Easy Backpacking for Rookie, no car?

[Drew345]

I have been to Yosemite dozens of times, but never backpacked there. Actually, I began planning this particular trip as my "no-car" experiment. I will come into the park by bus with no car, and plan to stay about 5~7 days or so. I got a reservation at upper pines for the first day, and it was probably the last campsite reservation available for the whole valley floor for the whole month of July. I got the reservation for one night Thursday July 11. After that night, I will try to get a "no-show" campsite from the campground reservation kiosk or try to walk-in at camp 4 (or probably try both to be sure).
Anyway, now to the point, 5~7 days on the valley floor is of course not ideal. Honestly the valley floor is my least favorite part of Yosemite, but on this "no-car" experiment, I am a bit limited. I am not a great backpacker, and have limited gear, but I can survive a couple of days on cold food and chemical treated water. I was in the Sierra club years ago and did some backpacking, but that was a long time ago. I don't want to invest a lot on gear because I actually live in South Korea now and carrying it all back and never using it again would be a waste. Anyway, not really going to invest in a lot of backpacking gear, mainly backpack, sleeping bag (have those), tent, water, cold food, water chemicals.
So, since 5~7 days on the valley floor would be a bit too noisy, is there an easy backpacking site or route that I should look into? I think I remember one about half way up the Glacier point trail. Or I could get a ride up the Tioga Pass road and start up high and hike and camp down to the valley floor. That would be great!
Do they do "no-show" for the wilderness hikers, like they do for the campsites? Where would I go to get on the list for the "no-show" for backpackers?
Any advice on backpacking for rookies or any advice on my "no-car" plan in general is greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much,
Drew

[balzaccom]

I am hesitant to give you suggestions, with your limited equipment..but I can certainly clear a few things up:

1. To backpack (camp in the Wilderness) you need to be at least four miles from the road. From Yosemite Valley, this means pretty much hiking up to the rim of the Valley in one area or another. \

2. Any backpacking trip will require a permit, and the most popular trailheads fill up fast. You can still get a few walk-up permits, but I would try to plan in advance.

3. Yes, there is a shuttle up to Tuolumne Meadows--and there are some great hikes up there. Your suggestion of starting at TM and then hiking down into the Valley is a good one--but there will be a lot of demand for those trailhead permits.

4. There are a few trailheads that rarely fill up, You might look at hiking to Polly Dome Lake (it's just inside the wilderness limit) and that would give you a couple of nice nights in the back country.

5. If you CAN treat water, then Porcupine Flat Campground is an option. There is no piped water, but there is a stream. The campground fills up later than most, and is on the route for the shuttle. And from there you could hike to North Dome, which is a great hike.

Hope that gives you a few ideas. WE have a lot more on our website

[Drew345]

Thank you so much for the information and advice. I will be sure to be safe and careful, especially if my equipment is limited. Your two suggestions of Porcupine Flat Campground (no reservations, next to road) and Polly Dome Lake (backpacking) are both great ideas for me to get out of the valley floor.
I guess my worry now is that as long as I am in the valley floor, I can stay by going early for Camp 4 or non-claimed reservations. But once I go up Tioga road for camping / backpacking I will have no way to stay on the valley floor again, since I would arrive back after anything walk-in would be claimed. I guess I will go up Tioga road at the end of my stay and go directly back to Merced from there. Or maybe go up Tioga road first and arrive on the Valley Floor on the one day I have a reserved spot.
Anyway, I am happy about the options to get out of the Valley floor, thanks for that.
Any other advice on my trip greatly appreciated.
Drew

[AlmostThere]

Rent gear while you are here. There are stores that do this. lowergear.com will even rent gear by mail.

You will NEED at a minimum, a shelter, sleeping bag, pad, and bear can for your food. Without the pad you'll be cold, without the bear can you run the risk of being fined big time and thrown out of the park. Fortunately you can rent the bear can when picking up the permit.

There is a little known rule stated in the park's compendium that people who arrive by foot, bike, bus, etc can stay in the backpacker campgrounds. Staff in the park don't always realize this and can give you issues, so taking a printed copy of the compendium would help. You can also go to the camping kiosk and see about abandoned campsite reservations.

[Drew345]

Thank you very much, I found that rule in the Yosemite compendium stating that:
• Backpacker camps are intended for use by visitors in possession of an overnight
Wilderness Permit or for visitors arriving in the park by foot, bicycle, or bus.
• Users arriving in the park by foot, bicycle, or bus may stay in each backpacker camp for a
limit of one night.

But I am confused about what exactly is a “Backpacker Camp”. First I thought it must mean a camping area in the wilderness (i.e. at least 4 miles from the road). But in another place under description of camps, it mentions:
• Backpacker Camps: Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, White Wolf
• Walk in Camps: Camp 4, some sections of Hodgdon Meadow Campground

So is there a “Backpacker Camp” in the Yosemite Valley (not Camp 4, Walk-in). I guess it does not allow reservations because sites with reservations can be full. What camp in the valley meets this description (not camp 4 and no reservations and someone can show up on bus and camp there no problems)

Here are some more descriptions of this mysterious “backpacker camp”, perhaps in the valley:
• Except for administrative activities, vehicles are not allowed within the boundaries of
Walk-In or Backpacker Camps.
• Each Walk-In and Backpacker Camp user must register individually.

Any more definition of what is a “Backpacker Camp” and why the list the valley as having one is appreciated.

EDIT -- -- --- -
Never mind, I did a simple google search and found the "backpacker campground" information at :
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bpcamp.htm

That could be really useful for me as I am arriving by bus and they have these sites in the valley and up in Tuolumne.

[AlmostThere]

They aren't mysterious at all. Any backpacker can use the backpacker camps on the night before or the night after their backpacking trip. There is one in White Wolf, another in Tuolumne Meadows, and one in the valley. They are a part of the campgrounds and walk in only.

In the wilderness you camp where it is legal to do so. When within a certain distance of the HIgh Sierra Camps you camp in their backpacker campgrounds. When in Little Yosemite Valley you camp in the designated area, not wherever you want.

Backpacker campgrounds tend to be a bit of a zoo - not unlike Camp 4 - and can get pretty crowded. Again, you'll want to have a copy of the compendium with you, as sometimes staff don't know all the rules and have ticketed folks in the past.