Hi,
Has anyone out there been on the trail between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows yet this season? I’m doing that stretch of the JMT starting on Wednesday 7/5, and was wondering if there will be any difficult water crossings.
Based on trail journals from the PCT hikers, it sounds like they’re pretty rough farther south, but I’m wondering if the same conditions are present in Yosemite.
Lisa
I hiked on the JMT into the Cathedral Lakes area last weekend. There was significant snow – virtually 100% coverage at 9,500 feet on North facing slopes – and we were able to cross outlet of upper Cathedral using snow bridges. South facing slopes with sun exposure were mostly melted out at that elevation. Based on what I saw last weekend, I would expect you to encounter significant snow climbing into Sunrise and from there to below Cathedral Lakes. If you look at journals from Rolling Thunder and some of the others who have made it to Mammoth, they have noted that the snow starts at a much lower elevation the further North they have come.
As for crossings, I would call Yosemite to make sure that the water is not over the bridge at the top of Nevada Falls. Apparently last weekend the water was over the bridges near Glen Aulin and Waterwheel Falls. If the bridge is okay, I think you’ll be fine. You’ll have other crossings along the way, but I think they should be manageable if you look for a good place (wider, slower, more shallow section) to cross.
Kanga
Thanks for the information Kanga. That’s true, nearly all of the hikers have been saying that the passes had more snow as they moved north. I was at the top of Nevada Falls two weeks ago and the water was ~6 feet below the bridge, but we’ve had a lot of hot weather since then, so I’ll follow your suggestion and ask the rangers.
I’m actually planning to start at the Cathedral Lakes TH and hike down to the valley. Did you use snowshoes, crampons, or an axe when you were there last weekend?
Lisa
I hiked from Tuolumne Meadows to Waterwheel Falls yesterday. The first set of two bridges (4.5 miles from TM) had about 10 inches of water over the north side footing, no big deal (as long as you accept that you’ll have wet feet!). The bridges at Glen Aulin were not submerged at the ends, though it is easy to see that they were recently. As far as continuing down to Waterwheel Falls is concerned, it is very doable, but there are many blowdowns and about 1/2 mile of flooded trail; the deepest point in this section was mid-thigh on me, but I’m not tall. The water in this flooded section is still - no current - so again, not an issue, as long as you aren’t expecting to keep your feet dry.
Shelly Culbertson
My son and I just finished up that section. The snow is still heavy from Cathedral lakes to the High Point of the trail about 1.5 miles from Sunrise. We lost the trail a few times and completly lost the trail at the Upper lake(the last one). So we had to do a little navigating to get up to the High Point. I had never done that section before so if I would have known where the trail was then it would have not been as hard…but a little cross country and navigating was fine with us. As far as creek crossing’s go you will not have a problem at all. Just be aware that the snow is still deep in some spots and negotation the trail can be an issue. You will not need any ice gear or snowshoes at all. Your biggest problem besides the snow will be the bugs around the water. We ended up doing 20 miles and by passing all of the creek campsites to camp at the base of half dome. We had an awsome sunset and sunrise. Have fun!!!
mtnbum
Thanks for the information. Another friend had suggested camping at the base of Half Dome, so being a shutterbug with the camera, I just might do that.
That’s good news on not needing ice gear and snowshoes. When you say the stream crossings were no problem, how deep was the deepest that you encountered? When you say High Point, I assume you’re referring to Cathedral Pass? Was the snow deeper than the trail signs?
I talked with a ranger today and got the same report. Identical, in fact. She said that snowshoes/crampons were not necessary, but route-finding would be the biggest challenge. She also said that tons of people came through that route this weekend (north and southbound), so there should be some muddy trails created from all the foot traffic. Let’s hope so!
Sorry for all the extra questions, but thanks in advance for the info!
Lisa
I’m currently on the JMT zeroing in Mammoth Lakes. We started at Happy Isles and did not encounter any snow until Cathedral Pass, even then it was minimal and easy to look ahead to see where the trail was. We did not encounter any real snow until Donahue Pass - the snow here is significant through to Island Pass and then again around Garnet Lake. Maps are good for Donahue as just about every hiker has taken a different route, following footprints can get you lost. That said, it is beautiful!
Tumblina