Yosemite's gorgeous. I remember going there as a kid, either for vacation with my parents, or school trips. Absolutely incredible. Hope you have a blast.

As a slight threadjack, nearing the end of "school" I've been looking for jobs for awhile. I've hoped to wind up back in California, my home state, but I haven't been able to find anything suitable. There were a couple opportunities in Fresno, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on them. Seeing what you guys have written about it, I'm kinda glad for my hesitation. Thanks.

absolutely a 10 imo.

I spent weeks there a few times living in the "Walk-in" campground. At one time those campfires had world wide climbers living there for summers at a time. Great place to hang out.

Now I'll only go back there as soon as the snow is cleared from the roads. If there's no snow around the drivable campgrounds it's packed. I would think a nice bed & breakfast on a ranch for home base would be ok.


real nice pics above.. thx

Enjoy the trails!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1148568833.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1148568845.jpg

WOW, thanks for all the info. I wasnt planning on staying in Fresno to sight see, just to sleep..

By the responses, im guessing you need a day in each park.
I also thought about flying into Tahoe and coming down that way.

A little history on my family... We arent staying in any kind of 'tent'! We are not the hiking kind of family. We will obviously walk around, but 3-4 hike?? Doubtful.. Sad, i know, but thats real.. I know we miss out on a lot of things that way, but it just kinda happened that way over the years. We hiked for @ 1 hour or so in the Grand Canyon, and thats about our max!

2 words for you: Ahwahnee Hotel

I grew up in Sacramento and am familiar with all the areas you are talking about.

National Park Service

Take rain gear if you are going to do the mist trail, they don't call it the mist trail for nothing. Take two pairs of good, broken in walking shoes. Drink more water than you think you need to, much more. Take water and a whistle on the trail with you. You dehydrate quickly at higher altitudes, and you are perhaps used to higher humidity?

They are almost certainly repairing some of the roads in that area, some also may still be closed due to snow as it was a heavy precipitation year. Don't fly into Tahoe, fly into Reno, cheaper than Sacto. You can take 395 South and catch the park from the backside, one of the highest elevation roads in the country, 140 or something. Fill your rental car with fuel outside the park if at all possible.

Awesome roads in the area, you can also take Hwy 431 to Lake Tahoe and get about the best view of that lake you can drive to, there is a scenic overlook that has a little turnout with info about the lake. Tahoe is something to see, as is Yosemite.

Oops, just checked, Tioga Road is closed, no estimated opening date, you need to make reservations way ahead, check the road situation out as your departure approaches.

BTW, The Awahnee is The Cat's Ass, but you will pay for it, probably a link to it at that Parks Site, get in better shape before you go, it will totally be worth it

Yosemite is the cat's ass. It's literally world class spectacular.

I'd do a local ranch b&b.. extremely great bang for the buck imo.


I'm nuts about the place. I've probaby slept in every forest in this country anywhere from 4days to weeks ea so I'm critical.

One fall I was solo and decided to spend a couple of days in the valley to check the place out. I start hanging with 10-20 climbers. Those that didn't climb used the spot as a home base. Usually 50% of the group were foreigners. They talked Rock like guys around here talk about different tracks they've driven on. Rock kept everybody talking to each other. From Rock all other subjects flowed. The same thing happens on a SCUBA boat. Everybody is interested in what the other person has to say. Fires burnt all night with stories. Everybody had fun hanging with ea other.



:D

We used to camp as kids, and later on, backpack there pretty often. We would typically go late-season (end of September) when the crowds are light and the weather (at elevation) is relatively cool in the day and sometimes darn crisp at night. Bugs are also less of an issue in early spring or early fall (just after opening and before closing).

My folks just bought 10 acres in Ahwahnee (the town, near Oakhurst and not actually close to the hotel) so the Boy and I have a 'base camp' now. I can't wait until he is a little older and ready for longer hikes.