David at Lyell Canyon Bridge
Susan at Lyell Canyon Bridge3/18/00 -- Reserved cabin at Red's Meadow Resort. (760) 934-2345.
3/25/00 -- Reserved three rooms at Tom's Place (760) 935-4239 for night we exit at Mosquito Flat trailhead at the top of Rock Creek Road. This place is the best-kept secret in the East Sierra.
7/31/00 -- Food caches mailed to Red's Meadow. It runs $25, but there's no argument here. If you're doing what we did, this is the only game in town.
8/12/00 SAT
Leave San Francisco Peninsula in three cars at 9 am. Arrive Yosemite 120 entrance station at 12:20 pm. Arrive Tuolumne Meadows visitors center at 1:40 pm.
At Tuolumne Meadows permit station (on the spur road to the Lodge) pick up wilderness permit. Find backpackers' long-term parking lot and backpackers' campground. Rent two bear cans for Susan and Zach. Make dinner reservation at the Lodge. Drop Zach there w/packs.
Gas up three cars in Lee Vining. Drop Sue's car and Erik's car at Mosquito Flat trailhead w/extra gear in Erik's trunk. Return to Tuolumne Meadows in my car. Walk to dinner at the Lodge. Camp Tuolumne Meadows backpackers walk-in camp. El. 8650.
8/13 SUN
9:45-4:45 (time on trail, including stops)
After coming in on the lateral from the Lodge that crosses the Dana fork, it was a seven-mile dead-flat stretch of meadows and streams to Vogelsang trail junction, hugging the Lyell fork of the Tuolumne. 3.5 miles later, around Lyell base camp (9000), the moderate-to-hard climbing begins abruptly. The last mile is the granite-stair killer.
We camped in upper Lyell Canyon in one of the half-dozen sites on the forested bench on both sides of the Lyell Fork footbridge (9650). All other sites were full.
Total: 11.5 miles.
David at Lyell Canyon Bridge
Susan at Lyell Canyon Bridge