Early Season Yosemite Logistics

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Mike M.
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Mike M. »

Wandering Daisy, really enjoyed your summary of past early season trips in and around the valley. Great photos! That rattlesnake shot is impressive -- look at those rattles!

Mike
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Dman7777
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Dman7777 »

Thank you Wandering Daisy for this incredibly helpful post, it was part of what encouraged me to plan an early season trip starting next Sunday.

I have a few things that I am not sure about that perhaps some of the experts on here can shed a little light on.

My brother is coming into town on short notice and i decided to try a 3day early season yosemite backpacking trip. I am an active backpacker who usually does about 10 Sierra trips per year so i have the basics covered, however I am a novice at Yosemite and at hikes where significant snow may be encountered.

We received a permit for
Happy Isles->Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass through) starting 5/2
1st night campsite = " near the intersection of JMT and clouds rest trail"

So we plan to go in Saturday find the backpackers camp then tour the valley and prepare for our hike. The next day we would start a loop up to merced lake and back.

• can you park near the backpackers camp for the duration of your trip?
• would it be best to set up camp early Saturday and then day hike around, or should we not leave gear unattended?
• on the first days ascent if the elevation gain up to clouds rest cutoff begins to be a little too much could we just walk past LYV and camp farther up merced river to save some vertical ?
• in relation to the previous question would it be better to walk up the river and down JMT, or would reversing that be better? (will I be held to my 1st nights camp as stated on permit?)
• In light of the snow coming down right now will microspikes be advisable? will there be significant snow on the trail up to lake Merced?

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone decides to share
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balzaccom
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by balzaccom »

I'm not Daisy...but...

* The backpackers campground has no parking. You can park anywhere (Curry Village for us) overnight parking is allowed.
• I always like to set up camp...partly as a way of laying claim to a campsite, and then exploring. YMMV.
• With a pass-through permit you must hike past (1 mile) to be legal.
• You will be held to your permit. (LYV is one of the places your permit is most likely to get checked.). And you must hike BEYOND LYV to camp on a pass-through permit.
• This storm is expected to be light, followed by warm, sunny weather. It's your call...spikes or no, just be prepared to turn around or alternate routes is the snow is a problem.
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Wandering Daisy
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Wandering Daisy »

You can park at the Backpacker's parking lot, about quarter mile beyond Curry Village, or at Curry Village (use the back part of the large parking lot so you do not take up day-use spaces for those in Curry Village). Since there are no shuttle buses running you may want to drive around first for sight seeing. I usually park at Curry Village. The back part of the parking lot has lots of bear boxes. Curry Village allows this parking as a courtesy- they are not legally obligated to do this.

I would not worry about leaving gear set up at the Backpacker's camp. I have never had a problem. Rangers check a couple of times a day, so be sure to put your tag on your tent and have all food stuff inside the bear box. Otherwise they will give you a warning ticket. And if you tour the valley first, with your car, you can then park and walk to the campground and stay there. A nice short after-dinner hike from the BP campground is down to the Awahnee Hotel. In early season pick a campsite as far uphill as possible, since flooding is a problem. There is no potable water at the campground- just get it from the river and treat it.

The effort getting to Clouds Rest trail junction (more elevation gain) vs. the first legal camping up the Merced (above Bunnell Cascades- more miles) are similar; although the walk through Little Yosemite Valley to Bunnell Cascades can be tedious and flooded. I really prefer Clouds Rest junction on Sunrise Creek. Plus, technically you are committed to the first night where the permit says, but I doubt anyone would check. If it is getting dark and you are dead tired, or a huge storm is coming, there are some fairly hidden campsites at LYV upstream of the main camp area. If you get there late, and get out the next morning really early you will likely not get caught. I would not do this unless it becomes a real safety issue if you keep going. Just get a early start from Happy Isles, go a slow steady pace and take rest breaks and I think you will be fine.

If you get into too much snow higher up on Sunrise Creek, just turn around and go back to LYV and up the trail to Merced Lake. The snow this weekend may well be totally gone by the time you go. Micro-spikes will not do much in new snow- they are for hard packed snow or ice. High water and flooding will be more likely- be sure you have wading shoes or quick drying shoes. You will probably have to wade through ankle deep water in Echo Valley to get to Merced Lake. LYV has some really boggy spots too.

I am doing a similar trip May 11-17, but starting from Tunnel View-Pohono trail to Glacier Point- Panorama Trail to LYV passthrough and then the same loop you are doing. I will end up walking about 8 miles back to my car after staying in the BP campground when I get out. Be sure to post something in the "conditions" sub-forum- I would be really interested in what you encountered.

Balzaccom- I think the LYV passthrough requires more than a mile when going up the Merced.
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Enigmagic
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Enigmagic »

Dman7777 wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 8:32 am • on the first days ascent if the elevation gain up to clouds rest cutoff begins to be a little too much could we just walk past LYV and camp farther up merced river to save some vertical ?
• in relation to the previous question would it be better to walk up the river and down JMT, or would reversing that be better? (will I be held to my 1st nights camp as stated on permit?)
if you expect to head up river the first legal camp is around Moraine Dome/Sugarloaf Dome. you should still be able to change your permit if you want. there is a sign (facing downhill) indicating where the boundary is. it's roughly two miles past LYV. see the terminal arrow on https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdf for a rough idea.

I've only been through this way a couple times, and it's been later in the season, but I thought the views looking up at the cascades were nicer than heading down them. our loop out of TM in June this year is going up river, fwiw.

the other consideration is the JMT trail condition along Sunrise Creek above the Clouds Rest junction. in 2019 it was a thin line through thorny brush for about two miles. in June 2020 I stayed near the junction but didn't hike through there... the trail was barely visible through the brush. unless they did some maintenance since then I'd wear pants and would prefer a lighter pack.
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by sekihiker »

I missed this when it was first posted. Even though we never visit Yosemite unless out-of-country visitors insist they have to see it, I've got to admit, your photos captured how spectacular the place is. I guess I'll have to wait until my next life to enjoy this special place.
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I found the trail to Sunrise Creek-Clouds Rest junction fairly obvious in June 2019. Once you leave the JMT, the cross trail between Sunrise Creek and Echo Valley is little used and challenging to follow. You need to pay attention to your map (or GPS).

Changing your permit may be a good idea if the Merced River quota is not already full. The peak flow forecast for the Merced River is about the same time as your trip. Seriously, this is good- the waterfalls will be magnificent! But Little Yosemite Valley and Lost Valley could be very wet. Additionally the two miles past the LYV campground has burned, so you do not want to camp anywhere in it anyway. There is beautiful camping on the north side of the bridge about half a mile up from Bunnell Cascades. Another advantage of going up the Merced first is that this is the most scenic part of the route and should be your priority and you should spend as much time enjoying it as needed. You can always drop back down if you do not think you have time to do the cross trail (or if there is too much snow). Pt 7673 and the little tarn to the north sit on a huge low angle granite dome with great views not to miss. Merced Lake itself is deep in timber with very few viewpoints. The river itself is more spectacular.
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Dman7777
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Dman7777 »

Thanks for all the great tips.

i am wondering if a even really need to change anything about the permit, the permit is "Happy Isles->Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass through)" wouldn't that allow me to just go up the merced river as long as i went far enough before camping?
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Re: Early Season Yosemite Logistics

Post by Enigmagic »

Dman7777 wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 2:45 pm i am wondering if a even really need to change anything about the permit, the permit is "Happy Isles->Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass through)" wouldn't that allow me to just go up the merced river as long as i went far enough before camping?
just to avoid some hassles if you get checked, it's just a phone call or email to get it adjusted so why not. they had different permits for Sunrise and Merced passthrough in recent memory. now that they're combined you are on the same quota.

if they're doing pickups in person this year (and iirc they are) you can probably adjust this at pickup time too. last year it was no bueno.
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