First Wilderness Hike

[MrDrouf]

Hi,

I would like to do a 3-4 days hike with a pass to camp in the wild in Yosemite in two weeks with my girlfriend. I am really excited about it, but I definitely need some advices as I am new in Los Angeles and know nothing about Yosemite.

We are looking for scenery, quietness and solitude. We are both in shape, but plan to make it very relaxed. I want to camp in the wild in solitude, and possibly in idyllic places with a view. What trail precisely would you recommend ? Which zone do I need to reserve for the wilderness permit ?

Concerning the equipment, it's been a while I haven't camped. In my mind, I need to take: hot clothes for the night, tent, equipment for cooking, equipment to clean water, food supplies, protection for the sun, bear can, map. Do I miss something relevant ?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Best,

Adrien

[balzaccom]

Hi Adrian

There are so many place to go in Yosemite--and most of them would meet your goals. The one concern is your desire for solitude--Yosemite is popular, and most of the obvious trails will have other people on them.

You sound as if you have not backpacked before--so I am going to suggest you to a dry run to test your equipment. Pack it all up in your pack and carry it for at least a day hike to see how it feels. And when you get home at night, set your tent up in your backyard (or living room!) and try to live out of what you have brought in your pack. It's the best advice we can give you.

We have a complet guide to backpacking on our website...so that might be worth a visit

[AlmostThere]

It would help if you would tell us when you want to go. It is very late in the year to plan a backpacking trip in the Sierra, for beginners who have yet to experience winter weather.

[balzaccom]

I think he said in two weeks...which would put him around the end of September. You are right in raising the issue of the weather---because it could be beautiful, but it could also be a powerful storm.

[MrDrouf]

Thanks for your answers.

I did scouts and other similarities when I was younger, so that shouldn't be a problem. I will read carefully the backpacking forum though to refresh.

I actually really want to go to Yosemite, even if there is not that much solitude, but to get started on doing some plans, I need to know where I should go. Hopefully a lot of tracks in Yosemite meet my goals, but could you suggest me one of them ? That would be really helpful.

Thanks again,

Adrien

[AlmostThere]

Oh, you'll have solitude - the park is shutting down. You can have solitude in Yosemite sitting on the valley floor if you go in winter. If your experience didn't include winter backpacking it might be better to wait til next year.

Weather patterns are looking like some storm fronts will be moving down through the range. Yosemite's services start shutting down in mid September - by October 15 some roads no longer allow overnight parking due to the likelihood of snowfall that stays and doesn't melt til spring. Wilderness permits go to self registration in October - the rangers assume anyone going this time of year will be prepared for winter conditions, and traffic in the wilderness diminishes to those who ski and snowshoe.

The continued activity of the Rim Fire (smoke and haze are ongoing and variable due to wind shift) make any trail off Tioga Road a poor choice. If you do go something going from Happy Isles toward Merced Lake might be a better bet, possibly the Buena Vista trail - perhaps snow fall will stay above 8000 - 9000 feet this early.

If you're not ready for 10 degrees and navigating without a trail in the event it snows, it might be better in spring.

[Grzldvt]

Not going to argue about being prepared for some inclement weather, but the Fall has some of the most spectacular backpacking out of anytime in the year. I have been going to the park for 20+ years and always do a trip at the end of September or early October and only once in all that time did we run into inclement weather and the next day it was back int the 70's. You need to be prepared for cooler nights, but the days can be relatively warm.

I always recommend this to people new to backpacking - May lake High Sierra camp. you drive up the road to a parking lot, and hike in 1.2 miles to the May Lake High Sierra camp. This time of year it is usually very quiet. If you get into trouble, or decide it is not for you, you can hike right back out. They have bear boxes, but you will have to filter your water from the lake. The 2nd night you can hike down to Raisin Lake. You will see it from the trail on the right, no real trail to the lake, so you pick a spot and head right. I like to go a fair amount beyond the lake into a wide open area, where you get some nice views of Cloud's Rest, etc. We will take along a 3 liter bag and pump water into it, so we have water for camp with out having to do multiple trips with smaller bottles.
You might consider parking your car at Tenaya, and hiking the trail to Toulumne Meadows, stay in the backpackers campground to get used to setting up. Check to make sure it is open, generally it closes the last Sunday n September. If you get into any trouble help is not very far away at all, on Tioga Road. The next day hike out of Toulumne to Glen Aulin.
Stay at Glen Aulin the next night. The last day or 3rd day, hike out of Glen Aulin to the Murphy Creek trail. You can stay at Polly Dome Lakes, then out to your car.
Starting out you will need to walk north along Tioga Road until the end of the Lake and head off the road to locate the trail to get started, but then you finish right at the car. I suggest you go to REI and get a really good map, their are several available. Tom Harrison maps are the best as they show mileage between trailheads.
And as stated CHECK THE WEATHER if it even looks like a storm might be coming don't go!!!! Save it and go next year.

[AlmostThere]

Every year people get caught out by some storm or another, the trail disappears under an inch of snow, and SAR gets mobilized. In Yosemite SAR goes out *every day*. The warning isn't out of place.

Sometimes paranoia is reasonable.

Every year, first weekend of October, I seem to have the knack of picking the one area that gets slammed by precip and end up walking in sleet, hail, snow, rain, snow, rain, snow....

September is a great month - fall color - but some years...

[RickM]

I think all the cautions about late season backpacking in the high country when you are not very experienced are proper. You might also consider just going to Yosemite Valley (with a good map and a guidebook of dayhikes). There are lots of great places to see in the valley and fall is a super season as the crowds are much less. You can probably camp or get a tent cabin. You will have fun and since the elevation is much lower, snow should not be an issue.