Reds Meadow to Tolumne and Yosemite Valley

[PirateDoc]

Hi guys - got good advice on here last year when I hiked the North Rim (much thanks to those for the input) and wanted to use your expertise again to make some good decisions. My issues are in regards to ground transpo availability and resources for certain times to facilitate our tentative itinerary.

A buddy and I are hoping to start at Red Meadows by Devil postpile and hike the JMT over Donahue pass to Tolumne Meadows and then continue down to Clouds Rest/Half Dome and down to yosemite Valley to finish - 60+ miles in 6 days of walking (Sun Jun 15 In, Friday Jun 20 out). We already have our out of park Inho Nat Forest passes and in-park wilderness permits all squared away - my questions are about transpo.

ISSUE #1 - Transpo to START Point - We had been planning to drop our rental car off at Tolumne Meadows (for a mid point resupply of food etc) and then get a YARTS bus to Reds Meadow in the morning of Sunday Jun 20 but it looks like the YARTS bus only runs once a day out there in each direction and it is in the evening that it goes from yosemite Valley to Mammoth Lakes area (I know there is a separate shuttle bus out there at Devils Postpile that runs to get us down to Red Meadow once we are in the mammoth lakes area and we are all set with those coordinations - its getting from Yosemite to Mammoth Lakes area thats the issue). So it appears there is no way, whether we are leaving our car at the finish point in Yosemite Valley, or the midway point in Tolumne Meadow, to get from either place east to the mammoth lakes area in the morning of Sunday June 15th. Yes...No...ideas?

ISSUE #2 - Transpo back to car from finish point - On the end of the trip (we finish on a Friday night) in Yosemite Valley and would want to get back to our rental car we leave at Tolumne meadows to get our gear to get cleaned up and into some clean clothes etc Friday night - is there any way to get back to Tolumne meadows in the afternoon/evening from Yosemite Valley? The YARTS schedule says it only runs weekends in June so the YARTS from Yosemite Valley to Tolumne is out, and then the hiker shuttle only goes in that direction early in the morning - it comes back from Tolumne meadows to Yosemite Valley in the afternoon - wrong direction for us. Before you suggest hitciking and how friendly everyone is and how easy it is to catch a ride - I had to hitchhike from the valley last year to get from the Valley back to my car at a trailhead up on Tioga Road past Tamarack Flat camground and it took me over an hour of thumbin' in the later afternoon heat after humping 12 miles that day to get a ride - not really looking to repeat that experience.

Any other transpo resources to get out there I am not aware of?

Much thanks in advance.

JACK

[balzaccom]

Hi Jack
I think you've missed a key point. You say you want to resupply at Tuolumne Meadows...that's why you want to leave your car there...

Doesn't make sense, for two reasons.

1. You are only going six days. You can easily carry six days of food without resupply. In fact, if you can't do this you should consider another itinerary. (Technically, the rangers can require a second permit if you exit the wilderness and then re ~enter...

2. You sure can't leave food in your car anyway. The bears will chew up your car, the rangers will cite you, and your hike will be over.

Leave the car in Yosemite Valley and half of your problem is solved....

PW

[weendoggy]

I agree with PW. Six days is not that long. I've been on eight day trips (food leftover) and a lot steeper eleveation than you're attempting. That hike is a mild hike for six days. I'd leave the car in the valley and get to your starting point and have some fun. This way, no obsticles.

[PirateDoc]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I appreciate it.

[AlmostThere]

Having a car at the end of the trip makes it a little less stress getting places on YARTS - I'd put the car at the end, in the very early AM, the day before your permit says you start, and catch the YARTS at the hotel at 8 am back into the park. Stay in the backpacker camp and have fun touristing around the valley floor in what time you have left. Eat pizza at Curry, have ice cream, play in the river. Hike your hike, ride the two shuttles back into Mammoth, get a burger, get in your car. Sooooo much less hassle if you are somehow delayed on the trail and get back to the car late. Starting in the valley? do the same in reverse - park the car, get on the YARTS, all the way over to Mammoth, on the day before your permit starts. stay in one of the campgrounds if you get there too late in the day to get the shuttles to Reds.

We had a spot reserved at Shady Rest at the end of the trip and ended up coming out a day early - it snowed, and some were not as prepared as they thought they were. Happily Shady Rest could move our reservation back a day. Otherwise we would have been fruitlessly searching for a cheap hotel room. Having the car so we didn't have to wait in Mammoth til morning for the YARTS would have helped.

Put food in a beat up trash bag with a date on it, leave it in the lockers near Dog Lake trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows, if you need a resupply there. Or just buy stuff in the general store, which is pretty well stocked. Or dig through the hiker box - which the thrus doing the PCT leave stuff in.