Backpacking near Glen Aulin in late July 2014

[SpongebobBP!]

What are the conditions this year? This is a family trip to Yosemite in late July - a backpack trip to "Glen Aulin, waterwheel pass through". How is the river and how is the water level? Is is still worth doing? We have another permit for Young Lakes later in the season, but because the kids are beginner backpackers and have issues with elevation, our preference would be to Glen Aulin. We are staying overnight in a hotel nearby to get used to the elevation.

We want a great experience too so I wanted to know the conditions there, given its been a unique year with the drought.

Also, the kids are two big teenage boys so they can handle more than me, a small women. Thanks everyone!

[balzaccom]

It's a good trip and should be perfect for your first pack trip. You'll have to continue past Glen Aulin before you can camp...but you'll also have a bit more privacy than camping near Glen Aulin,

The falls are always nice, even if the water levels are lower this year. And if your kids like to fish they might have undecideds at that, too!

[Grzldvt]

Just got back from that area and the river is flowing, and did not go down the Waterwheels, but heard they were OK, I suspect by late July they will be pretty low. When you say "pass through" what does that mean, are you heading down and coming our at White Wolf or going back to Glen Aulin?
This group is tired of me pushing this one, but for very beginning backpackers, I would do May Lake, or Murphy's Creek to Polly Dome Lakes.
I chose May Lake as it is psuedo back country. You hike 1.2 miles to the High Sierra Camp, and stay in the Back packers camp. If something does not go well for one of the family members you have an easy out. The elevation is higher than Glen Aulin but lower than Young Lakes.
Murphy's because you have more of a backcountry experience and if there is any trouble it is still an easy out to the car or up to May Lake.
A lot of places to explore at May Lake and day hike, Raisin Lake, Mt Hoffman, McGee Lake. On this trip we stayed at May Lake, and then drove to a couple of day Hikes, part of the crowd went to Cloud's Rest, I went out to Parker Pass and a little beyond, then went down the Toulumne to see how it was flowing. The three of us had just come off a 10+ mile/leg relay race around Lake Tahoe and were pretty beat up, so May Lake was a prefect place to rest up and day hike.