Suggestions for 4-day backpacking trip

[amigo]

I am a 62 year old male and in good physical condition. I've done some backpacking (twice in the Sierras) and lots of day-hiking, XC skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing/kayaking, camping, skating, cycling. My friend, a 50 year old female, is also in good physical condition and has done all the activities I've done with the exception of backpacking. We live in eastern Canada.

We want to plan a 4-day backpack trip in the Sierras this summer and was hoping for some suggestions. I do not want a difficult trek as it will discourage her from doing any more such trips. A little challenge is fine but I don't want to it to be too difficult. 4-days could include a layover day.
One itinerary I was considering was in Yosemite NP starting at Tuolumne Meadows to Glen Aulin (1st night), then to May Lake (2nd night), then to North Dome (last night), and finally down to Yosemite Valley. I think this is a fairly easy backpack trip as it is mostly flat and downhill, and it's scenic but I have no illusions about winning a permit. I can try but I'll need one or two backups.

I've already hiked Agnew Meadows to Ediza, Garnet and Thousand Island so would prefer not doing it again. Any other suggestions as a backup?
Thanks in advance.
Rico

[wildhiker]

The Sierra Nevada is vast, with thousands of miles of trails, so you have many options. Some more information would be helpful to provide suggestions.

Can you narrow down your time frame? Generally, June and the first part of July are early season, with potentially a lot of snow still in the high country and bad mosquitoes. Fighting hordes of mosquitoes would certainly dampen your friend's desire to repeat the experience. Mid July through August is typically peak season with trails generally clear of snow (except on highest passes in July) and mosquitoes diminishing. September is late season, colder and lacking in flowers and greenery, but devoid of mosquitoes and with greatly reduced numbers of other backpackers competing with you for permits. Another consideration is the possibility of smoke from wild fires blanketing all or part of the range. This has become a common problem in the last ten years (2023 was notably smoke free, however), with chances of bad wild fire smoke increasing towards the end of summer and into fall. Considering all these factors, I generally aim to do my big backpack trip each year the first week of August in a year of "normal" snowpack. 2023 had record deep snowpack, and I postponed my trip until September and still had some problems with snow! In a drought year with little snowpack, mid July would be better. You can't really tell how deep the snowpack will be until April.

If you are coming from eastern Canada, I assume this backpack trip is part of a larger trip to California or maybe the whole western U.S. Can we presume that you will have a rental car and thus can reach all trailheads?

Have you or your friend hiked much at high altitudes, for example, above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters)? Do you know if you are susceptible to altitude sickness?

Your suggested itinerary is in Yosemite National Park. Are you planning to visit the park anyway for sightseeing? If so, backpacking in or around the park would be efficient. Yosemite also has good public transit between the Valley and Tuolumne Meadows, allowing one-way downhill hikes like you are thinking of (drive to Tuolumne to start your hike, then take the late afternoon bus back from the Valley at the end of your hike).

Another one-way hike you could do is from the Yosemite Creek trailhead down Yosemite Creek to a base camp back a ways from the rim (I think you have to camp at least 1/2 mile back from the rim in this area), with side hikes to Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Point (hang on the railing above a truly vertical cliff!) to the east and Eagle Peak to the west. Then complete the hike down the Yosemite Falls trail to the Valley. The YARTS bus returning from the Valley will let you off at the Yosemite Creek trailhead. There is less competition for this trailhead (or the Lukens Lake trailhead that connects with it). You get marvelous views into Yosemite Valley but the downside is that you are not in the big mountains at all - you only view them from afar.

If you can handle high elevations of 10,000 feet or more, there is a good loop out of Tuolumne Meadows that will work easily in four days and get you into the true high country of big mountains and glacial lakes. Start on the Rafferty Creek trailhead and hike up to Tuolumne Pass - about 1,400 feet (425 meters) elevation gain in about 6 miles (10 km) on a high standard well-graded trail. Drop down from the pass just a little to Boothe Lake to camp, or if you still have energy, head uphill another mile to the Vogelsang camp. Do a layover day here and hike up to Vogelsang Pass for great intimate mountain views. On day 3, take the trail past the Vogelsang area to Evelyn Lake (wonderful high meadow with expansive views to the crest) and then on to Ireland Lake, a deep blue lake set in a large green meadow area backed by big mountains. This is about 5.5 miles (9 km) gaining 1100 feet (330 meters) elevation (and losing some along the way). Camp among whitebark pines just downstream along the outlet creek. On the final day, take the Ireland Creek trail down, down, down into Lyell Canyon to the intersection of the John Muir Trail, and then return on the JMT to Tuolumne Meadows. This trail drops nearly 2,000 feet (600 meters) elevation in the first 4 miles (6 km), and then you have a pleasant stroll of about 5 miles (8 km) on the gentle downhill of Lyell Canyon back to Tuolumne Meadows. I would not do this trip in the reverse direction because the Ireland Creek trail is relentlessly steep going uphill.

-Phil

[amigo]

Thanks for the information, Phil. Yes, the idea is probably August timeframe. Avoiding snow and mosquitoes would be good, of course. I'm waiting for my friend to confirm when she can go. I've backpacked the Agnew Meadows to Ediza/Garnet/Thousand Island loop over a 3 day period and have also hiked the North Lake/South Lake loop over 6 days. Have also done a 5 day outing in the Wind River Range at 10,000 ft. I don't care so much about altitude on this proposed trip. Just want to make sure my friend can handle and enjoy it. She's never been to CA.

I know the Sierras are vast but I am very flexible. Whether it's in one of the Parks, along the eastern Sierras (Lone Pine to Mammoth), Desolation Wilderness, I don't care so much. I love the Sierras and want it to be a great 4-day trek and not have my friend want to push me off a cliff because I'm taking her up too many steep sections carrying a full load

We'll have a rental car and I don't expect to visit much of CA as we will likely just have a full week (2 weekends). That means lose 3-4 days of flight and drive-to days. If we do a backpack trip in Yosemite, we'll probably also visit the Valley, Glacier Pt and one of the Sequoia groves but that's it. I wish we would have 2 full weeks so we can also do some hikes in the eastern Sierra but that doesn't look promising.
I will investigate your suggestions in Yosemite as I'd be really lucky to get permits for the hike I was thinking of. Thanks again!

[balzaccom]

A couple of thoughts;

1. Your itinerary has a lot of downhill, especially on that last day. For older people--and I am ten years older than you--long steep downhills are harder on my knees that uphill. I wouldn't bother with the drop down Snow Creek, I'd stay high, finish the hike around Tuolumne Meadows, and then take a day to explore Yosemite Valley from the Backpacker campground there. You can always add a day hike to your itinerary to visit the upper part of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne from Glen Aulin.

2. Phil is right to raise the issue of altitude. My wife and I have hiked a couple thousand miles in the Sierra, but the worst case of altitude sicknesss came on a hike out of May Lake up to Mt. Hoffman, when we drove up from sea level on the same day. You might want to consider at least one day of acclimatization at lower elevations before you hit 9,000 feet at Tuolumne Meadows.

3. Are you sure you want to stay near those High Sierra Camps? They have a lot of people in them during the summer--the busiest campsites in the High Sierra, more or less. Your friend may find that reassuring, or maybe intrusive. Illilouette Canyon out of Mono Meadows also gives you great views, far fewer people...and if you REALLY want that downhill, you can hike into Yosemite Valley from there, too.

4. If permits and quotas are a concern, look at Emigrant Wilderness, just to the north of Yosemite. Same great granite, fewer people, not trailhead quotas, lower elevations, in general, and lots of nice adventures there.

[wsp_scott]

Fly into Vegas and drive to Lone Pine, CA and then up to Cottonwood Lakes, about a 4ish hour drive. Find a campsite and then day hike the basin. The area has scenery but not a lot of elevation gains, sleep at the campground the first night to help with altitude issues. If you wanted a little more, you could connect New Army Pass and Cottonwood Pass hitting Soldier Lake and maybe Sky Blue Lake, maybe tag Mt Langley on the way out.

Permits are becoming available/filling up for the beginning of August, don't wait to long to make plans.

[texan]

Fly into Vegas and drive to Lone Pine, CA and then up to Cottonwood Lakes, about a 4ish hour drive. Find a campsite and then day hike the basin. The area has scenery but not a lot of elevation gains, sleep at the campground the first night to help with altitude issues. If you wanted a little more, you could connect New Army Pass and Cottonwood Pass hitting Soldier Lake and maybe Sky Blue Lake, maybe tag Mt Langley on the way out.

Permits are becoming available/filling up for the beginning of August, don't wait to long to make plans.

I like this suggestion. The choice of going over Cottonwood or New Army passes is excellent One is fairly easy and the other is moderate. I like to fish so I would go to Sky Blue Lake or other Miter Basin Lakes, plus getting acclimated at Horseshoe Meadow campground the night before makes sense.

Texan

[amigo]

Thanks all for your suggestions and information. I did look into Cottonwood Lakes prior as an alternative to Yosemite. Good to hear others agreeing it's a good hike. I'll definitely consider that as a possible hike.

[Lumbergh21]

Here's a few options for outside Yosemite that I think are relatively easy. They can or do include some easy off trail travel that shouldn't be a problem if you are good with off trail travel even if your partner has never been off the trail.

1) Mosquito Flat trailhead to Pioneer Basin, 4th Recess and 3rd Recess Lakes, and potentially Golden Lake (off trail). Including exploring the Pioneer Basin without packs on the afternoon of Day 2, the total distance for the trip should be approximately 26 miles with no more than 7,000 feet of elevation gain and loss.

2) Humphrey's Basin from North Lake, once again some easy off trail travel exploring the basin. The total distance depends on how much exploring you do, but probably around 20 miles with no more than 4,000 feet of elevation gain and loss for the trip.

3) Dusy Basin from South Lake, including the Chocolate Lakes and easy off trail exploration of Dusy Basin. The total distance depends on how much exploring you do and whether or not you hike to Ruwau Lake and the Chocolate Lakes, but probably no more than 23 miles with no more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain and loss for the trip.

[Wandering Daisy]

I would not do anything out of Yosemite Valley in August. It can be beastly hot and air quality is often poor. I never do Yosemite Valley mid-summer.

You need to keep an eye on forest fire smoke conditions. Have several options planned for that include less used trailheads that are easier to get permits. In the past I have not had much problem getting a permit 3 days to a week ahead of entry date. Although it is not well known or made public there are first-come permits for some trailheads. There are always cancellations, so you have to check reserve.gov often to pick up one of these permits.

I think the big decision is east side vs. west side. I think east side is a good choice, with Reno being an easy airport to fly to for northern part and even Las Vagas is good for southeastern Sierra. Not sure if these airports work for the rest of your schedule. Although Owens valley can get smoky if there are forest fires, once you get above 10000 feet it usually gets better.

Unfortunately, many of the west-side trailheads may be closed due to last year's damage. And it is harder to get into the good stuff on a short trip if you only have 4 days even when every trailhead is open. But if all your other activities are on the west side it may be appropriate. You now need a permit to drive 120 through Yosemite during the day, and that could be a problem if you are already on the west side. However, the drives themselves, Tioga Pass, Sonora Pass particularly are scenic drives.

Pine Creek TH to Granite Park is wonderful. Although a lot of elevation gain to start, the trail is in good shape, well graded, and if you simply take it slow you will be OK. Once in Granite Park you can day hike to Chalfant Lakes, or many other lakes, Royce Lakes. Royce Lake easier to reach from Honeymoon Lake or Golden Lake.

[pac_bob]

If you are set on Yosemite and can't get permits out of the valley or Tuolomne, you might try going out of Hetch-Hetchy, up to Lake Vernon (night 1), then either up the Jack Main trail (maybe night 2) across the PCT to Lake Tilden (night 3 -- one of the prettiest lakes in Yosemite) then straight down to Rancheria Falls and Hetch-Hetchy; OR at Lake Vernon, go south thru Tiltill Valley to Rancheria Falls (night 4) and Hetch-Hetchy. If you can't get a permit out of Hetch-Hetchy (hard to imagine), go past Camp Mather and park at Cherry Lake and enter the park at Lake Eleanor trailhead, heading east to Laurel Lake and Lake Vernon. You can then loop up the Jack Main to Tilden Lake, Tiltill Valley and back to Lake Vernon, heading west past Lake Eleanor to Cherry Lake. North of Hetch-Hetchy is probably the least-traveled section of the park.