High Sierra Topix

I am planning a backpacking trip to Yosemite for this summer and I just discovered this web site. What a great resource!
I have reservations to enter from the Tenaya Lake trailhead on June 29 and I am trying to determine the feasibility of doing the Sunrise Lakes trail. Two questions:
1) I know that there is a wide deep ford of the lake outlet, which I would like to avoid. I have seen a few references to fording at the Tenaya Lake inlet but not much detail about it. How difficult is the inlet ford that time of year? Knee deep? Log crossing? etc Or, is there a bridge across Tenaya Creek somewhere upstream of the lake?
2) I will be solo the first night and meeting up with some friends doing the JMT at Sunrise High Sierra Camp. In an average year, how much snow should I expect between Tenaya Lake and Sunrise HSC? (I know snow levels vary year to year - just trying to get a sense of what I'm getting myself into.)

Thanks

If currrent weather pattern continues you should be ok. Basically if May 1 snow surveys are 80% of normal or less you will be ok. Even with more snow you may be fine. Others with more experience with the ford may be able to give some more detailed parameters. You should have no trouble with snow (but may have some patches if snow is 100% of normal or less on May 1). Just my extrapolations. There are a few other variables but I personally wouldn't be concerned within those snow levels.

Mike

Early season expect 50 yards of ford, waist high but slack current - frickin' cold - shrinkage.
By the time you get there, maybe thigh to knee-deep...no big deal with trekking poles.

markskor wrote:Early season expect 50 yards of ford, waist high but slack current - frickin' cold - shrinkage.
By the time you get there, maybe thigh to knee-deep...no big deal with trekking poles.

Maybe 50 feet, not 50 yards. Note this is the outlet from Tenaya Lake, not the inlet. It's 100 yards from the parking lot so easy to check out before you start hiking. All sandy bottom, so nothing too tricky.
But if it looks too unpleasant you can walk round from the other end of the lake (east beach parking lot) with no fords of any consequence. But that does add about 3 miles to the hike (assuming you park there or get the shuttle bus).

Thanks everyone for your replies. It sounds like I should be able to cross at the inlet, if nothing else. The extra mile or so of flat walking along the lake from the inlet end sounds like a nice warm-up for the start of my hike. I won't be in any hurry, as I just have to meet my friends the next day near the Sunrise High Sierra Camp after they have chugged up from Happy Isles. (I can't say that I'll miss that uphill climb from the Valley.)