Yosemite July 2011
 

OK so thanks to all who chimed in on the last post. My new plan is in and semi permanent. I'm going to go in July (17-19) after all. It was the only campsite in upper pines available 30 seconds after they where made available . After i purchased them i saw that they were handicapped spots. I did some research and i guess its fine because the rest of the camp sites are full.. i hope worst comes to worst they just move us to open campsites to oblige the truly handicapped.

Anywaaay. My itinerary is as follows

17th - Leave in the am to arrive in Yosemite before 1:30 to check in. Set up camp then explore Yosemite valley for the rest of the day
18th- Two groups will hike due to the fact i only have 3 half dome permits but 6 in my group. First group leaves 2.5 hours earlier then second group. Group one hikes up to half dome then back down to the trail where the clouds rest trail meets the half dome trail and meet up with the others. then onto clouds rest and back hopefully before it gets to dark.
19th - toulume meadows and carlon falls
20th - after check out go to bridal vale and hang out under the waterfall till were ready to hit the long road home.

so few questions.
First, what do you think of the trip?
Second, natural places to swim in Yosemite valley with epic views nearby?
3rd. foresee any problems with the handicapped spot?
4th, any body have experience with driving from southernmost California to Yosemite? Google said 8 hours.. whats it really?

Just want to make sure you are some super stud hikers. Half Dome is tough and long. Not sure you can make it up the last 2 miles and then back down in 2.5 hours(considering cables and you'll want to spend some time at the top). It would be really difficult to hike Half Dome, then tack on another 7 miles for most people. Not to say that it can't be done, just not very many people attempt this. To me that is like those people that run rim to rim at the Grand Canyon. Half Dome is a marathon and I think Clouds Rest would be fairly serious as well. All 6 of you just might need that handicap spot, you better keep it. LOL.

type in swimming in yosemite and see what you get on youtube. I haven't done any of the natural waterslides, but check that out on there as well. i searched it under waterslides/yosemite.

If you haven't been to Mariposa Grove, I would check it out on one of your days.

www.naturalbornhikers.com gives a great description of the hike. and I consider them pretty serious hikers. also look at kevin gong's website.

"<i>4th, any body have experience with driving from southernmost California to Yosemite? Google said 8 hours.. whats it really? </i>"

Southern CA covers a VERY big area -- from where exactly?

But as a 'for instance' - San Diego to Yosemite would take between 8 and 9 hours depending on day of the week/traffic.

Half Dome AND Clouds Rest on the same day?? -- Are you very sure? I do have one friend who did exactly that (before permits were required) -- but she is an endurance runner and bike rider (like the Western States 100 run and the Death Ride bike ride over all the highest Sierra summits) and is not a normal human :)

Oh - That 8-9 hours is the actual drive time - you'd need to add rest and food stops so more like 9-10 hours.

No way would I do Clouds Rest and Half Dome in one day. Good luck with that.

Carlon Falls is nowhere near Tuolumne Meadows.

Chose one or the other.

How many kids and how old are they? What sort of shape are they in?

Half Dome is a very long exhausting hike. Kids and the cables would be a concern of mine.

I'm just gonna say that if you do Half Dome one day, no one will be interested (or capable) of doing a long hike the next day.

Plan on exploring around Tuolumne Meadows.

were all 20 - 27. The ones climbing half dome will be fit. I wanted the other three hikers to see something as epic as clouds rest, if i dont find anything else like it ill send them over that way with a turn around time and see how we feel when we get to the trail junction to continue or not.

Just curious, where and what have the three "fit" people hiked before?

The other group might try Panorama Trail.

I think you need to be in pretty good shaped to consider halfdome, but then to tack on another major hike in the same day, seriously you need to be almost an olympic type athlete or one who can do some serious running(like marathon's or perhaps long distance swimming.

I think OP ought to seriously consider taking the advice of those of us that have hiked the park and know these trails. We are not blowing smoke up your a$$ when we caution you against some of what you are proposing. Half Dome,then Clouds Rest in one day will put you on top of Clouds Rest in the late afternoon perhaps. Just in time for one of those frequent thunder storms that hit that area all the time in summer. I would not want to be on that summit in a lightning storm.

Off soapbox now...carry on.

Thank you for your concerns :-) I appreciate them more then you know.