Trip Report

Map: Yosemite National Park Overview Map

A friend asked for feedback and information about the trail our group took on our 4th of July (2009) backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, Yosemite National Park.

There were stories to tell and anecdotes that, I’m sure, have more impact in certain conversations but in the interest of trying to describe the trail and the environment and avoid trying to describe our group, each person, or the dynamics I tried to keep this as close to a factual trail description as possible

Alas, as I’ve re-read the following (below) day reports, I’ve failed to keep it only about the trail.  I’ve managed to omit many important details, I’m sure.  I can, therefore, suggest that this only gives you insight into one particularly forgetful, if not altogether skewed perspective, of our 4-day trip into Yosemite National Park.

Plan:

A group of nine (9) people arrive on Wednesday evening July 1, 2009

Camp the night before the trip at Tuolumne Meadows. Leave several cars at Soda Springs fire road at Tuolumne Meadows. Drive rest of cars to White Wolf with everyone and all trail-ready packs.

Backpack for 4 days, 3 nights past Hetch Hetchy Reservoir through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River to Tuolumne Meadows for a total trip length around thirty-five miles and a loss and gain of elevation of almost 4000′ down and 4500′ up.

Depart on Sunday, July 5, 2009.

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Distance: Approx 35 miles.

Time: 4 days

Start: White Wolf trail head (7875′ Elev)

End: Tuolumne Meadows by Soda Springs (8420′ Elev)

Difficulty level: medium-hard to hard

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[DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE REPORT]

Day 1: (7875′ Start Elev.)

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Topographic Route Maps: CLICK “My Topo” in top right corner of map

E then N-by-NW (down towards Harden Lake).

Start Map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8741&mtlon=-119.6423&z=15

E-by-NE at junction.

Junction map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.8976&mtlon=-119.6617&z=15

Stop at Pate Valley entrance. (4000′ Elev)

End map: http://www.mytopo.com/maps.cfm?mtlat=37.9264&mtlon=-119.6045&z=15

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NOTES: We used the alternate trail to the east of White Wolf trail head to get down to the Tuolumne River, bypassing the the North trail taking us directly to Harden Lake since the fires kept us from that route. The switchbacks on this stretch were long and hard. Dropping 3900′ was not fun on the quads or knees.

We stopped 1-mile short of the planned camp site making total 1-day mileage 9.5 miles. Total trip miles 9.5 miles. Total elevation change was 3875′ and most of that within a 3-mile stretch.

Having Gor-Tex boots helped with the couple of stream crossings but the rocky terrain may have been easier to manage in mid-weight trail shoes (not boots). The temps gradually got hotter as we descended into the canyon so by midday we were in 75-80° weather with a mix of full sun and partially occluded sun with tree cover.

This was our heaviest pack day and our first day of physical exertion. Our initial impression was that this was a particularly difficult way to start. In retrospect, it was better than the opposite route which would have ended with a 4000′ ascent in one (1) day.

We arrived at 6:30PM, a couple of injuries, some very sore muscles and very tired folks. The excitement of the trip was there (somewhere) and the reality of backpacking with 35-40 pounds on the back had set in. Everyone was excited to be in a camp, any camp.

Sleeping at night was like being in a sweat box particularly with the rain-fly over the tent, our 15° bags, and our propensity for each of the two of us to generate tons of heat [note: on the TMI-side of things, it's often difficult to sleep next to each other because of this fact].

Mosquitoes were intensely bad in the camp and the Natrapel helped us survive. Camp was flat and easy to plunk down in, very close to the river with easy access to water, and a fire ring, in the middle of a mid-to-somewhat dense forested area.

DAY 2 –>

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