Backpacking SEKI in June

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rightstar76
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dustybottoms21
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by dustybottoms21 »

What if we were to just head up to Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon? Out and back. Still decent mileage and it gives us some fishing opportunities. Or we could do an out and back to Eleanor or Cherry Lake.

And yeah the heat is looking pretty brutal but I can’t be too picky at this point.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by c9h13no3 »

dustybottoms21 wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2019 7:44 pm What if we were to just head up to Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon? Out and back. Still decent mileage and it gives us some fishing opportunities. Or we could do an out and back to Eleanor or Cherry Lake.

And yeah the heat is looking pretty brutal but I can’t be too picky at this point.
Yeah, I'm not sure if I'd have reserved a permit. Early season, you wanna be flexible.

Cherry Lake you can drive to, Eleanor pretty close by. Not really a hiking destination. Kibbie & Vernon will be fun when it's hot. Good places to swim.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by dustybottoms21 »

Ok I know I've been communicating with some of you on a different thread but I figured it made more sense to bring my stuff back over to this thread.

Hetch Hetchy TH and heading up to Lake Vernon sounds pretty terrible right now. Over flooded, impassable creeks, and the lakes are barely going to be accessible if at all.

I just spoke to the ranger regarding available spots and here's what's left...
Pohono Trail….Glacier Point…6 spots for Thurs. Taft TH
Pohono Glacier Trail 3 spots.
Ostrander Lake…Glacier Point Road…15 spots

The first two do not have any fishing options per the ranger but the 3rd option does. Plus it seems very close to Yosemite Valley which we REALLY want to check out while we're in the area. It would be far shorter mileage than we want to do but I'm hopeful there's some exploring to do around Ostrander Lake, perhaps even go off trail to Hart Lakes or Windy Lake...Thoughts?
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by mckee80 »

40% of the permits are reserved for walk ups, so if you have some flexibility, there are likely to be other trailheads (and current trail reports) available to you. They may be able to match you up with a walk in that meets your desired criteria.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by c9h13no3 »

c9h13no3 wrote: Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:23 am This is just the reality of early season backpacking. Up high, you get snow. Down low, you get raging water & marshy meadows. Pick your poison.
This still applies. You can't complain about snow in one post, and water in the next. You're certainly getting one, likely both early season.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

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dustybottoms21 wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2019 7:44 pm What if we were to just head up to Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon? Out and back. Still decent mileage and it gives us some fishing opportunities. Or we could do an out and back to Eleanor or Cherry Lake.

And yeah the heat is looking pretty brutal but I can’t be too picky at this point.
If you get to Hetch Hetchy the night before the permit starts, which you can, drive down, stay in the backpacker campsites, get up and hike early (before 6 am) -- you can beat the hottest part of the day. Get higher by noon and you're fine. You won't get far thanks to the creeks, but you will get somewhere.

I spent one spring day sitting on a rock in Rancheria Creek because the downstream breeze was the only thing keeping me from being totally eaten by deet-ignoring mosquitoes - good fun. Of course, that was a year when Wapama wasn't trying to kill people.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by dustybottoms21 »

Yeah we’re trying to figure out where to stay the night before the hike. I wonder if we can car camp in or near Yosemite Valley, need to do some research on that.

And, yes, an early start the first day will be important but I don’t think we can grab our permits until 7am. Still not terrible.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by SSSdave »

Many free places to disperse camp along Evergreen Road in Stanislaus National Forest. That is the access road to HH from SR120. But then you will be blocked by the park gate til 8am.

Always amazes me how the majority of backpackers begin their hikes during warm weather mid morning when they don't have to merely because they would rather hike in heat versus simply wake up early at dawn.
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Re: Backpacking SEKI in June

Post by c9h13no3 »

dustybottoms21 wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:41 am Yeah we’re trying to figure out where to stay the night before the hike. I wonder if we can car camp in or near Yosemite Valley, need to do some research on that.

And, yes, an early start the first day will be important but I don’t think we can grab our permits until 7am. Still not terrible.
Car camping is Yosemite is damn near impossible without a reservation many months in advance.

Dispersed camping in the national forest is your best choice. Go here to find sites.

And low 90's in Hetch Hetchy, is really not that bad. But I grew up in the south.
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