Need help planning a first time trip.

[incandenza]

Hello all,

This is my first post on this forum. My girlfriend and I have found ourselves with 2 free round trip tickets to California and 2-3 weeks of vacation available in June/July. It has been a long time dream of ours to visit Yosemite and some other national parks in California as well as to visit the Grand Canyon. We both have some minimal experience camping, but no real experience with extended backpacking or backcountry camping. Nonetheless, we really, really want to spend a few days in the Yosemite backcountry. My questions are as follows:

1. Is it reasonable/safe for 2 people with minimal backcountry experience to go backcountry camping? We are both intelligent and in good shape.

2. Is 2 or 3 weeks too much time to spend backpacking? Besides seeing the highlights of the park (Half-dome, El Capitan, etc.) are there a good amount of quality day trips available, being that we don't plan on spending too much time in the backcountry?

3. Being that our plane tickets are free and that we already own camping gear, we want to make this vacation as cost effective as possible, and as such wanted to spend most of it camping (we will have a rental car). I know you need backcountry permits to spend nights in the wilderness, but are there regular campsites that we can use nightly?

4. How far in advance should we try to get permits, or how much would we rely on snagging backcountry permits the day of? We have no problem doing lots of day hikes and getting lucky at one opportunity or another with getting permits the day of (since we have so much time).

I know there is a ton of information out there, but there is almost too much and I find myself lost the more research I do. Any information anyone could give would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[AlmostThere]

You're confusing me here. Do you want to backpack or car camp? How many parks or places are you going to go in this span of time or are you going to select one?

If you have never been backpacking, never been to Yosemite, and are not likely to come back again - don't backpack. Get campsites in the campgrounds - one for two nights in the valley, another in Tuolumne Meadows for two nights. Day hike your feet off and have a blast then come back and have a meal at Curry, the Lodge, etc. The Big Things are all day hikes. Except for Half Dome - but don't bother with that. Hike to North Dome, the top of Yosemite Falls, to Clouds Rest from Sunrise trailhead, and enjoy views OF the dome.

You do not have enough time. Trust me. 2-3 weeks in Yosemite and you will maybe be able to do most of the day hiking and sightseeing. Mariposa grove and Wawona, 1 day. Glacier Point Road and 1 day hike - Dewey Point is a good choice - is 1 day. From Tuolumne Meadows - Waterwheel Falls, Lembert Dome, around the meadows themselves, up Lyell Canyon, over to Cathedral and Sunrise Lakes, over to Clouds Rest, Mt Watkins from Olmstead Point - shoot, there goes 3-4 days and you can't do them all. From the Tioga gate - Gaylor Lakes, Mt Dana, 1 day - from the Mono/Parker pass trailhead, Mono and Parker Pass and various lakes - there goes another day. From the valley floor - Yosemite Falls, lower and upper. One day. The Mist Trail, to Vernal and Nevada Falls, perhaps beyond up Little Yosemite into the Merced River Canyon - oh, that can take up all day. Spend a day in the valley floor visiting the various places in the Village, taking an open top bus tour, walking the valley loop trail admiring the granite.

You might have a few days left over for a backpacking trip. Leave room for the bear canister you WILL rent, walk into the Tuolumne Meadows wilderness office, and pick a trailhead. If you are using your car camping gear as backpacking gear... don't plan high miles, try May Lake.

Visit the park page at nps.gov/yose for all regulations regarding food storage and what to expect and don't forget your water filter.

If you're planning to drive to Kings Canyon/Sequoia - subtract a day from your two weeks just for driving. The distance may seem manageable but the majority of it is on winding two lane mountain roads. Subtract another day of nothing but driving freeways, and plan to drive into the night... I would highly recommend picking parks that are not more than 200 miles apart if you really want to maximize your vacation time.

Yosemite will give you big trees, Yosemite Valley, and subalpine scenery, with a little alpine if you're hiking Gaylor Lakes off Tioga Pass.

Visit yosemitehikes.com for mileages and ideas.

[incandenza]

Thank you very much for your response. I will look into all of what you recommended.

We want to spend most of our time in Yosemite, but I would also like to take a detour for a few days to visit the Grand Canyon.

We want to do a little bit of both. That is to say that we know we are not experienced enough to go spend 2 weeks in the backcountry, but we would like to get a few days/nights during our trip where we are alone in the wilderness. We are renting a car, so we are flexible as to the period/s of time we plan on having one.

I am curious, why does the likelihood of us making a return trip one day factor into your recommendations?

[balzaccom]

ALmost There is figuring that if you never get another chance to see Yosemite, you should see all the A-list stuff now, and not have to worry about permits and the other backpacking stuff. Save the backpacking for when you can come back...because there is so much to see WITHOUT backpacking.

I am not sure I agree---I think there is something pretty wonderful about spending a night or two in Yosemite with very few people around...

But remember that it is a FULL days drive between Grand Canyon and Yosemite. And there is good hiking at the Grand Canyon as well--so you'll want to spend a few days there.

If you do decided to go backpacking, take a single night breakdown trip near your house---even if it is only in your backyard--so that you get a sense of what you need to bring, what you can leave behind, and what you will need in Yosemite. Practice, even for only one night, will make your trip in Yosemite a lot better

WE have lots of advice on our website, if you are interested....

[AlmostThere]

I would recommend working on getting the gear together and doing a few one night trips back home before attempting a few days/nights of backpacking, and to take into consideration the elevation in Yosemite - people have difficulties sometimes at 5-6000 feet and much of the park is higher than that. You'll enjoy your experience much more if you also do some research into the temperatures that are likely - often it gets to freezing at night in the middle of summer. And avoid the John Muir Trail (Happy Isles - Half Dome - Clouds Rest - Tuolumne Meadows) if you want a true wilderness experience. That will conveniently make it easier to get a permit.

I don't envy you the drive - that's a long way to go for a few days.

[incandenza]

Thanks guys! The lady and I are located in NYC and plan on spending a few weekends backpacking in the Adirondacks to get the hang of things. As for the trip to Grand Canyon, if we can get a full 3 weeks vacation I think our plan is to do 2 in Yosemite and 1 in Grand Canyon, and then fly home from Vegas. Hopefully this all works out. Thanks again for the info.

[balzaccom]

Sounds like a good plan!