If you've never been to Yosemite and Yosemite Valley I strongly suggest you don't miss it in mid Sept. It's one the of best times to go for a lesser crowded YV and Y NP experience that often translates to more available permits, campsites, less traffic, fall color, greater feelings of solitude, etc. Be aware in the fourth wk of Sept is around when goods and services and other easier logistical opportunities start being curtailed through closures AND it gets below freezing at night particularly so at the higher elevations. Great day time hiking weather!
This is a break the mold, think outside of the box, itinerary. It is not hardcore or difficult or demanding of high MPD avgs.
Drive into or shuttle into YV. First thing is have or immediately obtain a camping/hiking permit at the YV Back Country Office(seeking an inclusion for summiting Half Dome on the third day!) for the following: tell the Ranger you want to start at the Bridal Veil Falls Parking Lot and walk the old entrance road to the Pohono Tr/Old Inspiration Pt TH(it's signed). You can walk/hike/get dropped off at this TH if you want to avoid the quiet now unused untraffficked old crumbling asphalted YV entrance road or drive to the Bridal Veil Falls Parking Lot. I like walking the old road thinking about the 100,000's of thousands who once drove it. Some of Ansel Adams iconic photography was taken from locations you'll be passing on the road. I believe you can leave a car at the Bridal Veil Falls(BV) Parking Lot too but inquire to make sure based on starting a hike from this location. Don't forget to check out BV Falls. The permit will be for exiting at Tuolumne Meadows.
Day 1: hike to Bridal Veil Creek(near a small wooden bridge) where slightly upstream there's a SMALL 2-3 tent possible CS which means getting here and stopping early in the afternoon. With the early stop, and after first setting up camp, do a short day hike over to the YV South Rim to Dewey Pt and the surrounding area to walk along the sheer escarpment with far reaching views up, down, and across YV. If you have some binoculars look across to Yosemite Falls and El Capitan; you may see climbers on El Capitan. This is a far cry from experiencing the crowds down in YV or at Glacier Point that everyone says is the reason to avoid YV. No car access to this site!
Day 2: hike along the escarpment checking out Taft Pt and Sentinel Dome, which can easily be submitted, to Glacier Pt to get water and revisit the masses. Continue on past Washburn Pt onto the Panorama Tr to Panorama Cliffs and past Illilioutte Falls to meet the JMT Junction. DON'T go straight! Go left on the JMT to the Vernal Falls overlook at the top of Vernal Falls. Stay along Sunrise Creek going upstream to Nevada Falls. Two CS options for the end of Day 2 present themselves depending on how the itinerary is working out that sets you up a little differently for
Day 3 and summiting Half Dome and then possibly moving on. On the permit schedule
Day 2 night for Little Yosemite Valley CS on Sunrise Creek OR get water there and legally stealth disperse camp just past the Half Dome spur/JMT junction for a more serene quieter night. Tip: there are some quiet sites overlooking Little Yosemite Valley just past this junction on the right out of sight of the trail that are nestled into trees, manzanita brush, and rock formations. It's where I go for quiet away from the hoards compared to Little Yosemite CG right on Sunrise creek. I like the later option because it makes
Day 3 shorter mileage to Tuolumne Meadows after already having submitted HD early in the day. Base camp from this stealth dispersed CS when you summit Half Dome paying heed to protecting your scented items.
If you were unable to secure an inclusion to your permit for summiting Half Dome deviate from the JMT and check out Clouds Rest on Day 3(perhaps a better and always less crowded view down the length of YV than the HD summit although walking/crawling out onto the Diving Board is really cool and the cables up HD are always memorable!), rejoining the JMT to hike past Sunrise High Camp, stopping just short of Tuolumne Meadows and camp at Cathedral Lakes surrounded by Tressider, Cathedral, and Echo Peaks, the Cockscomb, Unicorn, and Pywiack Dome. GREAT place to camp.
Day 4: stop at Tuolumne Meadows(TM) CG for the night. Base Camp from here for a day to 2 days doing some day hikes. Take advantage of the Cafe, mailing a resupply box or others items to the USPO, and resupply at the Grocery Store. This cuts down on hauling 8-9 days of food all at once as you ascend out of Yosemite Valley. If you schedule this leg of the trip to arrive at TM CG on a fri, sat or early sun in Sept I strongly advise you hope on the YARTS WEEKEND ONLY(in Sept) bus at the front of the TM Store and take it to the Crane Flat area to check out a grove of mature Giant Redwoods. There are only a few places in Yosemite NP to experience mature groves of Giant Redwoods. If you stick strictly to the JMT during your entire visit you WILL NOT experience Giant Redwoods which IMHO would be a damn shame. The YARTS bus can be taken back to the TM CG area. Hitchhiking by asking rather than sticking thumbs out is common and is usually met with quick rides between TM CG in front of the Grocery Store to the Crane Flats area and vice versa. Another day hike into Tuolumne Meadows that's a highlight is a hike to Lembert Dome being one I personally enjoy or an out and back involving the Glen Aulin area that takes in Tuolumne Falls. Just hiking out into Tuolumne Meadows is a highlight with far reaching scenic views in all directions but when you make the destination either/or both Lembert Dome and Tuolumne Falls from a base camp in TM CG it can be a pinch me is this real experience.
Here are some advantages of this scenario:
Easier permit to pull even on a walk up basis. This is not a common way to get to TM from YV.
Even if you don't get the HD inclusion you get to hike along the S. Rim escarpment of Yosemite Valley with its's awesome overlooks(Dewey, Taft Points, etc), summit Sentinel Dome, check out the views at Glacier Pt, check out Clouds Rest, check out the Cathedral Lakes area, and take in Lembert Dome doing that summit if desired. Oh, and are you counting the waterfalls taken in yet? This is IMHO just as worthy of a scenic scenario and itinerary, perhaps MUCH more so, without the crowds than summiting Half Dome which is what everyone assumes must be included in a Yosemite Valley/Y NP visit beginning at the Happy Isles TH taking the JMT to Half Dome or taking the JMT from Happy Isles TH in YV to Tuolumne Meadows. If you get the HD inclusion on your permit it's just more gravy to be added to the other scenic wonders on the route I layed out.
This enables acclimating as you hike and explore rather than allocating two days just to acclimate! It frees up time to do other stuff in a non hurried atmosphere of infinite options in the bigger scheme of your journey out west!
This enables flexibility without a hurried mentality enabling time to check out other stuff that you find interests your party on just this leg of this two part two permit journey.
See the possibilities so far if you rethink your trip from a JMT only get er dun rush rush rush gotta make those JMT miles experience to a Yosemite Valley, Yosemite NP, Sierra, Big Trees,....etc experience that is a fuller more memorable experience?
BUT WAIT, we're not done! You mean to say there's more Dogwood? YES!
The second permit/second leg of the trip involves a hike from TM CG to Reds Meadow. But not as most experience it. This permit can be picked up at TM obtaining it on the fly on a walk up basis which allows the most flexibility to the schedule. Once you get to TM immediately inquire about permit availability. If they make you wait a day perfect that's your day hikes day from TM CG!
Day 5 or 6: The day depends on how many nights you decide on staying a TM CG. Relax. No stress if you decide on two nights here since you freed up acclimatizing days with the itinerary I layed out on the first leg. TM CG has a backpackers area. I warn you TM Cafe B'fast sandwiches can make you not want to leave TM CG.
Day 5 and 6 involves being sensitive to two different possible scenarios. If after the easier TM CG day hike day(s) your party is up to getting back out on the now conjoined John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails and putting in a 15 mile or so day I suggest an early start from the CG and get over and past Donahue Pass camping at a lower elevation south of DP at several potential established campsites at the Lost Lakes/JMT-PCT, near the Marie Lakes/JMT-PCT, Rush Crk-Waugh Lake/JMT-PCT junctions or just north of Island Pass at a high elevation CS above 9000 ft. If your party wants their biggest day, a 19 mile goal but opportunities to pull up short to CS's as just described, with an early start there are campsites at 1000 Island Lake with astonishing sunrises looking west over the lake. Postcard sunrise pics abound! At 1000 Island Lake the PCT and JMT depart ways southbound. IMO, the JMT route is the better more scenic more lake strewn route between 1000 Island Lake and Devils Postpile where the JMT and PCT join back up. I suggest you take the JMT.
If that scenario isn't happening pull up at lower elevation north of DP doing a 11 mile day camping at several nice campsites along Lyle Fork near the river. There are some nice CS's around MacClure Crk near a footbridge that should have dry ground in Sept.
Day 6 or 7: Since I assume you've taken the JMT as suggested at the Shadow Creek Tr/Ediza Lake/JMT junction take the Shadow Crk Tr with the goal to spend the night at Minaret Lake where there are some CS's. This route to Devils Postpile is far less used less maintained trail than the JMT that involves finding your way on trail to aptly named Iceberg Lake, then on use trail to Cecil Lake, and then on a short route finding segment to very nearby in view Minaret Lake and out the Minaret Creek Tr back to the JMT. Some maps may not show a continuous loop linking these lakes but I assure there is one. This route takes you much closer, actually just below, Banner Peak, Mt Ritter, and the spires of the Minarets for stunning scenery where you'll have a non crowded camping and hiking experience. Expect to use your camera. Photos opps abound!
If that deviation from the JMT isn't taken, which IMHO is better than taking the JMT to Devils Postpile, continue past the Shadow Creek/Ediza Lake/JMT junction on the JMT to campsites at Trinity Lakes, Vivian Lake, or in a meadow just north of a footbridge and the Superior Lake Tr/JMT junction.
Day 7 or 8: Check out nearby Minaret Falls and Devils Postpile. Nearby is Reds Meadow where you can stay at their CG(or nearby at several other CG's), eat in a restaurant, take a shower(ask if the free HOT water spring fed showers are available) and base camp from for a day hike to Rainbow Falls if you have more time. Rainbow Falls is another nice waterfall to take in on a shortish day hike excursion from Reds Meadow. Since after Sept 10 the Eastern Sierra Transit Bus system stops running a scheduled route to Mammoth Lakes from Reds Meadow you will have to arrange for or ask for a ride to the town of Mammoth Lakes where all amenities are located as well as connecting YARTS bus service back to Yosemite Valley(note YARTS schedules). FWIW, personal vehicle traffic on the narrow winding road to Reds Meadow is curtailed when the ESTA bus is running but when it is not personal vehicle traffic increases making it easier to get a ride back to Mammoth Lakes without needing the bus. Reds Meadow people will likely be heading into town or can offer a shuttle as well.
Maps I suggest are: the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Yosemite NP #206, Nat Geo TI Mammoth Lakes Mono Divide #809, and possibly, for better JMT CS detail locations and JMT mileages, the Nat Geo John Muir Trail Topographic Map Guide #1001 These maps will be useful for when your return to the Sierra to explore more because I know you'll be obsessed with the Sierra as I am once you taste of it as I've layed out.
There's much flexibility in your allotted timeframe without the need to be stressed. For example, if you drive to YV on the way you can stop at various groves of Giant Redwoods in Mariposa or Crane Flat rather than do it at TM CG, stop at Tioga Lake for a short stroll, or take a side drive to Mono Lake near the town of Lee Vining to check out the tufa spires. It also allows a day in YV to walk along the Merced River possibly fishing for a trout dinner, set up camp at the Backpackers CG(one night only AFTER you have a permit in hand), get a pre hike pump watching the action Adventure movie at the IMAX, stroll from the BP CG to El Capitan(look for climbers!) and Yosemite Falls past the Ahwanhee Hotel(stop in and check out the architecture and dining room!, great cuisine!), have some drinks and good eats from the well stocked reasonably priced Grocery Store, or take in the art of Ansel Adams at the Ansel Adams Art Galley.
Thank you for allowing me to share what I've been wanting to communicate to a party with the wherewithal and mindfulness to not look at the Sierra just through the eyes of the JMT and with an itinerary that demonstrates thoughtfulness beyond a hurried experience.
Most scenic section of the JMT for 8 days of hiking?
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Originally Posted by colorado_rob
