YosemiteBlog.com » Backpacking

Inspiration from Flickr

Edie Howe — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:12:08 +0000

Since I arrived in Yosemite 2 and a half years ago, I’ve paid particular attention to Flickr.com as a source of information and inspiration for prospective images. There are several Flickr members that inspire me; Paige Falk, Buck Forester, G Dan Mitchell to name a few. It was Buck’s image of Temple Crag that lead me up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek to camp on an outcropping of rock 50′ above the frigid glacial waters of Second Lake in the John Muir Wilderness. Here’s one of my images from that trip;

G. Dan Mitchell inspired me to trek up to Monitor Pass to shoot aspens; Here is one of my endeavors;

I’ll admit to a bit of New England elitism when it comes to autumn color. While the color of the aspens in the Sierra Nevada ain’t a patch on Sugar Maples in Vermont, it’ll do in a pinch. But the Sierra Nevada has the While Mountains over a barrel when it comes to stunning peaks.

Finally, Paige Falk has inspired me to traipse into the upper reaches of the Sierra Nevada to shoot Precipice Lake on the High Sierra Trail.

You’ll note that I haven’t included a shot of my own of this incredible lake; I haven’t gone yet. I’m currently researching the High Sierra Trail, and trying to make plans for next summer.

So, for all you folks out there that backpack into wilderness to take photos, how do you choose where to go? Do you simply choose a trail and take photographic pot luck? Tell your secrets to finding great pictures in the comments!

Technorati Tags: backcountry, Backpacking, Flickr.com, Photography, Inspiration, SierraNevada

Sierra Nevada; Temple Crag

Edie Howe — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:33:21 +0000

Yosemite National Park does not hold a monopoly on beauty in the Sierra Nevada range. This glacier-fed lake is a relatively short hike from the trailhead near Big Pine, CA. This is in the John Muir Wilderness.

Photo by Edie Howe-Byrne via Flickr.

Technorati Tags: SierraNevada

Thinking About Hiking Half Dome? Here’s Something You Won’t Want to Miss

Loyd — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:57:56 +0000

Although the cables up Half Dome are getting ready to come down for the season it’s the perfect time to lose a few pounds and start getting in shape to make the trek next year.

Rick Deutsch, author of One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome, sent me an email to let me know he’s going to be teaching an introductory class at DeAnza College in Cupertino, CA on Oct 20th 2007.

The class is 3 hours long and geared to help both novice and experienced hikers get develop the technique as well as build their skills for longer hikes like the one to the top of Half Dome.

The course is divided into two sections. Section one of the class will center on the basics of hiking: preparation, equipment, water treatment, etc.. Section two focuses on the hike with tips on conditioning both mentally and physically, how to mitigate problems on the trail and confidence building.

For more information on the course check out the Foothill-DeAnza Community College IMPACT Short Course catalog website at:

http://www.communityeducation.fhda.edu/shortcourses.html

Look for TRIP 601.S1: A Hiker’s Guide: From Your First Steps to Half Dome. Sign-up is only $39 plus a $15 materials fee.

Even if you’re not planning on taking the course I do recommend at least grabbing Rick’s book (One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome). If you’re semi-seriously thinking about hiking to the top of Half Dome this is the book you’ll want in your pack with you. It’s full of great information and tips that will not only get you to the top but make it an enjoyable trip as well.

A Walk In The Park

Loyd — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:33:28 +0000

Here’s a really nice article from the Travel section of the New York Daily News on the authors trip to the Yosemite back-country and Ansel Adams Wilderness.

NY Daily News: “In honor of Muir, I’m also looking for the universe in a forest wilderness. The centerpiece of my visit to Yosemite this year is a three-day backpacking trip in the southeastern section of the park and the adjacent Ansel Adams Wilderness Area.
I’ve got an ambitious plan: A 35-mile loop starting on the John Muir Trail, which runs for more than 200 miles through the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range.
Two days before my backpacking begins, I stay at Evergreen Lodge, a vibrant cabin complex in the forest near Hetch Hetchy Reservoir that’s a great base camp for families and couples alike.
The next day, I take off into the park, spending much of the afternoon in splendid (albeit bustling) Yosemite Valley. Later in the day, I check into my canvas tent cabin at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge.
By 8:30 a.m. the next morning, I am hiking up Lyell Canyon, a long, green finger cut by the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River that leads the way to the 11,056-foot Donohue Pass.
It gets cooler as the trail starts to climb Donohue Pass, and on the final steps up and over the pass, the views crystallize into an ornate fantasy of granite, snow, meadow and water.
Leaving Yosemite for the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area, I descend into the valley below, stopping at a campsite near a babbling brook and under a spectacular collection of peaks. The sky is perfectly blue, the sunlight perfectly golden.
Tucked in my sleeping bag later that night, I read myself to sleep. But the night is cold and windy, and my rest fitful.
As I eat breakfast the next morning, a steady stream of hikers heads in the opposite direction on the trail. It’s time to get going. Soon I’m on the shores of Waugh Lake, a mirror of water reflecting the snow-crowned peaks above, a picture that is perfect in every way.”

Photo by Len Hardy via Flickr.

Missing: Fred Claassen

Loyd — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:31:55 +0000

Fred Claassen entered the Hoover Wilderness from Twin Lakes on Thursday, July 31, 2003 for a short hiking trip to Crown Lake. He planned to traverse Mule and Burro passes and return to Twin Lakes cross-country via Matterhorn Pass and the Horse Creek drainage.

Due back Monday, August 4th hikers reported seeing him last at Crown Lake on the afternoon of Friday August 1st. He has not been heard from since.

Though it’s been 4 years you can help solve the mystery of what happened to Fred Claassen. If you happen to be heading up to Robinson Creek drainage (Barney, Peeler, Robinson, Crown, and Snow Lakes area), the Horse Creek Drainage, and the northern part of Yosemite National Park between Mule Pass, Burro Pass, and the Matterhorn keep your eyes open for any items you might find discarded along the trail including bits of fabric, shoes or even broken glass or plastic. If you do find something note the location and contact the nearest ranger facility upon exiting the wilderness or call Mono County Sheriffs at (760) 932-7549 or Yosemite National Park at (209) 379-1992. Even the smallest clue can help.

Fred was an experienced outdoorsman and backpacker in good condition. He often backpacked and hiked with his wife Martha. He was last seen carrying:

Black, Dana Designs Astroplane pack w/Sierra Club Centennial Patch on lid
Blue nylon GoLite daypack containing photo equipment; a tripod
Portable Sony tape recorder in plastic bag, microphones and tapes in plastic box
CD player, CD wallet, gold walking stick w/wood handle
Sage green GoLite tent, teal-green down sleeping bag, blue Luxury Thermarest
Black Garcia Bear-Resistant food container, MSR stove, red fuel bottle,
Red down jacket; navy Marmot Precip rain jacket and pants; Teva leather sandals

Please, if you find anything no matter how small or seemingly insignificant note the location and contact the nearest ranger facility or call the Mono County Sheriffs Department at (760) 932-7549 or Yosemite National Park at (209) 379-1992.

Download PDF flier

Photo of the Day: Sunset at Sunrise by Steven

Loyd — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:11:30 +0000

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from reader Steven who sent me an email and photos from his trip into Sunrise High Sierra Camp with his son Frank.

Beautiful shot, Steven. Thanks!

Mail Call: Steven and Frank in the High Sierra

Loyd — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:03:43 +0000

Steven writes in:

“I’ve been reading your blog off and on in preparation for my hiking trip with my son last week. Great job, with lots of insight into the “real Yosemite”.
Frank and I hiked into Sunrise HSC to open it. We were the first registered guests to sign in for the 2007 season (no prizes, though). We had a great time and hiked down the John Muir Trail from Catherdral Lakes into Sunrise, contemplated hiking to Cloud’s Rest (but it was beyond our capabilities), and then hiked out through Tenaya Lake. The shuttle is running every 30 minutes in both directions from Tuolumne Meadows down to Olmstead Point. I can not imagine hiking it in reverse, and having the shuttle take us to the JMT trailhead was easy and convenient. The hike through Cathedral Pass was awesome, and Long Meadow is stunning.
I’ve attached some pictures-feel free to post them to let people know that these is more to Yosemite than the valley floor. I’ve attached a few pictures of our hike in the high country, and some of the smoke in the valley from the prescribed burn by Bridalveil.
Steven
P.S. I read your entry on surrounding towns in the Sierras and I’d like to add my comments on Jamestown. It’s about an hour(ish) north on 120 and is in the heart of the Sonora Gold Rush. The town is three blocks long, with a haunted hotel, an olive oil store, and gold. The man in the picture is Joshua Vick, who let’s folks dig on his land and find gold. What you see in the pan is the result of 2 of us digging, and sluicing for about 4 hours. In total, we split about $350 in nuggets and flakes with one other family.”

Wow! Sounds like you guys had a great trip! Thanks for the email and photos, Steven.

If you’ve had an exciting trip, done something fun in or around the park or saw something newsworthy, please send it to me. I’m always looking for new stories. Pictures are welcome. You can email me what you have to: loyd@yosemiteblog.com

Return of Photo of the Day: Temple Crag by Edie

Loyd — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:01:55 +0000

This photo was so good I had to use it as the first photo for the return of Photo of the Day. Edie hiked into the John Muir Wilderness at Big Pine and took this fantastic shot of the Temple Crag. I was talking to her over Instant Messenger and she was trying to be humble about it but this is a really, really nice shot.

If you’re interested Edie has lots of great photos of Yosemite that would look fabulous in any home or office and is in the market for a new digital camera. Purchasing a photo would really help her out. If you’d like to contact Edie send me an email or contact her through her Flickr account.

Photo by Edie.

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yosemite, travel, California, nature, vacation, backpacking, photography, nature photography, flickr, photo of the day, photoofthday

Man Falls From Half Dome

Loyd — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:07:37 +0000

In a tragic accident, a man climbing the cables on Half Dome lost his footing and plummeted down the side of the mountain to his death on Saturday.

Modesto Bee: Hirofumi Nohara, 37, of Japan, was ascending Half Dome mid afternoon when he slipped and fell, Yosemite park ranger Adrienne Freeman said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, she said.
Nohara did not appear to be doing anything unsafe, according to the initial investigation by the National Park Service.
Nohara was making the climb with four friends, Freeman said. They were above him when he fell. He was in the United States on a work visa.
Other details were unavailable pending further investigation, Freeman said.
Freeman said 10 to 12 people die in Yosemite each year, but very few fatalities are on Half Dome.

Play it Safe with Lightning

Loyd — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:58:43 +0000

Afternoon thunderstorms are an almost daily experience in the Sierra and Yosemite with hundredss of lightning strikes recorded each day. That’s why it’s especially important to know what to do should you be caught in a thunderstorm. The National Weather Service has prepared some tips that can help prevent you from becoming a victim if you should be caught in a lightning storm.

Do NOT seek shelter under tall isolated trees. The tree may help you stay dry but will significantly increase your risk of being struck by lightning. Rain will not kill you, but the lightning can!
Do NOT seek shelter under partially enclosed buildings
Stay away from tall, isolated objects. Lightning typically strikes the tallest object. That may be you in an open field or clearing.
Know the weather patterns of the area. For example, in mountainous areas, thunderstorms typically develop in the early afternoon, so plan to hike early in the day and be down the mountain by noon.
Know the weather forecast. If there is a high chance of thunderstorms, curtail your outdoor activities.
Do not place your campsite in an open field on the top of a hill or on a ridge top. Keep your site away from tall isolated trees or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees. If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low area. A tent offers NO protection from lighting.
Wet ropes can make excellent conductors. This is BAD news when it comes to lightning activity. If you are mountain climbing and see lightning, and can do so safely, remove unnecessary ropes extended or attached to you. If a rope is extended across a mountain face and lightning makes contact with it, the electrical current will likely travel along the rope, especially if it is wet.
Stay away from metal objects, such as fences, poles and backpacks. Metal is an excellent conductor. The current from a lightning flash will easily travel for long distances

For more information and tips check out the National Weather Service’s page on lightning safety at: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm

Technorati Tags:
yosemite, travel, history, California, nature, vacation, safety, rv, camping, backpacking, outdoors

Yes, It Will Cost More to Spend the Night in Yosemite Next Year

Loyd — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 14:29:25 +0000

NPS: Yosemite National Park announced today that camping fees will increase beginning January 1, 2006.
Campgrounds affected by the rate increase are Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines in Yosemite Valley, Hodgdon Meadows and Crane Flat, Tuolumne Meadows, and Wawona. Rates in these campgrounds will increase from $18/ night to $20/ night.
Additionally, first-come, first-served sites at Bridalveil Creek and White Wolf will increase from $12/night to $14/night and Tamarack Flat, Yosemite Creek, and Porcupine Flat will increase from $8/night to $10/night.
Prices at Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley and at the Backpackers camps in Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hetch Hetchy will remain at $5/night. Stock camps, ($25/night) and group camps ($40/night) will also be unaffected by the rate increase.
Most campsites in Yosemite National Park are on a reservation system. The National Park Reservations Service is currently taking reservations five months in advance. The toll-free reservation number is 800/436-7275. Reservations can also be made online at http://reservations.nps.gov. Reservations are always recommended in Yosemite National Park, especially during the peak season.
For a complete list of campground locations and opening/closing dates, please refer to http://www.nps.gov/yose/pphtml/camping.html.
The increase in camping fees resulted from a comparative study of area campgrounds. Rates were last increased in February, 2001.

Technorati Tags: camping, yosemite

Thinking About The John Muir Trail? Here’s One You’re Not Going To Want To Miss

Loyd — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 12:43:29 +0000

Passing through some of the most beautiful and rugged country, the John Muir Trail epitomizes High Sierra backpacking to many a hiker. When I started researching the trail while planning a backpacking trip I looked through many, many books and one of the best I found was the“Guide to the John Muir Trail” by Thomas Winnett and Kathy Morey.

The book is full of maps, trail descriptions in both directions, and a mileage/altitude chart to help you plan your trip whether you’re just doing short hikes on the trail or you’re planing on thru hiking the whole thing.Check it out. This is one you’re definitely going to want to add to your library.

Technorati Tags: backpacking, books, California, Sierra Nevada, wilderness, yosemite

Ahn Likely Killed Traversing Creek

Loyd — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 04:56:10 +0000

Hyundo Ahn, a 25-year-old South Korean exchange student who had just
completed a year at the University of California/Davis, obtained a
wilderness permit for an ambitious eleven-day hike on the John Muir Trail
from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney on June 20th.

After the hike, Ahn planned to visit several other sites in the U.S. and had tickets for his return flight to Korea for July 21st. He apparently started the hike on June 21st, but changed his route due to the late lingering snow pack in the Sierra. On July 21st, the park was notified by the Davis police department that Ahn had missed his flight home. Intensive investigation, including several hundred telephone calls to wilderness permit holders by volunteers,led to backcountry witnesses who had spoken with Ahn on June 22nd and 25th.

The areas identified from these clues were intensively searched by
helicopter, ground searchers and dogs. When Ahn was not found, the search
was scaled back after the weekend of July 30th. Through the following week,
limited field searching continued.

On Friday, August 5th, a single search team was traversing Tenaya Canyon, an area that had not been previously ground searched, when they found Ahn’s backpack on the bank of Tenaya Creek.

The next day the area downstream from the pack was searched. Ahn’s body was found about a mile downstream from the pack. It appeared that Ahn had fallen in the creek, swollen by spring runoff, and had been underwater until the creek receded. Ahn’s body was flown from the remote canyon by the park’s fire management helicopter. An autopsy found that his death was caused by multiple blunt force injuries. A journal and digital camera found at the scene lead to the conclusion that Ahn died sometime midday on June 26th. (NPS)

Thanks, Kevin

Technorati Tags: backpacking, California, missing, outdoor, Sierra Nevada, wilderness, yosemite

Yosemite Body Identified as Missing UCD Student

Loyd — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:30:22 +0000

CBS 5: “A body discovered in a remote Yosemite canyon was identified Tuesday as a foreign exchange student who went missing June 20, authorities said.
South Korean University student Hyun Do Ahn, 25, had studied English for a year at the University of California, Davis when he set out alone to hike from Yosemite National Park to Mount Whitney, about 212 miles south.
Ahn’s backpack was found Friday and searchers discovered his body Saturday in Tenaya Canyon, a wilderness area with no trail access, said park spokesman Scott Gediman.”

Technorati Tags: backpacking, missing, news, outdoor, Sierra Nevada, wilderness, yosemite

Missing Person: Hyundo Ahn

Loyd — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 02:06:07 +0000

The National Park Service is asking for your help in finding missing UC Davis student Hyundo Ahn.

Missing Person

Hyundo Ahn

25 years old, 5’8” tall, 175 pounds

black hair, brown eyes

Hyundo Ahn, from South Korea, has been in the USA as a student at U.C. Davis since September of 2004. Before returning to Korea Ahn planned a 13 day hike of the John Muir trail. He got a wilderness permit and started the hike on June 20. At that date trail conditions along his intended route were still snow covered at mid and high elevations. He apparently altered his route, and other hikers have reported talking to him at Merced Lake on June 22, and at Cathedral Lakes on June 25. At that time he said he was headed toward the Sunrise area, east of Cathedral Lakes. Rangers have not been able to locate anyone who has seen him since June 25. Ahn has missed several plane flights since that date, including his flight home to South Korea on July 21. He was reported missing to Yosemite National Park on that date.

If you have any information about Ahn, or if you were hiking in the Merced Lake, Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise area, even if you did not see Ahn, please call investigator Steve Yu at (209) 372-0614 or the Yosemite National Park emergency communication center 24 hours-a-day at (209) 379-1992.

Technorati Tags: backpacking, California, missing, outdoor, Sierra Nevada, travel, wilderness, yosemite