High Sierra Topix

Fishmonger:

OK, we'll be looking for you! Your kids are likely to be very distinctive on the trail! Look for two old geezers, one (me) wearing a fairly wide-brim floppy hat and a red short-sleeve shirt. Let me see...Ah, here's a picture from last summer, before a very unpleasant two-day very wet slog on Vermont's Long Trail, wearing the very hat and shirt, which hopefully won't have self destructed before the summer.



-B²

BSquared wrote:Fishmonger:

OK, we'll be looking for you! Your kids are likely to be very distinctive on the trail! Look for two old geezers, one (me) wearing a fairly wide-brim floppy hat and a red short-sleeve shirt. Let me see...Ah, here's a picture from last summer, before a very unpleasant two-day very wet slog on Vermont's Long Trail, wearing the very hat and shirt, which hopefully won't have self destructed before the summer.
-B²

we'll keep an eye out for you - and yes, there aren't many kids on the trail. We didn't meet any away from the paved roads at Tuolumne and Reds Meadows.

Let's hope there won't be any wet slogs on this trip - we had our share last year, soaking us for 4 days in a row with weather that was a "once in 5-year event"

To reply to the original post - I agree with the suggestion of flying to Reno. There is abundant long-term parking in Tuolumne Meaodws area and a free shuttle bus between the backpacker's kiosk and many trailheads. Instead of going to Florence Lake, near Muir Ranch, turn left and to up French Canyon then to Piute Pass and out to North Lake. You should be able to hitch to Bishop. If you just sit outside the Forest Service office in Bishop you should be able to hitch a ride north - there is a bus from Mammoth back to Tuolumne. I think there is also once-a-day bus service from Bishop - but you need to check on that. ANyway, it should only take 2 days to get from the junction near Muir Ranch out to North Lake. I personally have had good luck hitching.

one more for flying into Reno and hiking out to Bishop or Rock Creek so you can take advantage of the public transportation if all else fails
look at easternsierratransitauthority and yarts

7 years later!

Vermillion Valley Resort runs a shuttle bus from VVR to Fresno. It's $195 for 2 hikers, plus $37.50 for each additional hiker. The van service runs between Vermilion Valley Resort™-Florence Lake and the Fresno Airport, major hotels as well as the Fresno Train/Bus station

http://www.edisonlake.com/hikers/transportation.

In the area there is also YARTS - Yosemite Area Rapid Transit bus service. It runs from Fresno to Mammoth in the summer months.

Maybe you fly into Fresno and then take YARTS to Yosemite.
http://yarts.com/routes-schedules/

Once in Yosemite, there is a backpacker shuttle between the valley floor and Tuolumne Meadows. It leaves 3 times per day. First come first serve. They had a grant, it was free in 2015. Now it costs money. $14.50 one way.

http://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to ... bus-tours/
http://www.travelyosemite.com/media/399 ... e_2016.pdf

YARTS also has a bus between the Valley floor and Tuolumne Meadows. Check their schedule.

For all of this, be sure to check your schedule. Things change month to month and dates year to year. Most stuff is active mid-June to late-September.

Have fun on your trip.