Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

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maytag
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Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by maytag »

Heading out on the Grand Canyon loop and wanted to hear from any recent hikers on what the conditions are like...skeeters, trail conditions and waterfalls?? What's happening out there?
Leaving mid-week - Thank you
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maverick
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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by maverick »

Some folks who posted some recent info on the Waterwheel Falls area:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/forum/viewtop ... f294a4fbad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by Wandering Daisy »

As hot as it is, I would choose to go from White Wolf to Tuolumne, hike from 6AM to early afternoon and then hang out and swim and read. I do not like Pate Valley. There are better campsites just as you come down to the river, a little bit off the trail, about a mile and half short of Pate Valley. We did the route the other way- Tuolumne to White Wolf when it was hot, and the climb up the last day was brutal. The hike up and around Muir Gorge is also a hot stretch that is best planned for early morning. Last year, at about river mile 137, there was a wash-out area where I had difficulty finding the trail. Last year I went early June and had no problems crossing creeks; this year, at this time, water should be even lower. Staying cool will be the main problem. Also, afternoon thunderstorms - be careful not to camp too close to the river or in an area that could flash flood.

Weather report says 100 degrees in Yosemite Valley tomorrow!
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maytag
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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by maytag »

Thank You!... We are going in from White Wolf and it will be towards the end of the week. I appreciate your comments and will take them to heart. Just hoping the skeeters are "manageable".
If don't mind my asking, what is it about Pate Valley that brings on the bad feelings...never been.
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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by longri »

maytag wrote:If don't mind my asking, what is it about Pate Valley that brings on the bad feelings...never been.
I can't speak for Daisy but in my case it was the bugs, zillions of them, including lots of gnats which ignore DEET and fly up your nose anyways. Once we got a couple of miles up from Pate Valley it was a huge relief. That was in September several years ago.

I day hiked to Waterwheel from Lembert Dome a couple of weeks ago. I had only seen it in September so it was nice to view the falls with more water. I sensed that it was less flow than a normal year but it's a nice place regardless.

A bit off topic, but has anybody here gone through the Muir Gorge?
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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by Vaca Russ »

maytag wrote: If don't mind my asking, what is it about Pate Valley that brings on the bad feelings...never been.
I too cannot speak for Daisy, but Pate is at about 4300 feet. It has been decades since I was last hiking through the valley and it was very hot. There are also buzz tails there. :eek:

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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by lensman137 »

Pate Valley is a gorgeous place. First went there when I was 11. July can be a bad month for skeets, but that's usually only in high snow years. I've been there in middle July, and had no problems. But if the skeets are bad down near the two bridges, you can follow the trail to Rodgers Lake up a ways along the Piute Creek, and there are excellent bug free, breezy camps before you start the steep switchbacks of "Hell Walk." The waterworks where the Piute Creek tumbles down from Benson Lake are spectacular, with amazing 30 foot deep swimming holes. Highly recommended. And don't forget to visit the Miwok petroglyphs down in the valley. You have to find them, as they are not marked, but it's not that hard. I love that place, as it's very near and dear to me. Have fun!
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Re: Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne -

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I have been through Pate Valley three times (all post-97-98 floods), two early season and one in late August. Every time there were lots of mosquitoes or horrible flies. Once rattlesnakes sat on each end of the bridge, and another large rattlesnake was lurking in the grass. The trail is nearly overgrown with grass so it is easy to accidently run into a rattlesnake. There has been some major flooding, so there is a lot of dead logs and debris. Pate Valley is also known for bear problems, however, I have never camped there because it never looked very appealing in the first place. In early season, both times, it was basically a swamp. The few campsites I have seen are over-used and trashy.

Pate Valley is a large place and I stayed on the trails (or tried to find the trail in shoulder-high grass) so have not spent a lot of time exploring for more appealing parts. So, if you plan on staying in Pate Valley it would be wise to research to find out exactly where in Pate Valley has the better camping.
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