High Sierra Topix

Hi all,

Long time backpacker new to the forum. I am trying to find a good trip during my unfortunately early stretch of time off: June 12-16. I had originally planned to do the Northern Yosemite Loop but as I do not have a good amount of snow travel experience, I am trying to find something else. Right now I've found the Laurel/Vernon/Rancheria loop in Hetch Hetchy but am not incredibly excited about that. I know its early season and we actually have snow this year but I'm hoping I can find something interesting to do!

What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 3

What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
Class 2

What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Forests
- Big Mountain scenery (if possible)....

How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead?
5 days, 4 nights

How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?

~7-10

Do you have a route logistics preference: loop, out and back, point to point (which may require 2 vehicles or hitchhiking)?

Anything that doesn't require 2 cars.

Is there a particular area in the Sierra that your most interested in (Yosemite, SEKI western sierra start or eastern start ect.)?

Open to anywhere that's within a ~6 hour drive from Los Angeles.

Will you be hiking with a dog?

No

Thanks everybody.

I had originally planned to do the Northern Yosemite Loop but as I do not have a good amount of snow travel experience, I am trying to find something else. Right now I've found the Laurel/Vernon/Rancheria loop in Hetch Hetchy but am not incredibly excited about that. I know its early season and we actually have snow this year but I'm hoping I can find something interesting to do!

Go to Waterwheel and LeConte Falls, Tioga will be open, and the falls will be booming, quite spectacular. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14084&p=105128&hili ... ls#p105072

That looks interesting! Would you recommend leaving from White Wolf? I see there's a couple other trailheads that can be used to get out there.

What do you think about leaving White Wolf -> Pate Valley -> Waterwheel and Leconte Falls-> Ten lakes -> White Wolf. I see there's Ten Lakes Pass at 9620' but it doesn't look too treacherous?

If you leave from White Wolf, you descend into Pate and lose a ton of elevation very quickly, then slowly gain it back hiking up to Tuolumne Meadows as you pass all the falls along the way. You'll probably have a ton of mosquitoes and other bugs in Pate if you stay there. So I would recommend leaving the vehicle parked in Tuolumne where you need to pick up the permit anyway, and riding YARTS or the hiker bus back to White Wolf to start, hiking in and camping at Morrison Creek right before the big plunge for a great sunset view of Hetch Hetchy. Hike down through Pate the next day and start the climb toward Glen Aulin, camping somewhere along the way. You can camp at backpacker sites at Glen Aulin itself for free if that's where your pacing lands you, but then you can't camp again after that point AFAIR.

Reversing the route has you going slowly down and then climbing those merciless open switchbacks out of Pate -- if you go that direction a pre-dawn start up to White Wolf is easier, cooler, less climbing in full sun. (I nearly collapsed on those at 2 pm after running out of water - bad place to do that)

Hiking the loop back to White Wolf is a little longer but if you can do the miles, go for it. But there are some steep gains on the route.

AlmostThere wrote:If you leave from White Wolf, you descend into Pate and lose a ton of elevation very quickly, then slowly gain it back hiking up to Tuolumne Meadows as you pass all the falls along the way. You'll probably have a ton of mosquitoes and other bugs in Pate if you stay there. So I would recommend leaving the vehicle parked in Tuolumne where you need to pick up the permit anyway, and riding YARTS or the hiker bus back to White Wolf to start, hiking in and camping at Morrison Creek right before the big plunge for a great sunset view of Hetch Hetchy. Hike down through Pate the next day and start the climb toward Glen Aulin, camping somewhere along the way. You can camp at backpacker sites at Glen Aulin itself for free if that's where your pacing lands you, but then you can't camp again after that point AFAIR.

Reversing the route has you going slowly down and then climbing those merciless open switchbacks out of Pate -- if you go that direction a pre-dawn start up to White Wolf is easier, cooler, less climbing in full sun. (I nearly collapsed on those at 2 pm after running out of water - bad place to do that)

Hiking the loop back to White Wolf is a little longer but if you can do the miles, go for it. But there are some steep gains on the route.

I'd really like to do the loop back. Do you know if there's any stream crossings that become impassable early season?

This the route on the HST Map: HST Map
Creek crossings that could be moderately difficult, Morrison Creek on the way to Pate Valley will be the most difficult, take your time, Register Creek will be swift under the falls, section above California Falls will be flooded, either wear tevas and wade thru it or contour the cliffs to the east, the crossing of the Tuolumne River at Glen Aulin will be thru a shallow but swift current, Dingley and Delany will require you to wear tevas.

Forget Ten Lakes, to early.

Keep and eye out for rattlers and bears in the Pate section.