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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2016 14:47:37 GMT -8
Hello!
First time i post on this forum, hope i don't break any rule.
I am a 30 years old man from Romania and have started making a plan to visit Yosemite, Yellowstone/Grand Tetone, Grand Canyon and Arch Park in 2017. I have came to a point where i need some help from people that have experience in backpacking in Yosemite. I am in search for the most beautiful places to do photography.
In July i plan to visit Yosemite as solo traveler for 15 maximum 20 days. My trip will start from Las Vegas or Los Angele and i don't want to use a car. I have an idea of an itinerary but i need some help please.
I want to do this hikes: Happy Isles - Little Yosemite Valley - Half Dome - Clouds Rest - Sunrise Lakes - Cathedral Lakes. And Tuolumne Meadows up Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang.
How should i make this itinerary?
Is this to much of a trip? Should i just focus on less aria?
And it is there any restriction on how much time i stay in wilderness aria? If i put in Wilderness Permit application form a longer period, is there a rule that say how much time i can stay in backpacking ?
Thanks and hope for help!
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markskor
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Mammoth Lakes & Tuolumne Meadows...living the dream
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Post by markskor on May 15, 2016 7:22:33 GMT -8
Admire your "open" itinerary Yosemite...15 - 20 days there...great! You could probably have time to get another backpacking trip in too. Anyway, getting to Yosemite without a car...sigh... from LA, San Francisco, (easier), Reno, Las Vegas, Sacramento...bus, air, train.... Greyhound (800-229-9424), CREST -(800.922.1930 M-F 8-5) Metrolink 800-371-5465, Amtrak – 1-800-AMTRAK-2 www.amtrak.com whatever, but once close to Yosemite, use the YARTS buses - www.yarts.com ...makes park travel easy and low cost. As for your route, suggest heading up to Tuolumne Meadows first thing - (TM) and stay 1 - 2 nights in the backpacker camp there ($6/ night/pp - no reservation needed)...Store and cafe. You will then also need a wilderness permit to camp out in back-country. All the reserved ones you want are long gone but 40% are still open - walk up. Go to the TM wilderness permit shack (free shuttle bus or 1/2 mile walk) and say hi/ ask some questions in the afternoon. Tell them ask you will be looking for a "next day" permit Rafferty Creek (or Lyell/Ireland). FYI, "next day" Permits are issued 11:00 AM next day, so be in line earlier. You might even have to kill a day waiting but...worse places to be stuck and, as a solo, you will get a permit from somewhere, especially if mid-week. You can make the permit for ...2 weeks? Also, you need to carry a bear canister for food storage, Yosemite - available to rent them for $5, same place where you get your permit. As for your route, once you start at the designated trailhead on the day mentioned on permit - the rest is all up to you. Rafferty Creek - Voglesang - Bernice - Washburn - Merced - Sunrise - Clouds Rest - Half Dome - Valley...all can be done in a good week..or slightly longer even better...well-marked trail and mostly downhill too. With permit in hand, can also then stay Valley BP camp...(you have to see the Valley), and easy YARTS access from there up to TM again or... Be flexible and a great adventure awaits. Hike safe/have fun. |
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2016 2:54:27 GMT -8
Hello!
I will start from Toulumne Meadows, but when i put the itinerary that you give on map, it looks a longer route and i think the route should be split ? So i start from TM - Rafferty Creek - Vogelsang - Bernice Lake - Merced Lake - Washburn Lake - Valley spend a night hear and then take other permit and go to Half Dome - Clouds Rest - Sunrise Lakes. What do you think? The downside is that i don't go to Cathedral Lakes.
So much good info. Thanks a lot! I Don't want to rush. I want to enjoy by doing photography as much as possible.
I am dreaming with open eye on this trip!
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2016 5:57:55 GMT -8
Hi!
Thanks for help! Great advice. I have made my itinerary, but i will stay open to changes if needed.
Cheers!
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grace
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Post by grace on May 18, 2016 11:23:16 GMT -8
This is interesting. I'm hoping to go in August for 5x nights with no itinerary. (If I can't find car- camping, I'll stay outside the park) and will wander in each day.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 18, 2016 18:47:47 GMT -8
This is interesting. I'm hoping to go in August for 5x nights with no itinerary. (If I can't find car- camping, I'll stay outside the park) and will wander in each day. the campgrounds outside the Valley close to always have available spots during the week. Once established you can stay as long as you like (up to the maybe 2 week limit). There's no reservations aside from half of Tuolumne Meadows, the least pleasant of them. www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/nrcamping.htm |
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markskor
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Post by markskor on May 20, 2016 7:34:40 GMT -8
Open itinerary...5 days? When visiting Yosemite as a single (solo), the best way to see the park grand is to live out of your backpack, provided you have the gear.
Use the YARTS...park your car in the Valley and leave it. A Yarts ticket (how are they to know?) into the park enables you to use the BP camp for one night legally. One night in the Valley BP will be enough there...(IMHO, sort of selfish to "car camp"/take a whole site for one person, but...). Free Hiker bus or YARTS to Tuolumne next morning...bag a wilderness permit there - maybe Sunrise, Cathedral, Glen Aulin, North Dome, (or?)...couple nights out and eventually back to Valley again. Lots better than car-commuting daily from somewhere outside the park.
just my 2¢
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grace
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Post by grace on May 20, 2016 14:31:58 GMT -8
markskor - thanks for this! I'm not yet an overnight backpacker, but I have thought about getting a larger pack, should it be the best option for this trip. I'm a novice adventurer, so I'm still kind of building confidence and honing my skill set. I thought if I were able to do at least a single overnight it would make me more flexible.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on May 21, 2016 20:07:40 GMT -8
I'm not yet an overnight backpacker, but I have thought about getting a larger pack, should it be the best option for this trip. I'm a novice adventurer, so I'm still kind of building confidence and honing my skill set. I thought if I were able to do at least a single overnight it would make me more flexible. Maybe a decent way to ease into it is something we have used with success in Yosemite when the campgrounds are full: get a permit for a less-known trailhead, and hike in the minimum distance, often after dinner (in summer, it's pretty easy to have dinner at 6 and hike 3 or more miles well before dark). Carry only a cold breakfast, so you don't have to cook, and if the area looks good, carry lunch too and you can explore in the early hours while the light is good. Or you can just pack up and zip out at the crack of dawn; think of it as a little longer than usual walk-in site  We have gotten permits for "non-destination" trails at 3 or 4 or 5 in the afternoon, for that same night. If you do need to commute into the park, the campgrounds on the east side are much closer to the good stuff than the west side, though obviously you'll want to visit the Valley for a day, anyway. |
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We have gotten permits for "non-destination" trails at 3 or 4 or 5 in the afternoon, for that same night.