Places to camp from Rafferty to LYV

[crya]

Hi, been a long time since backpacking Yosemite.  We're heading to Tuolumne as our trailhead and will hike down Rafferty Creek. Our goal is 5 days to get to Valley Floor, with at least one layover day somewhere. We're heading over the Vogelsang area, and I hear nice things about Bernice lake. Just curious if anyone can help with an itinerary for overnight destinations that will get me from Tuolmne to Valley Floor? My goal is to leave Monday and hit LYV on Friday, so we can sleep over and catch the shuttle on Saturday from Valley Floor back to the Meadows.  Bagging Half Dome should be considered too. Thanks in advance!

[balzaccom]

Well, first of all, you'll be hiking UP Rafferty Creek, not down it! Once over Tuolumne Pass you can choose to go over Vogelsang (and yes, Bernice is a lovely place to camp) and then down Lewis Creek. Or hike down Fletcher Creek, camping at Emeric Lake, for example. Either way, there will be lots of places to camp from there--in fact, you have enough time to climb both Half Dome and Clouds' Rest, (which is higher and has better views and fewer people).

You might look at Washburn as a less populated campsite area than Merced Lake, even if it takes you a couple of miles up canyon and away from Yosemite Valley, And if yo ucamped along Sunrise Creek you could climb both rocks from there, and still have an easy hike to the Valley on the last day.

[centurycyclist]

consider going out Lyell Cyn from Tuolumne, then up to Vogelsang. yes, longer, but Rafferty is a horse trail and Lyell is REALLY pretty....worth the extra miles.

[crya]

If my pass is for Rafferty, aren't I likely to get flack from Rangers if I head out Lyell instead?

[centurycyclist]

actually, I do not know if they care how you get from A to B. If you go from Tuolumne to Vogelsang via Rafferty vs. Lyell. I do not not know if it matter UNLESS you camp along the way. so that is the question to ask. The trek from Tuolumne to Vogelsang via YLyell vs rafferty are both ONE DAY HIKES. one being longer than the other. Does that help you?

[bill-e-g]

The statement above is plain wrong. If you have a Rafferty permit you HAVE to start up Rafferty.
If you have a Lyell permit you HAVE to start up Lyell. You are NOT allowed to do the opposite.
It does not matter where you end up. It matters where you start. If you run into a ranger
before Vogelsang on the Lyell or Ireland/Evelyn trail with a Rafferty permit on day 1... good luck.

[AlmostThere]

What bill said.

You can bet your boots they care - and they will walk you out of the wilderness and slap a fine on you. Being out with a permit for some other trail is equal to having no permit at all, which is a punishable offense.

There is also a huge fine for no bear can, or being careless with food and trash and letting a bear get it, too. And if there is any place you will be caught - it's Yosemite. You'll see backcountry rangers out there a lot if you pay attention. (sometimes they don't wear the uniform, just a radio and a hat)

It may be that you could change your permit when you pick it up - if there is space for Lyell. There may be, if someone's abandoned a reserved permit. Worth asking if you want to do that instead.

[centurycyclist]

Yikes, thanks for the corrections...I appreciate this knowledge as well. Still prefer the Lyell route as opposed to the Rafferty route, given the choice.