Backpacking in late June

[coachrains]

Four of us are looking for about a 40 mile loop away from as many tourist as possible, but at the same time seeing some of beautiful sites of Yosimite. We are all fond of water, waterfalls and of course outlook vistas. We are hammock campers and planning 5 days and 4 nights out max. We might drop that down a night and do some car bouncing to top places to see. We have submitted application for half dome, but who knows. As of right now we are looking at starting at Lake Tenaya and heading south toward Cloud Rest. We have found something resembling at 43 miler there that runs south and back north.
I welcome any suggestions to this open ended semi-vague question.


Also any suggestions and issues for hiking from June 21st - 26th

[AlmostThere]

June may be too soon for trailheads on Tioga - there is a ton of snow up there and more weather coming.

I am being told by rangers not to expect ROADS to be open. This is a permit for early July I'm getting. If you do not like postholing and have difficulty navigating without visible trail, you may want to think about this a little more.

[coachrains]

Where and what do you suggest? We already have plane tickets

[Phil]

Besides the biggies; the weather, roads being open for access, and trail conditions, there are also a few other things which raise flags: First: if you're going up the Sunrise Trail at Tenaya, then Cloud's Rest, then maybe Half Dome, you're not going to be going anywhere that everyone else isn't too, especially tourists. Second: 40+ miles of backcountry travel is going to be tough then, especially given the snowpack and high-water this year. Third: if you leave the wilderness to go back to the car, you void your permit and will need to get a new one for any other trailhead you end up on. With the latter, you get caught with no permit, incorrect entry date, or the wrong permit, it's a $300 fine and an escort out.

[Phil]

Lower elevations...the north or south rims of Yosemite Valley are your best bets...views, nice trails, waterfalls, less snow, hopefully not too many mosquitoes.

If you have a map to reference, we can hook you up with a good route.

[coachrains]

open to suggestions?>

[coachrains]

Lower elevations...the north or south rims of Yosemite Valley are your best bets...views, nice trails, waterfalls, less snow, hopefully not too many mosquitoes.

If you have a map to reference, we can hook you up with a good route.

Is it full of tourist? would like to get out away from crowds

[dgilman]

Is an easily accessible part of a popular National Park full of people in the middle of summer?

Nah, should be a ghost town.

David



Seriously though, I'm not sure if you want to get away from the crowds that Yosemite proper in the place you want to go. People here could probably suggest parts of the Sierras that will be less travelled.

[Phil]

First question: do you like climbing? If so, you can leave from the Valley, but that can get rough on the uninitiated, since it's 2-3 thousand feet up from just about any trailhead, with no choice but to finish it or turn back.

You could go up Yosemite Falls, cut over to North Dome, then exit on the Snow Creek Trail. Or you could try to get a permit for Happy Isles, then up the Panorama Trail to Illilouette Creek near Glacier Point, then down the Pohono Trail, exit at Tunnel View.

Or if you don't want to climb, for the North Rim, start at Big Oak Flat, past El Cap, past Yosemite Falls, to North Dome, back out at Snow Creek.

South Rim: Start out around Glacier Point or Mono Meadow, head up Illilouette Creek to the Clark Fork, back down toward GP, again the Pohono to around Bridalveil Creek, again out Tunnel View or do it as an in-and-out and head back up to the car. Dependent on conditions, you guys could also head up toward Ostrander Lake and do a little cross- country over to the Buena Vista Trail and circle back out.,

One thing though is that you need to be well aware of where camping restriction are for any of these routes. Here's a map. Anywhere past the arrowheads is good, anywhere inside the colored lines or stated as restricted is illegal.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdf

[Phil]

Is an easily accessible part of a popular National Park full of people in the middle of summer?

Nah, should be a ghost town.

Ha! It varies. People up there in June are either wishful thinkers, tough SOBS, or like me, kinda dumb that way.

[coachrains]

Thanks Phil

I will keep in touch

[AlmostThere]

What typically happens in June, or whenever the snowmelt is in progress, is that everyone gets a permit and goes backpacking, hikes out to where there is either an uncrossable stream full of melted snow or the trail vanishes under the snow and does not reappear, and then they set up tents and camp. On early season day hikes we run into little tent cities -- this is why there are compacted obvious tent sites all over the place at the top of Chilnualna Falls, no one can cross that stream until the snow is gone and everyone sits and builds a fire and stays there.

I would take your friends to Point Reyes and do some backpacking there - if there are campsites available. They are reservable online at recreation.gov. No bear can needed. Pack in charcoal instead and make hamburgers with the grill.

[Phil]

...no one can cross that stream until the snow is gone and everyone sits and builds a fire and stays there.

And then they all sit there and discuss it while looking at the water from every possible angle trying to figure out how deep it is, and if it's going to be better in the morning.


Pt Reyes would be the more pragmatic destination, but it's hard to deny the allure for someone with a Yosemite thing going on and an airline ticket.

You're going to have to watch the weather and snowmelt very closely going into your trip, but if you want the best chance, it's the North Rim. Maybe crowded, maybe not, but if it's passable, it's nice. There are far worse Plan Bs.