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jmsamr 
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Posts: 121
Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Dec. 06 2012, 8:51 pm |
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It's that time of year to plan my annual backpacking trip. Looks like we have narrowed it down to the following.
1. Glacier
2. Yosemite
3. Some where in Sierra Nevada range
4. Olympic national park
We are looking for a 3-4 day 20-35 miles back country hike with some solitude and grand sites (alpine lakes and meadows and majestic mountains). We have done Tetons and several places in Rmnp). Any suggestions on jaw dropping 3-4 day trips in one of locations above.
Thanks!!
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| Post Number: 2
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balzaccom
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Joined: Dec. 2010
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Posted on: Dec. 07 2012, 12:14 am |
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We've got a ton of hike suggestions for the Sierra on our website. And frankly, you have a pretty easy criteria to meet. I'd look at Illilouette Canyon in Yosemite or the Emigrant Wilderness just north of Yosemite. Most of our trips are in that range, so you'll find a lot to look at
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Balzaccom
Check out our blog and website:
http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home
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| Post Number: 3
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cweston
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Posted on: Dec. 07 2012, 8:46 am |
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The Skyline Trail in Olympic NP meets all of your requirements in spades. You'd probably want to devote more than 3-4 days to it, though. It covers the most remote part of the Olympics that is accessible by trail. Most do it as a loop trip: take the Skyline Trail north the Low Divide and then return via the N Fork Quinalt (a valley trail).
Here's an interesting TR.
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| Post Number: 4
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High_Sierra_Fan
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Posted on: Dec. 07 2012, 1:50 pm |
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A suitable portion of the Wonderland Trail that circles Mt. Rainier, during high flow season White Wolf to Lambert Dome via the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne for amazing water feature displays, there's always Cathedral TH in Tuolumne Meadows to Happy Isles catching Clouds rest and Half Dome's summits on the way, a lollipop up over Piute Pass into Humphreys basin around Desolation Lake etc. fits that moderately short route timeframe.
As you likely already know some routes are more suitable (or simply doable!) at different times of the season, high country passes that are a breeze in August of a normal year can be impassable barriers in June or July or at the least more specialized snow climbs. So did you have time frame in mind for when you'd be going out?
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| Post Number: 5
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hbfa
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Posted on: Dec. 08 2012, 1:27 pm |
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Leave your car at Mammoth Mountain ski area.
Take the shuttle bus to Devil's Postpile, (about 20 minutes)
Hike the JMT from Devil's Postpile to Tuolumne Meadows - one way.
Eat a hamburger at the grill.
Take the YARTS bus back to Mammoth Mountain where you left your car, (about an hour or so).
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| Post Number: 6
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jmsamr
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Posted on: Dec. 09 2012, 11:12 am |
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Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions! This shood keep me busy researching for some time 
If we decide on a trip in the mountains we will probably go in summer. We prefer not to be snow bound ( passing through patches of snow is fun though). We hiked the four pass loop (maroon bells) in late summer and still had snow crossings.
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| Post Number: 7
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tarol
Well I never!
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Posted on: Dec. 09 2012, 1:05 pm |
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I'd look into Dusy, Sabrina, or Miter Basins in the Eastern Sierra - they are all spectacular!!!
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Got elevation? www.tarol.com
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| Post Number: 8
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High_Sierra_Fan
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Posted on: Dec. 10 2012, 1:07 pm |
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Nice thing about the Eastern Sierra is a big alpine "bang" for your trail mileage "buck" with their usually shorter approaches to the high country from the trailheads.
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| Post Number: 9
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jmsamr
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Posted on: Jan. 04 2013, 8:44 pm |
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We actually have a full trip planned out for Olympic National Park but the airfare tends to be prohibitively expensive.
We are researching Yosemite back country right now. I forgot to mention we prefer to hike loop trails. The three we are looking at in Yosemite right now are.
1. Illilouette past red peak all the way back down yosemite valley and if we still are up for it half dome 50-60 miles
2. Chiquito pass up to read peak pass to post peak pass back down to Chiquito around 40 miles
3. Hetch Hetchy up to tilden lake via jack main and back down til till around 43 miles
With these we are looking at 4 days 3 nights in back country.
Also out of curiosity how is the back country fishing in Yosemite?
Thoughts?
Thanks!
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| Post Number: 10
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High_Sierra_Fan
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Posted on: Jan. 04 2013, 9:46 pm |
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1. Is a lot of elevation gain and loss plus a lot of miles for the number of days. Red Peak pass is the highest in the park and all the way down to the valley is a vertical mile and a half lower.... Adding in straight through fifteen mile days and, well, it is pretty up there. Maybe for very fit ultra lighters. Though that's not my thing so i can't really judge.
2. I've only done a section of that within Yosemite, nice route, Beasore road can be iffy though doable with patience.
3. Is low enough to be warmer than I like anyway at that time of year.
Loops out of Tuolumne would be shorter and in many ways prettier than Illilouette (sad to say mostly a drag for a tad too many miles down from either Glacier Point or Mono Meadows, though from Lower Ottoway onward to the Triple Fork drainage down to Washburn is a treat and a lot of the Lower Merced Canyon is also nice, if overly forested for my taste.
Don't fish but higher country lakes tend to the barren side what with the lack of available nutrients since everything around them is bare rock. But there's some who post that would have specific knowledge that's better than my casual observation.
Fwiw I'd say 1, 2 or something out of Tuolumne Meadows. Though a creative use of Ten Lakes Basin wouldn't be out of the question.
Red Peak Pass' north side holds snow and ice very late in any year and can be quite nasty following a heavy season. As time goes on there'd be a use route punched through but that will depend on when you were looking at?
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| Post Number: 11
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jmsamr
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Joined: Feb. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 05 2013, 8:30 pm |
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We are fairly flexible on when we can go but will most likely go in mid to late summer.
I have read that there are shuttles in Yosemite. Do they travel throughout the park? Are they handy or more of a hindrance. If we can travel via shuttle we don't have to restrain ourselves to a loop hike. Something like Tuolumne to Merced down Yosemite valley.
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| Post Number: 12
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High_Sierra_Fan
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Posted on: Jan. 06 2013, 3:36 am |
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Not throughout but there are buses that run to Glacier Point from the Valley and another than runs from the valley to Tuolumne meadows run by the concessionaire. There's another system, Yarts, that runs through yosemite from Merced to mammoth with stops in the valley and on along the Tioga pass road. Furthermore there are two shuttle systems that are free, one that circulates along the valley floor and a second that travels back and forth along Tioga Pass road mostly between Tuolumne Lodge and Olmsted Point with occasional runs farther east to the Tioga Pass entrance.
Links to the mentioned systems are all here:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/publictransportation.htm
The additional feature that can be utilized to work a schedule with the busses is that with a valid wilderness permit you are allowed to stay at one of the walkin backpackers campgrounds which are located in the valley, at Hetch Hetchy and up in Tuolumne Meadows without any reservations, iirc the fee is $5. So you can get situated the night before or the night after your trip for blending with the bus schedule depending on how you set it up. Say parck in the valley backpackers lot having picked up your wilderness permit and stay in the valley GC getting the morning hikers bus up to the meadows where your start TH would be, Cathedral, Rafferty Creek or maybe Lyell Canyon, or for an earlier start drop your car in the valley and grab the afternoon yarts to Tuolumne, stay in the meadows BP campground and head out in the am using the meadows shuttle as needed to get to your th. Though the campground is right near Lyell and Rafferty but would save a bit of time with the shuttle for Cathedral.
I've used the Glacier Point bus to get back to my car parked at GP for a Red Peak Pass route.
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| Post Number: 13
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balzaccom
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Posted on: Jan. 06 2013, 11:03 am |
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Fishing can be food for 8-11 inch trout in the high country up to about 10,000 as long as the lakes have viable streams in and out. No trout or planted, so these are all wild (if not native--there are a lot of brookies up high)
You could check out a couple of loops we did in the last couple of years---shorter than yours, but really fineL
1, Granite Creek up over Isberg Pass and then back through Post Peak Pass, starting in the John Muir Wilderness out of Bass Lake
2. Tuoloumne Meadows to Nelson Lake, then over to Tuolumne Pass, Vogelsand, Lewis Creek, and up Fletcher Creek and back out.
In either case, you could add miles if you wanted to explore more around these routes.
There are trip reports on both on our website.
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Balzaccom
Check out our blog and website:
http://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home
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| Post Number: 14
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jmsamr
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Posted on: Jan. 31 2013, 3:53 pm |
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We have narrowed down our route options to two. Finally getting closer!
Option 1 (most likely)
Day 1. Start at Tuolumne Meadows and hike down to Vogelsong pass and stay around Vogelsong lake.
Day 2. Head down lewis creek past merced lake and stay in Echo Valley.
Day 3. Head north past Sunrise camp and stay around Sunrise lake.
Day 4. Take the trail past Clouds Rest and stay somewhere near junction of Half Dome and JMT.
Day 5. Half dome and out
Option 2 (least likely)
Without specific Days the option is to go from Tuolumne Meadows and down past Washburn lake and traverse over and up to Mt. Lyell and back down the east side and hook up with JMT/PCT and back up to Tuolumne. I know this is not an established trail but I was wondering if anybody has done this here. I have found several posts on the net about this trip.
In motion has a fantastic video of this hike and it looks awesome (a bit harry which is part of the lure).
Thanks for the patience!
Jason
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