JMT south from Happy Isles -- advice sought for mid-June

imported
#1

I am trying to hike solo from Happy Isles (Yosemite Valley) to Tuolumne Meadows starting June 13th if Tioga Road is open. I have snowshoes and light weight crampons. Does this sound feasible? Perhaps I should plan a lower route perhaps to Buena Vista Peak south of Yosemite Valley. I went to Vogelsgang in early June and snowed for three days straight. I’ve moved to the East Coast now and don’t follow the High Sierras and I would appreciate any advice. Are there rules that prevent me going into the high country then? My starting point is Yosemite Valley on June 13 and leave June 17 – arriving via Amtrak shuttle(yes Amtrak) from Merced (I actually live in the lovely port city of Wilmington NC)! I just faxed my back-country reservation, but the weather is the key.

Napier

#2

Some pacific crest trail thru Hikers will be leaving Kennedy meadows around June 15th hiking north. There will be plenty of snow and more important high water creek crossings. It would be good to have bailout plans and a ice axe. Be safe

No Trace

#3

Did that same route last year without crampons or snow shoes. Going through long meadow was a pain in the butt with snow caps as big as 3 feet. I dont think you really need crampons and snowshoes. Take one or the other. You really don’t need an ice axe either because you arn’t doing any high mountian passes.

Mr. B

#4

We’re leaving Happy Isles on June 22nd, I’m not as concerned about the conditions as i am about route finding. I’m just hoping for some sort of path to follow.

chris d

#5

Hey Chris,

I’m leaving a few weeks prior, so thats one set of tracks. I’m sure the PCT folks will be through there too. However, many day hikers will also be taking different trails, so that might get confusing.

Do they paint/mark the trees(assuming yellow) for the JMT during heavy snow years?

Is the trail packed down from cross country skiing and snowshoes, or are we going to be wading through snow?
I can’t decide on snow shoes. An extra 5 lbs. of gear is considerable. Especially since TM resupply is going to be closed.

Any advice would be appreciated.

jet

#6

No, they don’t paint/mark the trees on the JMT. No, the trail won’t be packed down from skis or snowshoes. You know the JMT is remote wilderness, right? No road crossings for the whole 200+ miles. You might see some signs of skis or snowshoes within a few miles of Red’s Meadow, but other than that i’d be very surprised.

This year in early June very few people will have gone through the JMT. By late June there will have been some but still not many. The thing is with tracks there is that they melt out many places DAILY. I went through in early June of a low snow year and there were several places with snow and no tracks. This is a high snow year and i don’t at all mean to sound discouraging, but if you’re not comfortable with a map and compass, i would not go in June. If you are, you’ll probably have an amazing trip, and you might even beat the mosquito hatch.

markv

#7

I did a SOBO in July 09. In July, the trail is so well marked, you don’t need a map or compass. The mosquitos were out in full force.

I can picture the trail in my mind. The major junctions are no problem, I’m just wondering about confusing side trails through the woods. Things might look very different in the snow… I’ve cut out some TOP maps and considering GPS.

Will the snow have melted and frozen enough to walk on without postholing at certain times of the day? Did you take snow shoes?

jet

#8

Having been on the trail before will be a big help, but everything will still look different. I don’t think junctions will be the issue so much as the few miles on either side of each pass will be. For instance, both sides of Forrester and the south side of Muir are fairly confusing when there is no visible trail.

I’m not saying it’s not completely doable, including without a GPS. I’m just saying you should know your map and compass, as opposed to looking for tracks, markings, or signs.

Snowshoes for a trip that long would be awfully heavy and cumbersome, but maybe some do that? I’ve never heard of it myself. Timing your passes to minimize postholing is definitely important. Especially you’ll want to be on the south side of Muir Pass as early in the morning as possible. On the flip side, i would time Forrester, Glen, and especially Mather Pass to be up there in the afternoon so that you get better traction. In other words, for the steep passes that hold less snow, go late so you have firm footing. For the broad passes that hold a ton of snow, and for long flatter stretches above 10,000’, go early to minimize postholing.

markv