GCT and/or Hetch Hetchy late June

[webdweeb]

I spent a lovely day hiking out and back to Rancheria Falls last week and am now thinking about a backpack in Hetch Hetchy for a late June date. Since this also seems to be a good time to hike the GCT, I started playing with a route on Caltopo between the HH trailhead and Tuolumne Meadows. I am also looking at one of several possible loops that start and end at the HH trailhead-they kinda look like nested loops, with the apex at Tilden, Wilma, Brannigan and Vernon Lakes. When I was there last week, the temperatures were perfect at the reservoir level, but my expectation is it would be hotter in late June for that segment of any of these routes (as well as most of the GCT). If anyone here has experience with or recommendations for any of these route possibilities for a late June date range, I would be most appreciative of your input.

[rormisto]

I did the GCT in the first days of July in 2020 from White Wolf to Tuolumne, though I've never been to the greater Tilden/Vernon area. The section of the GCT that your loops would bypass was, in my opinion, the least interesting section. The best thing about that section were the views of Hetch Hetchy, which you'd get much more up-close with your route. From the topo, I don't envy you the climb up after the dam crossing, but that's just how any hike in this area is bound to be. Look for a trip report to check the conditions of the section of trail that navigates across the outlet of Benson lake. It may or may not be real, since it shows up as dotted on caltopo. Overall, conceptually, I like the route.

The GCT was very hot (90F+); one member of my party ran into a salt/heat problem and we had to improvise some. It was during a heat wave that brought Bishop over 105F, which to my understanding, was unseasonably hot. The saving grace of the GCT was that you were never too far from the water. Frequent dunks were extraordinarily helpful to have available. When we climbed up to Tuolumne, things were a little more temperate at 8k, but still not great. My thought is that, if these conditions were repeated, the altitude could help mitigate the heat during the parts where you're away from water. Conversely, you may find yourself far from water and running a bit warm, and have not much to do about it.

I think my answer is this: it depends on your flexibility and heat sensitivity. Maybe you plan for the longest loop, but you get there, feel like it's going to be a hot slog, leave some food in a bear box, and do the GCT straight-up. Or, maybe you get there, the weather is the same as when you visited, and you pop on up to Tilden, no problem. Whatever you decide to do, have an amazing trip!