Here is the the first good graph from the pooled 2016-21 surveys. It illustrates the year-by-year variation in significant mosquito problems, worse in high snowpack years, better in low snowpack years. I would have expected that pattern, but the association is more dramatic than I would have expected. In the really low-pack 2020 and 2021 very few had significant skeeter issues and very, very few rated them as severe on my usual 0-5 scale. Matt Bromley is working with me on these and has been a great help.
For those of you wiling to use Facebook, I have just started an (this is the first of many). I think you don't need to Log into FB or join it to view it. (You may need to log in to comment on it there)
If you can't see the embedded graphic above, open the attachment.
-- John Curran Ladd1616 Castro StreetSan Francisco, CA? 94114-3707415-648-9279
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Re: Emergency beacon recommendations
Spot and Garmin both have plans that can be set up on a monthly basis as well.
I would keep a separate GPS for general use and keep the other stored until needed.
As for insurance, there is also the membership with Lifeflight that is pretty good - I have it. It also has a Fly-U-Home option that will get you from what ever hospital you are taken to in an emergency, to get you to a hospital near your home once stabilized.
Two Dogs
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On 2/17/2022 13:15, Nicholas martin wrote: I recommend the garmin Inreach mini (I think there is a version 2 now). Very light, decent battery life, rechargeable, works with or without a phone, reliable two way text messaging. Not very good as a stand alone gps, but that’s not really what it’s made for. Has several subscription plans, I just use the basic. I have used this on multiple Sierra trips and on some PCT sections. I highly recommend it. Also recommend getting the SAR insurance, just in case.
Nick
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Re: Emergency beacon recommendations
I recommend the garmin Inreach mini (I think there is a version 2 now). Very light, decent battery life, rechargeable, works with or without a phone, reliable two way text messaging. Not very good as a stand alone gps, but that’s not really what it’s made for. Has several subscription plans, I just use the basic. I have used this on multiple Sierra trips and on some PCT sections. I highly recommend it. Also recommend getting the SAR insurance, just in case.
Nick
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Emergency beacon recommendations
Looking for truly emergency beacon ("SPOT") recommendations.? Not for navigation or sending messages home just for rescue call.? Light, reliable, able to keep battery life a long time when turned off, good coverage, not requiring huge long term fee. ??
I wonder what's the group recn on the latest technology.
Thanks
Judy McGuire
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Re: Finding reports from John Ladd JMT Survey
#JMTsurvey
John, 2 of those links are identical.
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2022 cross-group spreadsheets to share your trip itinerary or to share resources
There are annual group spreadsheets where members of all the major JMT groups share their trip plans (dates, entry and exit trailhead, contact info if willing).
They allow you to know who you might encounter along the way. Also can be used to ask for hiking partners.
Click on access the group spreadsheets for SoBo and NoBo hikes.
It is hard every year to get enough entries at first to make the sheets useful. But if you add yours, you will encourage others to add theirs and it will become useful to you and others. Revisit both SoBo and NoBo versions later to see who you might encounter. (Most of the hikers hiking into your traffic and some of those headed in your direction.)While the NoBo and SoBo sheets can help find? and to find possible candidates to share resources, an even better set of cross-group spreadsheets?t o request or offer to share packers, shuttles, rides, bearcans etc, or to arrange car swaps so that your car is left at your exit trailhead, see? Please email me -- JohnLadd@...?-- if any of these links are broken. Hard for me to test since I may have access rights that others do not. Thanks! -- John Curran Ladd1616 Castro StreetSan Francisco, CA? 94114-3707415-648-9279
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I actually made a reservation for that route.? Sent from my mobile phone. Please excuse any misspellings.?
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On Feb 16, 2022, at 12:24 PM, Curt Kinchen <ptcurt@...> wrote:
? Where did you see or hear the Bishop Creek ESTA shuttle might not run this year?? I can't find anything on their?website indicating that?
Thanks On Wed, Feb 16, 2022, 7:27 AM steve herr via <groundhogsteve= [email protected]> wrote: ESTA will be running their 395 service Mon-Fri Red's Meadow Shuttle will be running Valley Shuttle will be running om Yosemite
YARTS will be operating a full schedule on all routes The NPS Tuolumne Meadows trailhead shuttles are planned to be operated The concessionaire's Tuolumne Meadows Hiker's bus from the Valley to TM is slated to run. The Glacier Point shuttle will not run since the road will be closed. ESTA will probably not operate the Bishop Creek Shuttle anymore.
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Where did you see or hear the Bishop Creek ESTA shuttle might not run this year?? I can't find anything on their?website indicating that?
Thanks
On Wed, Feb 16, 2022, 7:27 AM steve herr via <groundhogsteve= [email protected]> wrote: ESTA will be running their 395 service Mon-Fri Red's Meadow Shuttle will be running Valley Shuttle will be running om Yosemite
YARTS will be operating a full schedule on all routes The NPS Tuolumne Meadows trailhead shuttles are planned to be operated The concessionaire's Tuolumne Meadows Hiker's bus from the Valley to TM is slated to run. The Glacier Point shuttle will not run since the road will be closed. ESTA will probably not operate the Bishop Creek Shuttle anymore.
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ESTA will be running their 395 service Mon-Fri Red's Meadow Shuttle will be running Valley Shuttle will be running om Yosemite
YARTS will be operating a full schedule on all routes The NPS Tuolumne Meadows trailhead shuttles are planned to be operated The concessionaire's Tuolumne Meadows Hiker's bus from the Valley to TM is slated to run. The Glacier Point shuttle will not run since the road will be closed. ESTA will probably not operate the Bishop Creek Shuttle anymore.
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The answer?partly depends on your definition?of a day hike.
About 5 years ago I did a day hike from Agnew Meadows to Shadow Lake to Garnet Lake to Thousand Island Lake and back?to Agnew.? This follows the JMT from a bit past Shadow Lake to Thousand Island Lake.? I think it was about 19 miles, so a long day (at least for me).? Very scenic.
If you return from Thousand Island to Angew via the High Trail, you get a bit of the PCT too (and an incredible view of the Minarets from a distance)
It was that hike that motivated me to transition?from a day hiker to a (novice) backpacker.
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There will be shuttles on the east side (Reno to Lone Pine) and west side as well.? Sent from my mobile phone. Please excuse any misspellings.?
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On Feb 15, 2022, at 12:02 PM, WanderingJim <jimjmt2020@...> wrote:
?On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 06:57 AM, Rick wrote:
Will there be any shuttles?
They had the Valley shuttle running near New Years, so there's hope for the Summer.
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On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 06:57 AM, Rick wrote:
Will there be any shuttles?
They had the Valley shuttle running near New Years, so there's hope for the Summer.
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Will there be any shuttles?
On 2/15/2022 6:31 AM, steve herr via
groups.io wrote:
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Note:? Glacier Point road is
closed this year for reconstruction, so there won't be a
shuttle to GP in 2022.
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Note:? Glacier Point road is closed this year for reconstruction, so there won't be a shuttle to GP in 2022.
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On my hikes i try and take pictures of most of the signs along the trail for future reference and a couple of years ago I did a section hike from Onion Valley to South Lake and happened to take a picture of the sign at the turn off for Baxter Pass. ?The photo also has GPS information of where it was taken and I have included both below in case anyone wanted to know where the turn off is located along the JMT.
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On Feb 14, 2022, at 11:31 AM, Gail Pearlman < forgetwho@...> wrote:
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I can think of four possibilities that, with minimal approach, can get "boots on the trail":
- Devil's Postpile/Red's Meadow (via )
- out-and-back from Devil's Postpile (worth seeing in any case) crossing the Middle Fork San Joaquin River
- loop from Red's Meadow south then west and north to Devil's Postpile junction and back down
- Yosemite Valley: Happy Isles to Nevada Falls (strenuous day hike and crowded)
- Glacier Point:
- Shuttle to Glacier Point then take Panorama Trail to Nevada Falls then JMT to Happy Isles (shuttles are not easy to get)
- Hike Four-Mile trail up to Glacier Point (strenuous) to Glacier Point, then Panorama-Nevada Falls-JMT-Happy Isles **
- Tuolumne Meadows: Several departure points as the JMT crosses Tioga Road?
- Take "old JMT" north from Lembert Dome parking (visit Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge) and loop back to highway.**
- Cathedral Lakes trailhead: out-and-back to Lower Cathedral Lake (or Upper Cathedral Lake if you're fit!)
- Lyell Canyon trailhead: out-and-back past Dana Meadows and Lyell Fork of Tuolumne River
** I've done these day hikes The trick in all these cases will be logistics: either securing a shuttle or finding parking.? Tuolumne offers the most possible options and gets you closest to the trail at the start. If they're able to do this, I suspect they might change their minds about backpacking.? That was the case for me:? I hiked some parts of the JMT in 2015; I ended up doing the full trail three years later. -Glenn
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JMT in day hikes could be quite challenging as it can take miles
just to hit the trail.
There is the Tahoe Rim Trail that circumnavigates around Lake
Tahoe. I do have that broken down into day hike segments; longest
of which is about 20 miles.
Two Dogs
On 2/14/2022 17:36, K Goppert wrote:
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Hi, sorry if this has already been covered.? We have friends who
are not backpackers but would like to do JMT day hikes.? Any
suggestions where they can look for day hike info.
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Hi, sorry if this has already been covered.? We have friends who are not backpackers but would like to do JMT day hikes.? Any suggestions where they can look for day hike info.
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Peter, I'm glad you liked it :-). I did keep a log of that trip, but I didn't look at it before writing my post - that was my first solo trip and I have a very vivid memory of every day of it. But I've now dug out that log. My memory was pretty good. I was actually lost for longer than I said. I had camped the night before at the lower Rae Lake, Then, my log says, "First I went about 1-1/4 miles past the turnoff for Baxter Pass, which was not marked. Coming back up I asked several people - including two rangers - and no one knew?exactly?where it was....Finally I met two men who had dayhiked down from Baxter Lakes and who showed me the trail. They had just come off it, and it took them ten minutes to find its beginning again. All this cost me two hours. Then the trail itself - three miles at the most - took me four hours. It is a steep, up and down, faintly marked trail. Few people are on it. For the middle three hours I saw no one. I lost the trail completely twice, and stumbled on it again. I was not?extremely?upset, but I was upset. At a lot of other points I had to stop and look for widely-spaced cairns. If I had known in advance, I don't think I would have done this alone....There were compensations - a herd of?fifteen?bighorn sheep of which I got about four pictures, and later, four bighorn sheep (right after I lost and found the trail the first time), one of whom was about fifteen feet from me - and I didn't get a picture."
My account doesn't mention me taking off my pack repeatedly and using sighting back to it to not get turned around while I scouted ahead for the trail, but I remember that really well because it weighed 55 pounds and I had to keep putting it back on...
I remember the herd of 15 bighorn sheep - it was near the start of where I turned off. I don't remember the four bighorn sheep later.
I camped at Baxter Lakes that night and went over the pass the next morning. I arrived at the top at the same time as 15 Boy Scouts from Palos Verdes. I lived in New York at the time, and as a joke I had packed in with me the front page of a NY Times, planning to have someone take my picture on the top of Baxter Pass while I was "reading" it. So, I asked one of the Scout leaders to "take a picture of me sitting under the Baxter Pass sign reading the front page of the August 4 New York Times...He thought this was as hilarious as it undoubtedly is, and the whole troop gathered to watch, and somebody applauded when the shutter clicked."
I did not want to descend the whole 6000', or whatever it is, that day, so I cowboy camped partway down and went the rest of the way to the trailhead in the morning. On that last morning I encountered my only rattlesnake, which I skirted around. At the trailhead, "No one was there. All the campsites were empty. About 10 cars were parked in the backpackers' lot....I filled my water bottle and started walking down the road. After an hour I reached a campground" and got a ride from there.
I have old photos from both the 1975 trip up from the east side and the 1981 trip. (I don't in fact have bighorn sheep pictures, but I did find the one of me reading the NY Times at the top of the pass, lol.) I don't have a scanner, but I've taken photos of my photos and I'm linking them here for what they are worth :-). (They all seem to be sideways, sigh, and I can't figure out how to turn them.)
I sure would love to do this again, but I'm 78 now and that's not going to happen :-(.
1981 -?
1975 -?https://photos.app.goo.gl/rwVyVpWzfJemJjhz5
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Re: Merced / Red Peak / Isberg Passes
Hi Steven, Thank you for the gear least ! And shower ? reference! It was some sort of big family crowd (or maybe scouts, but I doubt it was them with such behavior) sitting on the cliff by main camp spot area throwing rocks into the lake… And it looked ?really really busy.
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On Feb 13, 2022, at 14:55, hike@... wrote:
? Hmm, no Gaia for me, but I’ll do my research, thank you. What do you mean by “crazy rock throwing crowds at Ediza”? Is there some tradition or new social media fad? ? As for the shower, we carry a Seat-to-Summit Pocket Shower. Weighs 90 g (my measurement) without the cord and the pouch. Love it. Here’s my short little gear review: ? ? ? Spent my morning reading your SNF-Yosemite loop trip report. Reminded my own trip up lake Ireland , Vogelsang and the night I have spent on Emeric and how much I loved Fletcher area too. I do have a question, Steven : what do you use for “shower” as it’s a constant part of campaign ritual of yours :) Thank you for a great compilation! On my last trip up from Rush creek I didn’t manage to go to Iceberg lake, but camped in unbelievable area right under Minarets as I hated crazy rock throwing crowds at Ediza. I will never forget what I saw and very happy ranger at 1K Lake told me to go to Nydiver lakes next time (admittedly I failed to find them). On your question of Clover Meadow and Iceberg TH burn - Gaia premium has fire map overlay, so maybe check that.? ? On Feb 12, 2022, at 19:33, hike@... wrote:
? I remember that trouble. That year, we had a trip planned via the Granite Staircase, but then they closed that section on the account of a fire (small in comparison to what happened since). We found a great alternative: Isberg Pass TH to Hemlock Crossing and Stevenson Meadow. From there, cross-country up to Twin Island Lakes, then Lake Katherine and over North Granite Pass to Thousand People (ehm, Island) Lake. The short section from Twin Island to Kathrine was the “hardest” part. We picked up the JMT/PCT at Island Pass, then left it in Lyell Canyon to go up towards Evelyn Lake. Finally, we looped back via Isberg Pass. That part was still in great shape back then. Here’s a trip report: I remember the moving rest day at Emeric Lake as one of the best days of my life. ? BTW, Does anybody know whether Clover Meadows/Isberg TH burned? I think so, but I’m not sure. ? Steven ? ? ? Eric , thank you ? fair enough - but bummer ! I have found a report on this route from 2017 and it was stating difficulties around Hemlock already! ? On Feb 12, 2022, at 17:02, eric schultz <hikeinyo@...> wrote:
? The trail east of Hemlock Crossing is obliterated. ? We did it last year.? Finding the junction at Cora lake was difficult. We had used Gaia to help us.? Lots of down trees and very soft sandy ground, which made travel very difficult.? I would not recommend it.? We had planned on big miles those days.? We ended up making our miles but it took a significant more amount of time and energy.? Water was difficult to get as well. ? There was some trail but mostly gone.? I would say 95% is off trail.? Very sad that area is beautiful. ? I went over Merced Pass last summer. It was great. Actually we went cross-country along Buena Vista Crest from Buena Vista Pass, so I don't know how the trail is south of there.
In summer 2020 I went over Red Peak Pass and Isberg Pass, though different trips. Red Peak Pass was great. Isberg itself is nice, but much of the land east (and now south) has burned. The trail was obliterated for many miles east of Hemlock Crossing from the 2018 fire — maybe more has been repaired since? But much more burned last year (including a great campsite we found at Cora Lakes), so it might be in bad shape.
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John Ladd
Derek Koonce
WanderingJim
Glenn Ray
Karina Bezkrovnaia