Yosemite hiking trip

[askus3]

I have fine tuned my trip and my 16 day trip is taking shape. Now I just don't want to cram but still want to see almost all the major sites in Yosemite. I have reservations for Merced Lake HSC on Sept. 2. I would like to include Clouds Rest in my hike from Tioga Lake/Tenaya Lake to get there. I am thinking this hike involves 17 miles and 2600 feet of elevation gain. This I can handle as on August 30, I plan on hiking Half Dome and the next day hiking to Eagle Peak from the Yosemite Valley floor, so the only difference is now we have backpacks on as this will be the 1st day of a 3 day trip. next day to Vogelsang HSC and then out. So my two questions are...
1) Could we stash our packs at the Forsyth Trail junction since we have to return that way?
2) Anything special that will be extremely challenging besides the distance and elevation? From Clouds Rest it looks all downhill and then up about 300 feet to Merced Lake. So it looks doable. If I felt I can do the 14 miles from Tuolomne Meadows, why not throw Clouds Rest in and make a spectacular different route in to the Merced Lake HSC. Looks appealing.

Next question: If i go from May Lake to Glen Aulin HSC. Drop my pack off at Glen Aulin and secure it in bear locker, is it reasonable that I should have enough time to hike down the Canyon of the Tuolomne to Waterwheel Falls? The problem is dinner bell is 6:30 PM (I believe). Anyone have experience with later dinner starting time if delayed? I'd love to get another night at Glen Aulin but right now that is not a possibility.

[runningbear87]

Well I don't know anything about the dinner bell but I will say that with a mild winter and low snow pack Waterwheel Falls probably won't be super impressive (that is to say as impressive as it is during good/early snow melt) this time of year. I haven't been up there but if you can't make the time to get down to Waterwheel, make a trip down another year when there's more runoff. But again, I don't know what the water level is right now. Boy howdy, you've got a lot of stuff packed in there. Having planned it I'm sure you can do it just fine but Eagle Peak/Cloud's Rest and Half Dome in a few days is a lot of up in that time. But they're all worth it! Especially Cloud's Rest! Half Dome might have the fame but Cloud's Rest has the better view for sure...and it's easier. Good luck!

[Grzldvt]

Dinner is at 6:30 PM, if you are not there, you miss it, no exceptions. You can wander in a few minutes late but not 30 or 40 minutes late.
Stashing packs has an inherent risk, so make sure everything in the pack that smells is in a canister and leave it with the pockets unzipped and open.