Re: Your thoughts on Summer 2010 Sierra water?
Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 6:13 pm
Getting back to the water question -
Just got back 4 days YNP - 2 days Valley and 2 days almost fishing Cherry Lake,
Observations/ impressions Yosemite
...no particular order of importance.
- High water in the Valley crested Tuesday; all the falls are magnificent and total drenching on the Mist trail –indeed something to experience.
- Backpacker camp was 1/3 flooded…the last little bridge (coming in from Stables) was underwater in sections. After 5:00 PM you had to come in from the Ahwahnee (1/2 mile) or Mirror Lake (1 mile), or wade waist deep.
- Out of 50 backpackers met there over 2 nights, maybe 5 were Americans…a lot of German, French, and Israeli…some fun South American guys too.
- The little Mexican Food stand at Curry, next to Mountain Shop, does a great job with dinner, but Curry Cafeteria breakfast, (now $12.50) sort of sucked as compared to last year.
- Still 8 feet of snow where the Tuolumne Store usually stands.
- No PCT’s yet over Donahue.
- Degnon’s Deli is under construction with the addition of an elevator.
- The little trinket shop next to Degnon’s, the one always crowded with cheap bear bric-a-brac now is unexpectedly almost “bare” of most merchandise. (Sorry!)
- The trail up to Merced Lake…last 2 miles underwater – waist deep and full-on rushing…turned back at least 3 parties that I heard of. As the river fluctuates greatly hour by hour, reports early morning access still possible.
- Trail from south to Clouds Rest open with the summit block still under snow…5+ feet snow above 9000 ft.
- Cables on Half Dome still not up.
- HSC’s still expect to open but no hard dates - yet.
- North Dome Trail possible mostly but a lot of snow around the arch still remains…Snow Creek trail OK but muddy.
- There is water everywhere
- Mosquitoes not that bad – yet!
- Gas prices at Crane Flat - $3.29 regular
- Yosemite Valley Art classes @ $5/day…I took two.
- Fishing…since everything high is still ice - We were supposedly all dialed in for Cherry Lake (4800 feet and 20 miles in from 120 entrance), looking for the big browns… trolling with down-riggers. Our own Ozark Flip brought in his small boat with depth finder/everything… pretty tricked out rig. We launched the boat, made the turn out of the inlet north, right into the teeth of the wind. Got wet and scary quick…there will be other days.
- Flip stated, “Some days you are the dog and some days you are the hydrant."
BTW, Flip has a way with words...lots of laughs and stories ...and cold power! Plus, he can cook!
Thanks Flip!
To sum it up about water, right now Yosemite is the big dog and we are all hydrants...waiting?
Just got back 4 days YNP - 2 days Valley and 2 days almost fishing Cherry Lake,
Observations/ impressions Yosemite
...no particular order of importance.
- High water in the Valley crested Tuesday; all the falls are magnificent and total drenching on the Mist trail –indeed something to experience.
- Backpacker camp was 1/3 flooded…the last little bridge (coming in from Stables) was underwater in sections. After 5:00 PM you had to come in from the Ahwahnee (1/2 mile) or Mirror Lake (1 mile), or wade waist deep.
- Out of 50 backpackers met there over 2 nights, maybe 5 were Americans…a lot of German, French, and Israeli…some fun South American guys too.
- The little Mexican Food stand at Curry, next to Mountain Shop, does a great job with dinner, but Curry Cafeteria breakfast, (now $12.50) sort of sucked as compared to last year.
- Still 8 feet of snow where the Tuolumne Store usually stands.
- No PCT’s yet over Donahue.
- Degnon’s Deli is under construction with the addition of an elevator.
- The little trinket shop next to Degnon’s, the one always crowded with cheap bear bric-a-brac now is unexpectedly almost “bare” of most merchandise. (Sorry!)
- The trail up to Merced Lake…last 2 miles underwater – waist deep and full-on rushing…turned back at least 3 parties that I heard of. As the river fluctuates greatly hour by hour, reports early morning access still possible.
- Trail from south to Clouds Rest open with the summit block still under snow…5+ feet snow above 9000 ft.
- Cables on Half Dome still not up.
- HSC’s still expect to open but no hard dates - yet.
- North Dome Trail possible mostly but a lot of snow around the arch still remains…Snow Creek trail OK but muddy.
- There is water everywhere
- Mosquitoes not that bad – yet!
- Gas prices at Crane Flat - $3.29 regular
- Yosemite Valley Art classes @ $5/day…I took two.
- Fishing…since everything high is still ice - We were supposedly all dialed in for Cherry Lake (4800 feet and 20 miles in from 120 entrance), looking for the big browns… trolling with down-riggers. Our own Ozark Flip brought in his small boat with depth finder/everything… pretty tricked out rig. We launched the boat, made the turn out of the inlet north, right into the teeth of the wind. Got wet and scary quick…there will be other days.
- Flip stated, “Some days you are the dog and some days you are the hydrant."
BTW, Flip has a way with words...lots of laughs and stories ...and cold power! Plus, he can cook!
Thanks Flip!
To sum it up about water, right now Yosemite is the big dog and we are all hydrants...waiting?