Yosemite - early May routes and gear?

[twitch]

We're making a trip to Yosemite in early May for about 4-5 days. Since we're flying into CA, we decided to crash at housekeeping camp. With the limited time and inexperience here, we want to go after the best sites and experiences.

Also, will we need a 15F/30F bag and baselayers for the May nights or are 40F+ bags ok?

[jchapell]

I have VERY limited knowledge (working on planning a 1st time trip the 2nd week in May), but this may be useful:

- You may have seen that the Glacier Point road opened today, which opens up some options.
- I've talked to the rangers a couple times, and though 4-mile trail is closed currently before Glacier Point, they said it will almost certainly be open by May due to the low snowfall so far this year (caveat: who knows what snow is left to fall).
- One ranger highly recommended the North Rim as a backpacking trip if you're looking for something like that, though possibly needing gaiters, possibly snowshoes/crampons for the snow.
-

[balzaccom]

Please remember that we had snow at 5,000 feet in Yosemite a couple of years ago in June. I think a 40 degree bag is too light, even in mid-summer if you are going to be at higher elevations than that. And just about all of Yosemite is that.

As for snow---bear in mind that they plowed a couple of feet of snow off those roads this week. While there are certainly open patches, the north slopes of anything over about 7000 will still have snow...and maybe enough snow to obscure the trail. Make sure you know how to navigate in those conditions...

[AlmostThere]

You're crashing at Housekeeping Camp and day hiking, I assume. Also assuming you have a reservation - if not, you may have a problem and end up at Camp 4 hoping. If you ride YARTS into the park you can stay at the backpacker's camp - probably want to bring the appropriate page of the compendium, as people have reported being turned away from that camp without a wilderness permit, though it's specifically stated in the compendium that bicycle or bus park entrants can stay there as well.

All hikes are excellent - most that start in the valley are best in the early morning, however, as it heats up radically after 10 am and the very worst part of the day to be on exposed granite in the sunlight is between 1 - 3 pm. Upper Yosemite Falls, Snow Creek, and the Mist Trail up to the top of Nevada Falls are all horrible afternoon uphill climbs. You also beat 80% of the hideous crowds of tourists if you start early morning.

Half Dome cables probably won't go up til Memorial Day, but that's okay - it's overrated and there are plenty of other things to do that don't require permits that are hard to get. You can ride the tour bus to Glacier Point if you are not into steep uphill treks, then take the Panorama trail or 4 mile trail (Panorama is about twice as long as 4 mile) back down to the valley.