High Sierra Topix

Hi John

Did you check out bill-e-g's trail report in his thread below to Jack Main, where you'll
see pictures of the current conditions in the Lake Vernon area.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6269" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with many of the recommendations given by other posters but I wouldn't count out the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne just yet. I think they have plowed the road all the way through and shouldn't be open before too long and I would be surprised if it wasn't open by the time you are here. I've hiked it before the road has opened, albeit during a low snow year but that was in early May, not late June, and it was great. There were some stream crossings, Morrison and Register being the ones that I remember concerned me. Not because of the crossing itself, it was just knee deep or so, but the waterfalls directly downstream of the crossing. The hardest part for me was the flooded sections before (downstream) of Glen Aulin where it is just standing water for long sections for a few miles. It was just really cold to be in and out of freezing water for that long in chacos. So if the most difficult part of the trip was dealing with cold feet, you can see it wasn't all that difficult.

I would second the north rim of the valley. You can go from near Foresta on 120 to Mirror Lake, or reverse it. You get to see wonderful views of the valley almost the entire way and not really see that many people, except just at the top of Yosemite Falls. Eagle Peak, between El Cap and Yose Falls, is one of my favorite views of the valley and doesn't get much use. Dry camping at North Dome is easy, you just have to carry water about mile or so from the nearest creek.

yosehiker wrote:I agree with many of the recommendations given by other posters but I wouldn't count out the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne just yet. I think they have plowed the road all the way through and shouldn't be open before too long and I would be surprised if it wasn't open by the time you are here. I've hiked it before the road has opened, albeit during a low snow year but that was in early May, not late June, and it was great.

Um, It snowing up there now, and more to come this weekend. Even if the road opens by then, it's not gonna be an easy hike. Fun for the twisted, yes, but not easy.

They haven't posted an update on the Yose site for a week. Probably because of the extra foot and a half of the snow that has fallen lately. I'm betting they moved the plows to Glacier pt and other roads, until the snow stops. Then they still need to clean up the side roads before opening.

to each their own. if it does melt fast in mid june, that makes it even more twisted, given the run-off.

Yosemite hiker wrote "I think they have plowed the road all the way through."

Is this a guess, or do you have inside sources?
Yosemite NPS site has not been update since last week on the 26th, and with all
the snow last week, more this week, and more coming this weekend, the clearing
may be a while.
Folks in the previous posts were recommending doing the GCT from Hetchy or Aspen
Valley, not Tuolumne Meadows.

Rlown wrote "Um, It snowing up there now, and more to come this weekend. Even if
the road opens by then, it's not gonna be an easy hike. Fun for the twisted, yes, but
not easy."
I'll will be happy to be categorized as twisted if this happened!

maverick wrote: Rlown wrote "Um, It snowing up there now, and more to come this weekend. Even if
the road opens by then, it's not gonna be an easy hike. Fun for the twisted, yes, but
not easy."
I'll will be happy to be categorized as twisted if this happened!

I thought of you when i wrote that Still, don't die. who ever claims your camera will undoubtedly have some great shots before the lightning bolt struck..

All I was saying don't count out the trip on the GCT. Who knows what the conditions will be like in 3 more weeks. Obviously check the conditions with a ranger before you go on the hike to make sure it's safe, etc (the usual obvious caveats) but I have taken an 'early' trip down the GCT and it was ok.

maverick: I heard it from a friend that they have plowed at least a lane through, but are widening that, plowing pullouts, etc. There are still a couple of potential/active avalanche zones which is the main obstacle to opening the road. That's all I know. Though with at least the road plowed through I think there will be a lot of pressure to open the road as soon as possible. But predicting when the road will open is of course nothing more than guesswork

Yosehiker wrote "I have taken an 'early' trip down the GCT and it was ok."

I agree Yosehiker, it can be a very fun hike, with the snow on the ground, and
the waterfalls in the mix, Waterwheel, and LeConte Falls can be an even more
wonderful site for a photographer, or backpacker, than it is the rest of the year!

Don't forget about the relative or complete lack of other people. And I was just amazed by the river the whole trip. Such a cool place...