Campsites Rockslides to Snow Creek Trailhead

[captpower]

In late June I am backpacking with five others from Rockslides Trailhead to the Mirror Lake/Snow Creek Trailhead. Because of new commitments we've lost a day or two of our time in Yosemite. We now have only three days to cover the route. The fourth day we have permits for Half Dome.

I need some help & recommendations on possible ways to cover this in three days. I had originally planned on the first night at Cascade Creek, the second near Yosemite Falls and the third near Snow Creek. The fourth night would hopefully been Upper or Lower Pines. Missed out on that after the first five minutes available.

Now I'm trying to estimate how far and where to camp on each day, so that on fourth day we can make the Half Dome trailhead. I'm wondering if we could camp at the Snow Creek Trailhead, and the next day hike down to get a shuttle to the trailhead, or maybe first our car which will be at Rockslides.

The trip has fallen to me to plan after the lead person dropped out.

I'm also trying to see how we could make the hike in three days and at the end of the third day drive to a hotel outside the park. The next morning drive back into the park for the Half Dome hike.

I'm hoping for some good ideas on how far and where to camp each day. Should I keep trying to get a campsite in the park near the trailhead or try and find the closest hotel?

P.S. I've search the forums and elsewhere and have not found where else to camp along this route. If you know a source of information please share.

thanks for a reply

[AlmostThere]

You have a wilderness permit - on the night before and the night after your permitted trip, you are allowed to camp in the backpacker campsites off the North Pines Campground, for five dollars per person. So no worries for you. (North Pines is right next to Upper and Lower Pines, walking distance to Happy Isles.)

As for how to cover the distance - you could either increase miles per day or come down the Upper Yosemite Falls trail instead of going all the way to Snow Creek. Exit points are rather more flexible than entry and date of start on wilderness permits.

[balzaccom]

As usual, Almosthere really nailed it. YOu get a free night before your pack trip--and another one after your pack trip--in the Valley.

And I don'think you'll have a terrible time making your hike. Cascade on the first night, maybe make it to Yosemite Creek. And the third night you could camp by North Dome or Snow Creek....and wander into the Valley for your campsite the fourth night. Then all you have to do is hike 16 miles up and over Half Dome and back the next day...grin!

[captpower]

Thanks for the quick replies. I don't think I was entirely clear about the number of days or I missed something in your replies.
The permit starts on June 24 (Rockslides). We will have most of the day to hike. We then have two more days to finish. The permit for Half Dome is June 27th. To me we need to do a long first & second day, hopefully a shorter 3rd day. Find a place to stay and then Half Dome the fourth day. The fifth day, June 28th we have a plane to meet in SFO by 6 p.m.

We arrive to late, after too much travel to camp in Yosemite. That had been my original plan. The last on the trail day, Sunday, June 26th will we have any trouble finding a place for tents in the backpackers campsite.

It's not clear what we should do with the rental car. I will check the shuttle schedule again. I had thought of leaving the car near Happy Isles or Lower Pines. Then taking the shuttle to Rockslides.

If you had these limits what would you do?
Thanks for your replies. I wrote the original post after a long day and was trying to be brief. That as often happens was a mistake.

[balzaccom]

OK: Let's take this from the top.

you get into the Valley and hike Rockslides to Cascade. what's that, about 5-6 miles? Perfectly doable. The trouble is that there is little water between Cascade Creek and Eagle Creek...which might be a push. But if you are frugal about water, and carry an extra bottle or two, you could dry camp somewhere between the two, and get in more miles.

Day two. 25th. From Cascade Creek to Snow Creek....I think that's about 12 miles, but there are no huge climbs or descents. Also feasible. At two miles an hour, that's only six hours of hiking.

26th. Snow Creek down into the valley., camp at Camp 4. that's about 7-8 miles, depending on where you camp at Snow Creek. Start early (on the trail by 8 a,m,) so that you wander into the Valley sometime just after noon. Camp at Camp 4, get a good rest.

27th. Hit the trail early to Half Dome. walk 16 miles.

28th easy drive back to SFO...except your legs are cramping in the car!

[bill-e-g]

Sigh. First of all some of the comments w/r to water and mileage are wrong.
Please look at a map closely and you will see there is water along the entire route
at regular intervals. The elevation gain somehow may be deceiving. It's anything
but flat... and from Cascade up to El Cap is over 2K ft. And from Yose Creek to Snow
is easily over 1200 ft. And that is flattening it out.

Only you know what you are capable of or think you are capable of.
My recommendation is to enjoy the journey and not worry so much exactly that
you are camping at this spot. Do not miss a bunch of things along the way.
If you can do all the stuff along the way AND do Half Dome then do that.
Otherwise I'd do this entire route and not do Half Dome. I know Half Dome is
some red badge of courage but imo it's a big mistake to do this route and
not:
- Go to the EDGE of El Cap and peer down
- Go to the Top of Eagle Peak
- Go to the lookout of Upper Yosemite Falls
- Enjoy Yosemite Point
- Go out on North Dome
- Go to Indian Arch Rock
- Get off the trail before heading down Snow Creek and enjoy the creek some
If you can do all those then Half Dome SHOULDN'T matter... but I understand
wanting to get atop Half Dome.
If you can get to El Cap (10 miles and A lot of Elevation) on day 1 then you
should be able to do it all.... if not... it may not be in the cards...
hit what you can and go down Yosemite Falls Trail.

You may flounder longer on Rockslides than you think. O, and yes, you
should carry water from Ribbon Creek to top of El Cap if you camp atop there.

Have fun whatever you do. You can't go wrong

(park your car at TH parking at Happy Isles and take the shuttle btw)
(you'll burn a lot of time on day 1 getting permit, etc. so prob. El Cap
is WAY too much)

Good luck

[bill-e-g]

btw. surprised you could not find this info on http://yosemitenews.info
Fairly certain I've posted similar blah blah in the past.

[captpower]

Thanks for the latest information and suggestions. Many of the thoughts are close to what I've been thinking. I've been doing a lot of forum reading in preparation. It's surprising how often you can't find what you are looking for even when you know it must exist.

good luck to us all

[bill-e-g]

Just to clarify some. No idea if you have been in Yosemite before.
But if not then you should at least make some sort of attempt to see Vernal and Nevada Falls.
Worse case you should see them from Glacier Pt. by driving there.
If you don't think you will be back anytime soon then by all means come down Yose Falls
if need be and go up Half Dome... or at least go up The Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada.
To go to the edge of El Cap involves a 500 ft. climb down from the trail end...

Have fun