Photo: Thomas Meissner Beginner Backpack in the Yosemite High Country Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08124A Price: $535 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 13 Rating: L/M Leader:
The Trip  Photo: Thomas Meissner Our 40-mile all trail loop through Yosemite's alpine backcountry leads out of Tuolumne Meadows across Vogelsang Pass to Merced Lake. From there we will descend into the wild canyon of the Merced River and then return back up to the high country. Before our adventure ends at Tenaya Lake, we will climb to the summit of Clouds Rest, the highlight of our trip with its stunning 360 degree view across all of Yosemite National Park and beyond. Other highlights along our route include visiting pristine alpine Vogelsang and Bernice Lakes, both of which are nestled at the bottom of sheer granite walls. This trip is designed for novices or people with little backpacking experience who want to enjoy the classic scenery of Yosemite's High Sierra. The leaders will work with all participants to help them select their gear and develop skills associated with wilderness travel. These skills include reading topographic maps, using a compass, planning a route, picking campsites, operating and cooking on portable stoves and minimizing our impact on this fragile terrain.
Day 1: We will meet early in the afternoon at the Tuolumne Meadows Campground (at 8,500 feet elevation). We will spend the rest of the day going through our gear, splitting up the commissary load and talking about some basic techniques (loading packs, setting up tents, operating stoves) before cooking dinner at the campground.  Photo: Thomas Meissner Day 2: We will drive our cars a few miles to the trailhead and start hiking along the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River. After two level miles we will begin the gradual climb along cascading Rafferty Creek toward Vogelsang High Sierra Camp, passing through large alpine meadows abundant with wildflowers. About one mile past the tent cabins we plan to make camp at Vogelsang Lake (10,300 feet). The total distance is about eight miles, the total ascent about 1,800 feet. Day 3: A short distance after crossing Vogelsang Pass we will reach sparkling Bernice Lake (10,200 feet). We should have plenty of time during the afternoon for relaxing, swimming, fishing or a little map and compass exercise. The total distance is about four miles, the total ascent about 600 feet. Day 4: This will be an easy day. After descending about seven miles along Lewis Creek we will reach our camp near Merced Lake (7,200 feet).  Photo: Thomas Meissner Day 5: This is a rather long hiking day with close to 11 miles distance and a 1000 foot climb. We will descend through the spectacular canyon of the Merced River. After passing through the plentiful wildflowers in Echo Valley, we'll see the dramatic power of the river as it tumbles down over massive slabs of granite at the Bunnel Cascade. We'll walk beneath Moraine Dome, a great example of exfoliating granite, before the canyon levels out at Little Yosemite Valley. Then, we will start climbing back up, making camp at Sunrise Creek between Half Dome and Clouds Rest. Day 6: Now we will be well prepared for our final adventure, the steep 2,700 foot climb to the summit of Clouds Rest at almost 10,000 feet. The view comprises all of Yosemite's high peaks, and we will see Half Dome and Yosemite Valley deep below us. After a 10 mile hike we'll reach the end point of our trip, Tenaya Lake (8,100 feet), a popular swimming place. The park bus shuttle will take us back to our cars at Tuolumne Meadows. The route and itinerary are a general plan and may be changed due to unforeseen conditions or circumstances. Snow conditions, runoff, progress of the group, camp site availability, and other factors may require the leaders to make adjustments. Please plan to be flexible. Getting There We will meet at the Tuolumne Meadows Campground early the afternoon of day one. This meeting time will assure that everyone has at least one night to acclimatize to the altitude before we begin our trek. The closest airports are located in Fresno, California, approximately 150 miles away and Reno, Nevada, approximately 180 miles away.  Photo: Thomas Meissner Alternatives include the San Francisco and Oakland, California, airports, both about a 250 mile-mile drive from Tuolumne Meadows. While there is currently no direct route to Tuolumne Meadows via public transportation, it is possible to get there by a using a combination of bus and train if you are willing to spend a couple of extra days doing so. A roster of trip participants will be sent out well in advance of the trip to assist those who wish to share rides and/or rental cars. We expect to get back to our cars by late afternoon on the final day. However, we cannot guarantee a specific time. To be safe and allow enough time for the drive out, we advise that participants do not plan their return flights before the next day.
The trip price includes first night's car camping at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Our first meal will be dinner at the campground that night. Our last meal will be lunch on the last day. Our meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) will be a hearty combination of meat, fish, and vegetables, including soup as the first course of each dinner. We try to accommodate vegetarians, however other special diets can be very difficult to accommodate on this length of backpack trip. If you prefer vegetarian meals or have other special dietary requirements, you are encouraged to contact the leader to see if your needs can be met. Snack bags are provided for each trip member to carry, so you will always have something to snack on. Every effort is made to include a wide variety of nutritious and tasty foods to fuel our adventure. Trip members take turns serving on cook crews and performing various camp chores. The leaders will take care of the stoves and assist, as needed, in meal preparation.
The trip is rated L/M (light - moderate). This rating reflects an average, and also needs to be put in relation with the whole spectrum of backpack trips that the Sierra Club National Outings program is offering. That means that as a novice, you might find some days to be much harder than others, despite the rating. For example, on our easiest hiking day we will cover 4 miles with a 600 foot climb. On our most difficult day we will cover 10 miles and ascend 2700 feet. The total distance of our trek is about 40 miles. All of our hiking will be on established and pretty well graded trails. Wet creek crossings are possible. Carrying a heavy (40 - 45 pound) pack for several days, especially on prolonged uphill stretches, is a strenuous aerobic activity and is not suited for everyone. In order to enjoy this trip, participants need to be in excellent physical condition. Regular aerobic exercise (such as treadmill, running, swimming, biking, or hiking) during the 3-4 months before the trip is essential. The best physical preparation for a backpack trip is doing serious day hikes. Make sure your hiking boots are well broken-in. Include in your conditioning plan an occasional long walk, while carrying weight on unstable terrain. As well as endurance, you need leg strength; be able to lift yourself and your pack the equivalent of two stairs at a time. Some of our campsites are between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, so acclimatization to the altitude is also essential. If you are not used to these elevations, you might want to consider arriving a couple of days earlier and acclimatizing by doing easy day hikes in Yosemite National Park. There is plenty to see and to do.
In addition to all of the food, the Sierra Club will also provide all cooking gear (stove, fuel, pots, and pans), chlorine tablets for water treatment, group first-aid kit, tarp and the bear-proof canisters that we will use to store our food. The following is a list of the gear and clothing you will need to provide and carry for the trip. More details will be provided in pre-trip bulletins. Required
All clothing needs to be stored in waterproof stuff sacks or plastic bags. Sleeping bags need to be wrapped in a plastic bag to stay dry. If your tent is not freestanding, we recommend bringing some cord to tie it down, because staking might be difficult in some places. If you have a large tent (for more than one person), you might want consider sharing it with another trip member in order to keep your pack weight down. All participants should try to keep their personal pack weight below 25 pounds (not including hiking boots and water). The weight of the commissary gear is about 15 pounds per person. We will weigh all packs before we start, and people whose personal gear is too heavy might need to leave some non-essential items behind. Please think ahead about what you want to bring. Please also keep in mind that you must have the additional capacity in your pack for about 1-½ large grocery bags. This will be the volume of the commissary gear for each person. Most of it is sturdy (non-squeezable). Your gear will be much easier and safer to carry if it is tucked away inside your pack and not dangling on the outside.
Tom Harrison's trail map: Yosemite High Country , available at outdoor stores or www.tomharrisonmaps.com . Conservation On this trip we will spend some time discussing public lands and wilderness protection. There are areas adjacent to both Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness that still need protection. The proposed California Wild Heritage Act includes these lands, among others, as additions to our existing wilderness areas. You can find more information on this important proposal at: www.californiawild.org . The Sierra Club Outings program provides an excellent opportunity for members to discuss current problems while also celebrating past conservation victories. Trip participants are encouraged to come prepared to discuss issues affecting their home communities.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Leader:
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Thomas Meissner was born in Germany and lived there for 30 years. He has vacationed many times in the areas we will visit on our trip. After coming to the United States in 1992 he has been hiking, trekking, and backpacking in the Sierra Mountains, the American and Canadian Rockies, the Southwest, the East Coast, and in New Zealand. This includes a through-hike of the John Muir Trail, and several large sections of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. He has led more than 60 backpack trips for the Sierra Club in California. He is fluent in both English and German and will of course share all his knowledge of local culture, history, cuisine, and beer selections with the group.
Michael Cadigan has backpacked with various Sierra Club groups since 1991. He has assisted and led in Yosemite with National outings, and has led or assisted on Sierra Club youth outreach trips (ICO) in northern California for over 15 years.