness Permit office at (209) 372-0740. Also, my understanding is that there is no camping at Illilouette Falls or any way along the Panarama Trail. (It is only about 2 miles to the falls.) The Little Yosemite Valley campground is the most popular backpacker campground because many people stay there over night on their way to Half Dome (permit needed to climb Half Dome).

[Dave Miller]

Your permit lists a trailhead and first night area and then an ending date. As long as you spend your first night in the location designated on your permit, you can continue on to other locations without issue. For the Illilouette basin, you will need to travel at least 4 miles from the trailhead. You will see a number of great looking sites as you travel up stream, but you have to keep going until you get near the Buena Vista Trail.

I loved this area when I did it a few years ago. The only issue you may have is a creek crossing if you are going early in the year. When I did this trip, We made it into a 5 day trip with the first night in Illilouette, then we base-camped at LYV (nights 2-4) and day hiked up Half Dome one day, then out to Echo Valley the next day (my favorite hike in June) and then back out the Mist Trail. LYV definitely has downsides, however, we really didn't spend much time there. I would do it again.

Hope you have a great trip!

[guyd]

''We made it into a 5 day trip with the first night in Illilouette, then we base-camped at LYV (nights 2-4) and day hiked up Half Dome one day''

''You will see a number of great looking sites as you travel up stream''

Our intent is precisely to include HD...!

It will be my first experience in backpacking. How do we know we are at least four trail miles from Glacier Point Trailhead (or any trail on this instance) and we can set our camp on first night?

In addition, the park's trail Table indicates the Illilouette Fall is 3,6 miles from Glacier Point. So are you saying we could not hike a bit further on Panorama Trail (in direction of Nevada Fall) and camp because it would not be the official direction on our permit from Glacier Point trailhead?

Thanks for the input[/quote]

[Dave Miller]

You will not be staying on the Panorama Trail into Illilouette Basin. There is a trail junction about a mile and a half in where you follow Illilouette creek and head away from the falls. In fact, you won't even see Illilouette fall until Day 2. You should get a Topo map and be familiar with the trails and terrain. What I did was camp just past the first main creek. It wasn't quite 4 miles, but I felt good about the location and there was an existing fire ring, etc.

Here's what I mapped for Day 1 (click the MyTopo option if you see the terrain view: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/56287

Day 2: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/56288
Day 3: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/56289
Day 4: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/56298
Day 5: http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/56292

These are pretty rough trip reports and don't include waypoints, but you should get a good idea of what to expect. Make sure to look at the elevation profiles. A lot of people assume that Glacier Point to Nevada Falls is all downhill. It's not, but it isn't too bad.

Enjoy your trip and don't forget a Bear Canister.

[Hitech]

I did that trip last year. Glacier Point to Illilouette is a nice easy trip. You need to make sure you go far enough in. I'd recommend a GPS. The next days hike to LYV is much more challenging. Varying elevation changes (both up and down) and double the mileage. Not all that difficult if you plan for it to take all day.

It was a great trip and my first time backpacking in Yosemite.

Here is Illilouette Creek were we camped:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/ ... CN0890.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/ ... CN0876.jpg


And here is the fire ring up the hill from the water:

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q45/ ... CN0881.jpg

[AlmostThere]

You'll put your entry trailhead, first night, and exit trailhead on the permit. The ranger will ask you for this info. You will need to tell them when you want to do HD as they will put this on your permit as well.

All you need is a good map - I'll never recommend to anyone who can't navigate with a topo map that they take a GPS with any intent to use it for navigation, because you NEED to understand map/compass to really USE a GPS for that. But a GPS will tell you how many miles you've traveled. A good map will have miles per section of trail (I prefer Tom Harrison maps over nat geographic, there are several for Yosemite and the milages are more accurate). The ranger can mark on the map for you where campsites are.

If this is your first backpacking trip EVER - I recommend the following:

read articles and gear lists at backpacking.net - you do not need to carry 50 lbs to be comfortable. You will be a 1,000% more comfortable carrying an 18 lb pack than you will a 50 lb. If you rent gear, settle for 25-30... but still better than 50!
Rent gear - instead of the 10 lb cheapo sleeping bag from walmart, rent a 20 degree bag from REI with a good sleeping pad. You will not regret this. (People end up sleeping inside the pit toilets in Little Yosemite Valley because they think cheapo bags are warm enough.) Unless you are ready to dive in and keep going backpacking time after time, renting or borrowing is HIGHLY recommended because you don't understand really what you personally need until you have gone out a few times. It's possible to spend thousands and still not get what you need... I've been through four packs and multiple pairs of shoes in this.
Make double dog sure you leave room for bear canisters in those packs and TAKE them and use them as directed. (I am only saying this because so many folks show up and don't realize and leave the canister that they FORCE you to rent in the trunk of the car, cuz it won't fit in the pack, and they don't think they'll lose their food to a bear... and then they do.) Cheapest rental canister is the model from the park, but if you are nervous about packing them you can google the Bearikade and rent by mail, so you have the can a few days before you go.

Talk to the rangers on the phone. Odds are good the days you want to go are reserved already. The only limitation is the trailhead quota - they only let so many people start from a trailhead per day.

[hiker97]

I've never been along this route but it looks like a pretty section of the creek and a good trip for beginners. Does anyone know the approximate limits of the burned area along Illilouette Creek? I was wondering if that first available campsite at around 4 miles out is in or before the burned area. Thanks!

[AlmostThere]

Burned area?

If you're imagining it's desolate charred ash covered landscape, no worry. It's less forested than many regions of Yosemite but it's in varying stages of growing back, and there's plenty of green and the trees are recovering. Most of the valley near the creek is forested.

[dan]

The burned area is mostly from the Glacier Point Road trailhead to the bottom of Illilouette Creek. It used to be forested, mostly, and now it's mostly brush. It's not a blackened, charred desert, but full of shrubs, greenery, and flowers.

[balzaccom]

Here are a few shots of this area, to give you an idea of what it looked like three years ago:

[hiker97]

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words...thanks!

[Genevish]

We're doing this next year. On day two should we take the trail on the west side of panorama Point (that goes by the falls) or the trail on the east side (which looks more direct)?

Thanks,

-Scott

[dan]

We're doing this next year. On day two should we take the trail on the west side of panorama Point (that goes by the falls) or the trail on the east side (which looks more direct)?

Not sure what you're referring to. Illilouette Falls? There's only one trail from Glacier Point to LYV. Once you head into the Valley, you head straight down, more or less, to Clark Point with a wonderful view.

Before that (above that) you could take a trail to Nevada Fall instead and head down via the Mist Trail. It's more scenic, but heading down the Mist Trail (below Vernal Fall) the trail is wet and slippery and hard to walk with a pack on.

I would play it by ear. If you have extra time and you're not tired, take the Mist Trail. Just be very careful around the wet, slippery rock stairs below Vernal Fall. Personally, I did it with a pack and wouldn't do it again. Come back another time without a pack.