Cottonwood Lakes to Yosemite Itinerary- Need Feedback

[masonparkerexplorer]

Hello Fellow Hikers,

This summer I'll be attempting to solo hike from Cottonwood Lakes to Yosemite. I'm planning on doing resupplies at Onion Valley day 7ish, Muir Trail Ranch about day 16, and Reds Meadow about day 22.

Please give me feedback on my Itinerary.

Trip Itinerary:
Tue Jul 03 2018: #1 Lake (Cottonwood Lakes)
Wed Jul 04 2018: SEKI - Rock Creek (84)
Thu Jul 05 2018: SEKI - Crabtree (83)
Fri Jul 06 2018: SEKI - Crabtree (83)
Sat Jul 07 2018: SEKI - Tyndall Creek (80)
Sun Jul 08 2018: SEKI - Kearsarge Lakes (64)
Mon Jul 09 2018: SEKI - Rae Lakes (62)
Tue Jul 10 2018: SEKI - Rae Lakes (62)
Wed Jul 11 2018: SEKI - Twin Lakes (56)
Thu Jul 12 2018: SEKI - Palisade Basin (45)
Fri Jul 13 2018: SEKI - LeConte Canyon (39)
Sat Jul 14 2018: SEKI - Evolution Basin (34)
Sun Jul 15 2018: SEKI - McClure Meadow (33)
Mon Jul 16 2018: Other / Don't Know
Tue Jul 17 2018: Other / Don't Know
Wed Jul 18 2018: Other / Don't Know
Thu Jul 19 2018: Piute Creek (Piute Pass)
Fri Jul 20 2018: Sallie Keyes Lakes JMT near Florence Lake
Sat Jul 21 2018: Sallie Keyes Lakes JMT near Florence Lake
Sun Jul 22 2018: Other / Don't Know
Mon Jul 23 2018: Crater Meadow, Upper (JMT- South of Devils Postpile)
Tue Jul 24 2018: Tully Hole JMT- Upper Fish/McGee Pass
Wed Jul 25 2018: Other / Don't Know
Thu Jul 26 2018: Olaine Lake (River Trail)
Fri Jul 27 2018: Thousand Island Lake JMT- (River & High Trail)
Sat Jul 28 2018: Yosemite- Tuolmne Meadows/Lyell Canyon
Sun Jul 29 2018: Yosemite - Cathedral Lakes
Mon Jul 30 2018: Yosemite - John Muir Trail- Little Yosemite

[Wandering Daisy]

There is not enough details to give any feedback. On-trail? off-trail? daily mileage? elevation gains? The only way to figure out if your plan works is to do the numbers. Then, we can give our feedback.

[AlmostThere]

At first glance?

You'll need a nice big bear canister. There are no bear lockers in Cottonwood Lakes. Palisades requires them, as do Rae Lakes and Yosemite. And getting off the beaten path absolutely requires a bear canister, and many of your locations have too-small trees for hanging plus lockers get full up anyway.

Those three don't know days between McClure Meadow and Piute Pass are curious -- are you contemplating some zero days, or side trips? I have hiked all the way from the river northwest of MTR up to McClure in a day, by midafternoon, with a lot of dawdling by the water. And going up Piute Creek then to Sallie Keyes? Are you going to do all that cross country up there, in less than a day, or come back down on the trail and then climb back up to Sallie Keyes?

Why would you go the River Trail instead of staying on the JMT to Thousand Island Lake, with potential side trips to Ediza/Minarets etc?

Crater Meadow from Sally Keyes, and then south to Tully Hole, and THEN north again to Olaine Lake?

I think you need a better map.

Trip Itinerary:
...
Sun Jul 15 2018: SEKI - McClure Meadow (33)
Mon Jul 16 2018: Other / Don't Know
Tue Jul 17 2018: Other / Don't Know
Wed Jul 18 2018: Other / Don't Know
Thu Jul 19 2018: Piute Creek (Piute Pass)
Fri Jul 20 2018: Sallie Keyes Lakes JMT near Florence Lake
Sat Jul 21 2018: Sallie Keyes Lakes JMT near Florence Lake
Sun Jul 22 2018: Other / Don't Know
Mon Jul 23 2018: Crater Meadow, Upper (JMT- South of Devils Postpile)
Tue Jul 24 2018: Tully Hole JMT- Upper Fish/McGee Pass
Wed Jul 25 2018: Other / Don't Know
Thu Jul 26 2018: Olaine Lake (River Trail)
Fri Jul 27 2018: Thousand Island Lake JMT- (River & High Trail)

[markskor]

Great route...very Muir-ish! Horseshoe Meadows to the Mist in July...Should be spectacular. Personally would throw in the possibility of a few more don't know days too, just for whimsy, but...27 days works. Got good gear? Know what you are doing? In shape? Do it.

BTW, the "Don't Know" admission is to me, the best part of your posted itinerary. Having a well-planned trail/route is great - you need to do your research, have good Topo maps, etc... and always wise to set up your re-supply points beforehand too. Inking little red X's on Topos beforehand though, not so much. Better to do them in pencil? A detailed agenda on a 4-week hike, though fun and admirable, is foolish. You learn soon enough the mountain, not you, dictates the program.
Some days you feel great, maybe do a few extra miles - some days it rains. Some days call out for a zero. Some places the mosquitoes are so bad you can't stop - some places are just so amazing you have to stop. Sometimes the boat isn't running. Being flexible works best.

Lots of traffic along that way in July too...lots of local trail knowledge available just for the asking. The people you will meet and hike with will regale you about amazing places/ side-trails previously unknown. Have met long-time friends, but have also hiked 3 more miles to avoid confrontation too. You just don't know.
Sounds like fun though!

[masonparkerexplorer]

Hello Fellow Hikers,

Thank you for your prompt responses.

@Almostthere - I really struggled to find a map that showed the backcountry camp names that I needed to log on for my Inyo permit. I can continue to revise my trip locations and really appreciate your tips. Can you post an edited version of my trip with your recommendations embedded?

@Markskor - I appreciate your insight. I have wanted to do the JMT for years and I am in good shape. Hopefully, you are right and I can link up with some other hikers along the way. I'm 28 5'10 150lb male. I have recently upgraded most of my gear to be much lighter including 12oz Neo Air XLite sleeping pad, 19oz Enlightened Equipment quilt, 2 lb Flycreek tent, and 2 lb 8 oz Osprey Exos backpack.

@Wandering Daisy - I'll work on getting mileage, altitude, on and off days planned. Initially, I'm just focused on making sure my stops are in order and make sense. As Almostthere pointed out, several of my choices are wonky and would require back tracking also he helped me realize I shouldn't pick the River Trail. This is my first ever JMT through hike and I'm trying to learn as much as possible. I apologize for my lack of initial knowledge. Can you help me fix my itinerary? What maps do you use that show all of the backcountry camp names and elevations?

Sincerely,
Mason Parker

[bobby49]

It's too bad that you don't have a better trail mapping tool.

Many years ago (c. 1995) there was a company named Wildflower Productions. They had a PC mapping program that worked with a set of twelve CDs with all of the detailed topo maps of California. Wildflower sold it to National Geographic, but then it fell off the market by 2000 or so. I still have it, and it still works under Windows 10. I can zoom out for high-level maps, then zoom in for close detail. I can edit the map to highlight some feature like the John Muir Trail and scatter little markers for everything. I can print out these maps as color JPEG files onto large paper, and that's what I carry with me on a trip.

[markskor]

... my stops - in order and make sense... Can you help me fix my itinerary? What maps do you use that show all of the backcountry camp names and elevations?

Plenty of JMT maps available - Tom Harrison? Also strongly suggest the PCT Halfmile maps - https://www.pctmap.net/maps/ - Section H
Anyway, sounds like you are asking good questions, have the right gear, and correct attitude to maybe even do this. (Questionable though if you know what you're doing...I never do.)

As to inquiries like whether or not to use JMT/ River/ High trail out of Red's Meadow...who knows. Look at your maps, have a milkshake @ Red's Meadow, (BTW, will be lots of hikers hanging here.) Talk with your hiking buddies, maybe have another beer, and then decide when you are ready - and there. Might even decide to skip a few dry miles and take the free shuttle bus DPP to Agnew. All three trails are going to Donahue eventually.
BTW, Hiking in July, 2018, you could probably do the NOBO Muir sans maps...just by following the freeway.

[Wandering Daisy]

I do so much off-trail in the Sierra that I wasn't even thinking of trails. It is now obvious that you mean a trail route, similar to the JMT. When you said Cottonwood to Crabtree, I just thought of the off-trail route via Sky Blue Lakes and figured "Crabtree" was Crabtree Lakes. (By the way, that off-trail route is MUCH better than the PCT).

I too use the old TOPO series to get data for a spreadsheet I made that figures out estimated travel time given route miles and elevation gains (from TOPO profiles) and mph travel rate (based on my own experience). There are plenty of other programs out there and some on this forum should chime in on what they use. I confess to being an obsessive planner.

To plan a day's travel I use the rule of thumb: miles/mph + 3/4 hour for every 1000 feet elevation gain. The mph is the rate on a flat trail an takes into account short rest stops, which for me is from 2.5-3 mph. I plan my daily travel primarily on a 6-8 hour travel day and a drop-dead scenic campsite. You may have entirely different goals.

[wildhiker]

I used to use the old "TOPO!" program on my Mac, until it stopped working on newer versions of MacOS.

But then I discovered caltopo.com. Better maps. Better tools.

-Phil

[AlmostThere]

Caltopo is great - but the mileages when you use the feature where you trace a route using a line are often off. I learned that last weekend, to the detriment of a companion's feet...

It will, in conjunction with Tom Harrison's map set, help you get a better route.