4-Night Trip from Glacier Point

[iaws1]

My friend and I have reserved Glacier Point --> Illilouette permits for a 5 day, 4-night trip in mid-July. We're working on planning our route now, and would greatly appreciate any tips or suggestions that people more familiar with the area might have! We're moderately experienced backpackers, but we haven't visited Yosemite before.

Any suggestions for a 40 mile (or in that ballpark) trip, starting from Glacier Point?

[AlmostThere]

Shouldn't that planning part happen before you get the permit?

Do you have a map?

The trail goes down from GP and out toward Nevada Falls. You can't camp until you're 2 miles up Illilouette Creek, or in Little Yosemite Valley, or beyond LYV. Going up the creek off the trail to camp will perhaps enable you to find the trail to Red Peak Pass.

There's not a loop option of that specific distance unless you go off trail and cross country somewhere. There's an out and back - go out one of the trails until you hit the turnaround time - or a longer loop on trail over Red Peak Pass and out then back down the Merced River then back up to Glacier Point. That might be a good five day if you can do the miles and not feel too beat up.

There's also the Buena Vista trail/loop to the south.

If it's your first time in Yosemite - I'd say don't even backpack - visit all the great places in the valley and drive over Tioga Pass. The iconic parts of Yosemite are in the front country. But Red Peak / Merced would be a good mix of high granite and forest and lakes.

[balzaccom]

AT is a little grumpy about this

It's a great permit, and would allow you to do an out and back trip to the Ottoway Lakes, which are one of the truly great destinations in Yosemite. Head up Illilouette Creek the first day, and camp somewhere around where the trail hits the creek again.

The next day, have lunch at Merced Pass Lake, and then hike up to Lower Ottoway to camp.

Two days back out, and you have a great trip there. It's about 36 miles or so.

[AlmostThere]

I'm grumpy when it's clear no research has been done. We help and are happy to do so, but at least look at one of the million websites, guidebooks, maps, or even the official Yosemite website.

[balzaccom]

You could even look at our website...which has this very trip in the destionations section...a long with about 100 other ones!

Grin

[iaws1]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all of your input. Sorry for not including more details originally. Here are a couple of possible routes that we're considering:

1. The Red Peak Pass loop a few people have mentioned (approximate details here http://caltopo.com/map?id=6O6K), or and out-and-back trip to Ottoway Lake if we aren't feeling up to the full 50-mile loop
2. Heading from Glacier Point to Illilouette to Little Yosemite Valley, and then up the JMT to Cathedral Lakes, finishing at Tuolumne Meadows (approx. details here http://caltopo.com/map?id=5P4L). We would then take YARTS back to Yosemite Valley where the car would be parked.
3. Heading from Glacier Point to Illilouette to LYV, then to Merced Lake and back (http://caltopo.com/map?id=1N4E). We were thinking about parking in the Valley and taking the 4-mile trail up on the first day.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

[balzaccom]

#1 The Four Mile Trail with a full pack would be a lot of work...and you couldn't camp at Glacier Point, so you'd need to add a few miles beyond that. See #2.

#2. You can't camp anywhere between Glacier Point and LYV...so you will need to either get all the way to LYV, or make a side trip into Illilouette Canyon to camp there the first night.