Yosemite High Sierra Loop Sept 16-20 Pre Trip

[TxAggie]

Hello High Sierra family.

First, thank you for the amazing information in this group, coming from the East Coast this community has been an invaluable resource for me.

Sadly, my daughter is entering her Senior year at Davis and September will likely be our last trip to Yosemite together unless she ends up staying on the West Coast.

We’re planning the High Sierra Loop section starting September 16 starting at Tualomne and circling counter clockwise from Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise, and back to Tuolumne. This will be our first late summer trip, any general idea of what we can expect weather and bug wise? Except for the lakes, what does water availability look like this late in the year?

Also, this will be our first trip spending an extended amount of time above 9,000 feet. Any advice on how to prepare for the altitude for folks coming from sea level?

Thank you again for all of the information and support, you have a great community here.

Joe

[The Other Tom]

I can't answer your question about water or weather, but when we do that loop (also coming from the east coast), we try to spend 2-3 nights in the Tuolumne area to acclimate, doing a few day hikes. Mt. Dana, Gaylor Lakes, Cathedral lakes, Elizabeth Lake, and Mt. Hoffman are our go-to for day hikes.

[bobby49]

On some years, there is a significant storm as early as September 1. I would plan short trips after that, but not long trips. People have died when they were caught out in a Labor Day storm without full gear for that.

[giantbrookie]

First of all, best wishes to your daughter at UCD. My ace backpacking partner and daughter, Dawn, is entering UCD as a freshman this fall and we're heading out on our last trip this summer before she starts this weekend, into, as it turns out, some unseasonally cold weather. The destination we're planning to camp at Fri and Sat night has a forecast high temps of about 41 and a 40 percent chance of snow on Sat. which can be both bad and good; Dawn has never seen snow falling, so this could be fun for her .

Note that September weather in the Sierra is commonly very nice and my very favorite time to hike. Mosquitoes are usually negligible and there are fewer of those thundershowers that are so common in July and August. Over the 60 years I've been headed up to the Sierra I can say that September is, on the average, warmer than it was in my childhood and youth, but it still, on the average tends to be cooler than August. Your loop isn't particularly high elevation so your high temps are likely range from the high 60s into the 70s, unless a colder bit of air blows in (as it is forecast to do tomorrow for me and Dawn). However, cold weather fronts can come through, so it is wise to check the National Weather Service (NOAA) website for the forecast ahead of your trip. Some fall storms can bring some wintry conditions and can be potentially dangerous (ie hypothermia etc. hazard) if one is not prepared. An advantage of your loop is that it is not that high elevation and it is near enough to a trailhead or road that it is easy to bail out if the weather changes for the worse (that wasn't in the forecast, say).

Regarding acclimatization, the Other Tom, gives sound advice. However, many folks who travel to the Sierra don't have the extra days off to devote to acclimatizing, so they pretty much have to go to high altitude from near sea level on the first day. Me and my family members are no different in this regard, living near sea level in the San Francisco Bay area. A partial solution that I've employed both solo and with family members is to have a "day zero" in which one either car camps or stays in a motel at reasonably high altitude. For example, for the end-of-June/beginning July trip I took with Dawn to Thousand Island Lake we stayed in Lee Vining the night before, and we have room reservations this evening in Bridgeport; we'll then hike into Hoover Wilderness tomorrow morning. In my childhood and youth, my dad would take us up to the High Sierra, commonly the east side and we'd drive up from the SF Bay Area and sleep in the back of his Suburban (he had a set up he'd do with the back seats down) at a turnout above Tioga Lake on "night zero".

In the absence of having the time for acclimatization hikes or a day zero I train at sea level by doing hikes in a hilly neighborhood with a full pack on, etc. For your trip, you will probably be fine on day 1 without any pre-acclimitization owing to the fact that leg 1 on your journey is not so high (starting point about 8600') and it is a descending hike. By the time you start putting in some ascents on your hike you will have had a day hiking and camping at altitude. Best wishes for a great trip.

[TxAggie]

First of all, best wishes to your daughter at UCD. My ace backpacking partner and daughter, Dawn, is entering UCD as a freshman this fall and we're heading out on our last trip this summer before she starts this weekend, into, as it turns out, some unseasonally cold weather. The destination we're planning to camp at Fri and Sat night has a forecast high temps of about 41 and a 40 percent chance of snow on Sat. which can be both bad and good; Dawn has never seen snow falling, so this could be fun for her.

Congratulations to your daughter, Lainie loves the school, it’s been a great fit for her.

Thanks for the suggestions from you and Bob. Unfortunately due to my limited schedule we won’t have the luxury of a zero day. The two of us did a 4-day trip up to Merced Lake which isn’t much lower than our planned trip, but my daughter did have a little trouble on the highest day. I was asking to see if there are any steps we could take leading up to the hike. I know it’s probably overkill, but I am taking a little supplemental oxygen just in case (it’s my daughter we’re talking about after all).

As for the weather we’re taking puffies, rain gear, and sub freezing sleeping gear just in case. It’s good to hear the mosquitoes should be at bay,

[balzaccom]

The good news is that each of those High Sierra Camps is within an easy day's hike of a trailhead. Keep that in mind as you watch the weather. Remember that you can always bail, and the road is a few miles away.

[wildhiker]

If you are concerned about altitude sickness, why not move your trip to the Desolation Wilderness by Lake Tahoe. It has the High Sierra granite lake basins at lower altitudes than Yosemite, and is a closer drive from UC Davis.
-Phil

[Mikelech]

Given the altitude concerns and lack of time to take a zero day, have you considered diamox? There are some possible side effects so that may be a concern. But given her past experience, it’s something worth investigating and speaking to her doctor about if she hasn’t already considered it. Have a great trip.

[bobby49]

I've used Diamox before, but never at any elevation below 18,000 feet. I would think that a doctor would not prescribe Diamox unless you had some known condition. It does have some side effects.

I've heard about healthy people who got altitude illness as low as 8,000 feet, but the lowest that I've ever seen people getting sick from it was at 10,000 feet. I used to lead lots of Sierra Club backpacking trips, so I saw a few sick people.

The important thing is that for the first day that you drive up to elevation, try to get a good night's sleep someplace maybe no higher than 6,000 or 8,000 feet, and stay hydrated. Then you should be able to continue higher for the next day. If anybody feels like a "slucky duck" on their first hiking day, then give them a break or maybe help carry some of their load. I learned to drink Gatorade, diluted to 50%. The water keeps your muscles going, and the sugar helps with your energy.

[TxAggie]

So I’m not so much “worried” about high altitude as I just want to be prepared, again it’s my daughter we’re talking about a here. She’s fit and in shape, and as others have mentioned our route has multiple opportunities for bailing, but the ultimate goal of the trip is to have fun. I was mainly just curious if there are any tips we could try the week leading up to our hike to help reduce any discomfort.