Calling all Yosemite experts

[Hobbes]

Mav & Oliver, thanx for the additional input. Besides our RV, at least one of my brothers will have a car. Slo-bro lives in Campbell, corp-bro in San Diego (when he's not commuting to Asia every-other-week). If corp-bro doesn't fly up to SJ and drive with middle, then we'll have two cars. So, lots of options in which to shuttle vehicles and perhaps by-pass mass transit. (Do love YARTS, however.)

We might even get lazy and just hike up to Evelyn from Lyell. This could work because my wife loves Lyell canyon and would be happy to come along before turning back to TM. We could spend the night @ Evelyn, then hoof it back via Vogelsang & Rafferty. A lot of this comes down to a sense of crowds. TM usually isn't very busy, but if it's one of those periods where you can feel the pressure, then the Valley will be going nuts with traffic & crowds.

[Jimr]

Slo-bro, Corp-bro and Surf-bro?

[AlmostThere]

Slo-bro, Corp-bro and Surf-bro?

Perhaps they have cousins. Go-Pro, Slo-Mo and No-Go?

[rlown]

I'd get Lazy and do E, but that's one of my fav's..

[Hobbes]

I'd get Lazy and do E, but that's one of my fav's..

It's part of the reason we go to TM every year - my wife absolutely loves all the flat (day) hiking, especially with the meandering creek. She's also a huge fan of how well the TM store is 'curated' (her words).

One of the first times I took her there, we had a full rack of ribs leftover from the night before. I mentioned I would just give them to some PCT hikers. Coming from NYC, the very idea of someone accepting some random person's leftovers simply didn't compute. I assured her it was not only perfectly ok, but that trekkers wouldl gladly accept.

So, we're in the store parking lot, and I cruise over to where a group were hanging at the benches. You should have seen the look of amazement on my wife's face as two starving guys jog after me to get the goods. They took it back like a trophy to share with their friends, regaling them with the offer that came out of the blue.

To this day, my wife loves telling this story to all her 'normal' business colleagues/friends, as if it's a tale from some wild exotic jungle safari.

[Scouter9]

I took my son down Mist Trail for his first time, and my first in 30 years, last August. I don't think you'll have a pacing issue on the descent, at least not if you prefer to slow down: it was packed, and I mean packed like the line for a Cincinnati Who concert. Fantastic to see it again, but Ho Lee Smokes!

The YARTS back to Tuolumne was also packed...so arrive early to stake a position in line if you need to sit for the ride.

[Hobbes]

The Mist trail was packed like the line for a Cincinnati Who concert.

We drove up to see family the weekend before T-day last year. I've done the north-south drive a zillion times, so I'm pretty good on timing. We hit LA traffic above Malibu at noon on the Wed before actual T-day. Living here for 35 years, I'm pretty used to it, but this was richter. Turns out the traffic jam made the national evening news that night.

What's the point of the story? The last time I experienced traffic that bad was a fine summer day in Yosemite Valley 10 years ago. It was like one of those sliding tiles puzzle, but without the missing space to let the other pieces move. I thought the ranger directing traffic by the 4-way intersection was going to have an aneurysm.

So yeah, playful thoughts about heading down from TM, but it really is a bit too much. I think if we do do Cloud's rest, we'll park a car @ Sunrise TH and simply head back after a night at the top.

[Wandering Daisy]

I would get a permit for the overnight to the valley anyway. If it turns out to be one of those blazing hot August day's or your crew is not up for it then you can reconsider- may be better to day hike up at Tuolumne. Years ago, we were climbing in Tuolumne late July, expecting hot weather in the Valley, and it turned out to be that odd cool spell, so we quickly drove to the Valley and climbed Royal Arches. Because nobody does south facing climbs in the Valley mid-summer, we had this very popular route to ourselves! You just never know. If you get into afternoon thunderstorms, you do not want to be up on any high point. I did Tenaya Lake to the valley as a day-hike (about 20 miles) one November and that required some fast moving. But, with mid-summer daylight, you do not have to really fast to make it. 2 mph for an downhill day-hike really is not that fast. But you do have to be up for an all day affair and not have knee problems. Personally I would rather day-hike than haul a pack on this route.

Why would you need to take a bus back? If you have a group up at Tuolumne, cannot someone just drive to the Valley and pick you up?

If you stay in Tuolumne, consider taking the crew up for a day-hike /boat ride across Saddlebag Lake. An overnight down to Waterwheel Falls is also very scenic. Although not shown on the map, there is a good trail up to Budd Lake (day-use only). Then with a bit of off trail scrambling you can connect to Cathedral Lake trail and go back.

[markskor]

The last time I experienced traffic that bad was a fine summer day in Yosemite Valley...

Could have been last summer too...the Valley is becoming increasingly congested.
Took the chance to stay over Valley BP last summer...had a few days off and wanted to take a watercolor class at the Yosemite Art Center. Set up my camp, met another dirt bag, and...

Around 5:30 we decided to do Curry pizza (as employees get 50% off). Walking over, all the cars were completely stopped - backed up - starting just above that stone bridge near the stables.
After some time enjoying the usual deck scene...the denizens, the pizza, and Cadillac margaritas, we returned to camp, only to find the same cars still there in line... had moved maybe 100 feet.
You could not get out of the east Valley till after 8.

[Hobbes]

cannot someone just drive to the Valley and pick you up?

I know this might sound hard to believe, but real "city folk" often times don't know how to perform simple tasks others take for granted. I had a friend who had a girl friend from SF. She was a true multi-generational SF local from the Richmond district. Very prim & proper; the thing I remember is she didn't know how to ride a bike.

My wife isn't that bad, but the notion of her driving from TM to the Valley by herself (or with a passenger) is tantamount to her taking Space-X. (That being said, her dad grew up in the Bronx in the 40/50s. And no, he still doesn't know how to ride a bike.)

OTOH, she can patiently shop all afternoon long for the most obscure tucked away artist enclaves for both food & fashion while I am comfortably taking a nap. She comes back to show me what she scored, and I get ready to eat. She's been referred to as a "patrona" by more than one person here and abroad who recognize the archetype.

If you stay in Tuolumne, consider taking the crew up for a day-hike /boat ride across Saddlebag Lake. An overnight down to Waterwheel Falls is also very scenic. Although not shown on the map, there is a good trail up to Budd Lake (day-use only). Then with a bit of off trail scrambling you can connect to Cathedral Lake trail and go back.

The entire Saddlebag, Virginia, Twin lakes area were the original stomping grounds for me and slo-bro.

Saddlebag 6/20/2010


I started taking my wife; she likes the boat ride and 20 lakes basin, but then she really fell in love with TM.