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| Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic |
shedges
Mountain climber
BC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 18, 2017 - 07:05am PT
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I'm heading down to Yosemite with a couple of friends June 24 for 10 days. Plan A was to spend our time climbing in the Tuolumne Meadows area. However, the Tioga Road is still closed due to heavy snowpack so the Lee Vinning camping option is out of the question.
Plan B is to spend our time in the valley, but it appears impossible to get a site at Upper or Lower Pines campsites. Camp 4 is an option, but a gamble given demand/limited number of spots.
Does anyone have any recommendations based on personal experience with camping options outside the park?
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jun 18, 2017 - 10:42am PT
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Be prepared to spend long hours sitting at the kiosk at Camp 4, you will get a site
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Jun 18, 2017 - 02:35pm PT
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Gorilla options abound...creativity and mobility are the keys!
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Byran
climber
Half Dome Village
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Jun 18, 2017 - 02:41pm PT
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Sleep out in the woods somewhere far enough away from the road that rangers won't find you. Store all your food in public bear lockers at Curry Village, Ahwahnee, or El Cap. Don't leave any trash or TP out where you camp.
If you really want to have a legit campsite (so you can have a campfire or something), then you will probably need to get in line at Camp 4 in the middle of the night. If you get there at 6:00 am or something and there's 40+ people ahead of you, you'd just be wasting your time to wait.
Or you can just go literally anywhere else in the Sierra Nevada and not have to deal with a bunch of traffic and bullsh#t.
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Jun 18, 2017 - 02:47pm PT
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Crane Flat campground is only 20 minutes from El Cap...
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Byran
climber
Half Dome Village
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Jun 18, 2017 - 02:58pm PT
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Crane Flat campground is only 20 minutes from El Cap... It also doesn't open until July 1st and is fully booked thereafter.
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shedges
Mountain climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2017 - 03:39pm PT
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Thanks folks. I appreciate the feedback.
We'll guerrilla camp if we need to but would like to avoid any potential ranger conflicts so Camp 4 is preferred. We're arriving late next Saturday so one us will likely get in line at the Kiosk and try to get us set up for the week. I'm hopeful that lots of folks will be checking out Sunday morning and we can get set up without too much grief.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jun 18, 2017 - 05:42pm PT
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C4 Sites open up everyday, just gotta be in line early. The rule is no lining up before 6 am, but it is not enforced, and following that rule will insure you do not get a site. Try not to sleep in line, as that is illegal camping, also not enforced. I would plan on spending most of the night in line because C4 is now the overflow for the valley.
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shedges
Mountain climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2017 - 06:30pm PT
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Excellent. Thanks Jon.
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jaredg
climber
california
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Jun 19, 2017 - 12:28am PT
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The rule is no lining up before 6 am, but it is not enforced, and following that rule will insure you do not get a site.
Sounds like they need to start a daily lottery at the kiosk.
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cleo
Social climber
wherever you go, there you are
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Jun 19, 2017 - 07:53am PT
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National Forest land just outside the gate on 120. Driving in and out is a drag with summer traffic jams, but you don't have to drive all the way in every day for good climbing, plenty of options on the Big Oak Flat road.
Briceberg BLM campground on 140 is first come, first served - you should be able to get a campsite unless it's a weekend. Assuming the road stays open!
P.S.
Lower and Upper Pines can also be an option - you can stand in line in the morning and pick up "No Show" campsites from the night before. Downside: you might have to do this every couple of days, which cuts into your morning climbing time.
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Timmc
climber
BC
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Jun 19, 2017 - 08:03am PT
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We waited in line at that little shack kitty corner to the Curry Village (or whatever it's now called) parking lot a few weeks back and got a site in Upper Pines. (place looks like hell BTW)
Got there at 0700. Sixth in line, drank coffee and chatted. Had to come back at 1500 I think and got the site.
One strategy would be to show up at 1500 and ask those that scored a site if they would want to share.
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shedges
Mountain climber
BC
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2017 - 05:37am PT
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Update: Tioga Rd is still closed as of June 25th so camping options in the valley are limited to Camp 4 unless you've somehow finagled a reservation at the upper or lower pines campground. We arrived last night and got in the Camp 4 line for a spot for the next 7 days. . A couple in front of us lined up Friday night. They said the line up then was 50-70 people deep and they just missed a spot despite being in line by 3 am.
We're currently second in line now this fine Sunday morning and the kiosk says there will be 80 spots available so we'll get a site for sure along with the 20-30 other folks in line as of 5 am.
The ranger situation was classic. They came by 3 times last night...early evening, at 10 pm and again at mid night. Every time they were spouting BS, including no sleeping or stepping out of the line or you'll be kicked out, towing cars from Camp 4 parking lot without a permit or the lot across the street where signs are posted saying no parking for midnight - 6 am. None of that happened. No tow trucks, no rangers since midnight and most folks in line clearly getting some zzzz's.
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| Messages 1 - 13 of total 13 in this topic |
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