Question re. keeping gear safe at Tuolumne Meadows.
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:02 pm
Hullo again everyone. Guess we are all back into planning mode for next summer...
Logistical question!
We come to hike in the Sierra Nevada from overseas, travel by public transport, and so don't have a car trunk to leave things in. Need to get to Tuolumne Meadows trailhead the day before our backpacking trip so can collect wilderness permit. Only bus for the day gets in mid-morning, meaning we have to fill in the rest of that day in and around Tuolumne Meadows, (which will be lovely!) and camp that night at Tuolumne Meadows before heading off the next morning.
We would like to set up our tent and leave our packs and most gear at camp so we can wander around and enjoy ourselves unencumbered but are really nervous that things might go missing. Important, hard to replace things like sleeping bags and backpacks (and maybe even our expensive Swiss hiking tent itself!). On our first ever backpacking trip we left our tent up and our packs and other gear inside a (shared) bear box and padlocked it at LYV while we did a day hike to Half Dome, but have since learned this is not cool! (It was very quiet the time we were there, not many other campers.) Does anyone have any suggestions/experiences?
I'm wondering if we actually booked a campsite in the TM Campground and paid the fee, would that mean we would get our own bear box that we could lock with a padlock, and would it be big enough to hold two large, external frame backpacks, or would it just be a small one intended to hold food and toiletries? Finally, if we did just carry our gear around with us all day then set up the tent last thing before bed - is there a chance (in late July) that we might not get a spot at the backpackers' area in the TM Campground - does it ever fill up?
I suppose another option might be to book in at the Lodge, so we can leave our gear in a tent cabin. But I've never been able to get a vacancy at TM lodge, even looking a year ahead!
So any tips or information most welcome.
Logistical question!
We come to hike in the Sierra Nevada from overseas, travel by public transport, and so don't have a car trunk to leave things in. Need to get to Tuolumne Meadows trailhead the day before our backpacking trip so can collect wilderness permit. Only bus for the day gets in mid-morning, meaning we have to fill in the rest of that day in and around Tuolumne Meadows, (which will be lovely!) and camp that night at Tuolumne Meadows before heading off the next morning.
We would like to set up our tent and leave our packs and most gear at camp so we can wander around and enjoy ourselves unencumbered but are really nervous that things might go missing. Important, hard to replace things like sleeping bags and backpacks (and maybe even our expensive Swiss hiking tent itself!). On our first ever backpacking trip we left our tent up and our packs and other gear inside a (shared) bear box and padlocked it at LYV while we did a day hike to Half Dome, but have since learned this is not cool! (It was very quiet the time we were there, not many other campers.) Does anyone have any suggestions/experiences?
I'm wondering if we actually booked a campsite in the TM Campground and paid the fee, would that mean we would get our own bear box that we could lock with a padlock, and would it be big enough to hold two large, external frame backpacks, or would it just be a small one intended to hold food and toiletries? Finally, if we did just carry our gear around with us all day then set up the tent last thing before bed - is there a chance (in late July) that we might not get a spot at the backpackers' area in the TM Campground - does it ever fill up?
I suppose another option might be to book in at the Lodge, so we can leave our gear in a tent cabin. But I've never been able to get a vacancy at TM lodge, even looking a year ahead!
So any tips or information most welcome.