Am I missing anything? First timer...

[sintax]

Hey guys,

I wanted to pick your brains a bit and see if you can poke any holes in my plans. I'm far from a Yosemite expert when it comes to a backpacking standpoint. I've done a considerable amount of day treks, but this will be my first actual multi-day backpacking trek. Its going to be my GF and I on the trail. Any ideas of side excursions or cool things to check out along way would be much appreciated. I figure I'll try to keep everything as flexable and open ended as possible.

Dates - 7/3 - 7/6

Night before - 7/2
Any ideas where a good place to pre-camp? Maybe hotel in mammoth? One of the general campsites?

Entry Date - 7/3
Sunrise Lakes - Get an early start, pick up permit - Get Halfdome endorsement? From what I understand I can just have them stamp my wilderness permits? Is it as easy as asking when I pick up my permits?

Hiking up to Cloudsrest on day 1, camping just beyond cloudsrest

Day 2 - 7/4
Hike down into the valley, maybe hike half dome? Explore randomness?

Day 3 - 7/5
Maybe do half dome if day 2 was too packed - Start hiking into Yosemite Valley

Day 4 - 7/6
Exit trail - find our way back up to Sunrise Lakes trail head.


Thanks guys!

[dan]

Night before - 7/2
Camp in the Tuolumne Backpacker's Campground. It's located next to the Tuolumne Campground. You need a Wilderness Permit or Wilderness Permit Reservation and you can stay the night before and night after your trip.

Entry Date - 7/3
You can get the Half Dome endorsement the same time you pick up your Wilderness permit. Not a problem.
Consider hiking just before Clouds Rest--there's a few ponds and a stream you can camp nearby. No water after Clouds Rest until you get to the campground I describe below.

Day 2 - 7/4
I recommend not going to Yosemite Valley, but camping either at the junction of the John Muir Trail (JMT) and Clouds Rest Trail (CRT), if you like solitude, or camping at the Little Yosemite Valley Backpacker campground if you like a lot of company. Optional dayhike to Half Dome.

Day 3 - 7/5
Maybe do half dome if day 2 was too packed - Start hiking into Yosemite Valley

[sintax]

Thanks Dan, that is VERY good info.

I think i'll take your advice on camping just before clouds rest, I also read somewhere you want to be at CR early in order to get good photos. This should facilitate that.

Assuming I camp near the junction of JMT and CRT, is it poor etiquette to leave your camp setup there during the following day while we day trip halfdome?

One last item, i've heard there is a shuttle of some type that runs between trail heads, is this something that is easy to track down? How frequently does it stop?

Thanks again!

[dan]

Clouds Rest is best in the morning. In the afternoon the view of Yosemite Valley (and a in-your-face view of Half Dome) both get hazy, usually. Also thunderstorms, if any, usually occur in the afternoon.

You can leave your camp setup--that's OK. Just don't leave any food outside of the required bear barrel you bring.

Here's information about the Hiker's Shuttle along the Tioga Road. They leave from Yosemite Valley hotels and drop hikers off along trailheads on the Tioga Road. It's ran by the park concessionaire, DNC Yosemite:
http://yosemitepark.com/tuolumne-meadows-tour.aspx