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Post by jgaffney on Aug 19, 2015 8:25:04 GMT -8
I had an epic backpacking trip planned for last week. I was going to leave from the Bridalveil Campground on Glacier Pt Road, head south to the Buena Vista Crest, swing east over Merced Pass, then northwest down Illilouette Creek to Happy Isles. The first day out, I camped at Deer Camp, about 5 miles south of Glacier Pt Rd. The stream there was dry and I was down to 1 liter of water. I turned around the next morning and headed back to the campground (and water spigot) because the presumption was that, if the creek at Deer Camp was dry, I wouldn’t find any water until I got to the Chilnualna Lakes and I couldn’t make that on just 1 liter of water. I ended up hiking the south rim of the Yosemite Valley, where I only found 1 reliable source of water at Bridalveil Creek. I can only carry 3 liters of water at a time, and that is 8 pounds! If we get an El Nino this winter as predicted, I’ll try the Buena Vista hike again next year. The red line was my planned route, while the blue line was my actual route.  |
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 23, 2015 8:47:57 GMT -8
Ouch. We didn't have any water issues last month in the Evolution Canyon area, but I think your route was lower and on the west side--two things that can definitely lead to dry conditions in a year like this one. Sorry you had to reroute; hope it was scenic anyway!
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on Aug 23, 2015 10:40:17 GMT -8
Not surprised that area was dry. A lot more hikers and backpackers will be in for the same surprise in the coming weeks. An experienced person can predict where water is likely to be found by analyzing topographic maps for permanent water sources. Those are likely to be higher elevation landscapes on steep north facing slopes, especially below cliffs with significant talus areas. Of course the northern exposures are less exposed to sun. Deep talus allows draining water to find shady cold labyrinths down inside the big rocks that are little affected by surface temperatures and winds. In fact there are some areas with large talus fields that face south into the sun much of the day that have significant permanent seepage all year. By far most of such areas are either along the Sierra Crest or areas east of the crest since there are far more cliffs in those areas. And they are readily identifiable in satellite tabs on map pages.
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
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Post by balzaccom on Aug 24, 2015 13:44:28 GMT -8
We were there in April, when there should have been 3-5 feet of snow on the ground. There was no snow at all below about 9,000 feet.
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