Fitpacking

Just hearing the words Yosemite National Park conjurs superlative images of legendary life-list natural attractions: Half-Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Tuolumne Meadows, North Dome, Hetch Hetchy. It also brings to mind black bears, towering sequoias, mule-deer, the High Sierra, world class rock climbing, Ansel Adams, and more black bears.

This is your opportunity to really see the Yosemite backcountry in a way that the vast majority of visitors and crowds never do. We'll climb Half Dome and about halfway through the trip, visit Yosemite Valley to touch civilization before heading out for a 2nd week in the backcountry. Is this the year you finally see Yosemite?

The Yosemite National Park Fitpacking Trip will be from July 17-29, 2010. Here is the proposed itinerary.

Our journey will begin in Tuolumne Meadows in the Northwest part of Yosemite NP. We'll start hiking into Lyell Canyon on the Pacific Crest Trail / John Muir Trail (they are the same in this area). From there, we'll head up towards Merced Lake and over to Little Yosemite Valley, which we'll use as a base for summitting Half Dome.

We then head into Yosemite Valley for a day off and begin by hiking up Yosemite Falls where we'll summit North Dome and Indian Rock on our way back to Tuolumne Meadows.

The trails through Yosemite National Park are well groomed with good footing but elevation gain and loss can be dramatic. Most days are under 10 miles, but on days when you hike uphill most of the day, it's challenging. And hiking Half Dome, with thousands of feet in vertical elevation change is a difficult, but immensely rewarding challenge.

Weather is always an important concern when hiking. Expect daytime hiking temperatures in the 70s in the high country and 80s in the valley and nighttime temperatures in the 40s & 50s. However, be prepared for the possibility of day temperatures as high as 90 and nighttime temperatures as low as 30. Also be prepared for violent afternoon thunderstorsm. They may not come, but if they do, they typically bring a lot of lightning, thunder, and hail. They can be dangerous, but are not long lived. Here is the historical weather.

Steve Silberberg, who lives in Hull, MA has many years of backpacking experience over a variety of terrains and guides most Fitpacking trips. He is a SOLO certified Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer, and Certified Food Handler.

Jesse Hardie is a Wilderness First Responder originally from Alpharetta, GA and has led Fitpacking trips to the Florida National Scenic Trail and Redwood National Park.

Amanda Morrison is a Wilderness First Aid and Leave No Trace Certified backpaker originally from New Jersey who thru hiked the entire 2900 mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2009. She also gives back to the trail by performaing trail maintenance. She will be along as an assistant as this is her first trip with Fitpacking.

Here is a list of equipment we suggest you bring. The list is extensive and can seem daunting, but please don't let this deter you from the trip. You can rent top notch quality gear for reasonable prices from Lower Gear. It may also be possible for us to provide some gear for you at a nominal fee if you let us know far ahead of the trip. Unfortunately, we're not in the gear business so the selection of our available inventory is unpredictable. Please feel free to discuss any gear with us before the trip.

We don't believe in austere eating regimens. Backpacking is a rigorous, rewarding activity. You must feed your body in order for it perform. Your body will dictate that you eat often, so it's important to have fuel to feed it. Please check out the sample menus. This list is not comprehensive and may be altered or augmented. If you want to bring personal food, say a 5 pound chocolate cake, go for it. You'll not only hate carrying it through the High Sierra, your body will reject the empty calories and prefer nutritious food.

Note: On this trip, we will resupply food in Yosemite Valley. It is unknown what trail food they will have on-hand, so be prepared for the menus to deviate from the stock meals you see on the website

$1700 per person double occupancy. Here, double occupancy means that you will share a room with another participant during the 2 hotel nights. You will also be responsible for transportation to and from Reno, NV, personal equipment and any restaurant meals eaten off the trail (except for the buffet breakfast at Curry Village in Yosemite Valley, which is included). The reason for this is to avoid lavish dinners with bottle after bottle of wine that occurred when restaurant meals were included.

Covered expenses include 2 hotel nights, campground fees, 11 days of trail meals, ground transportation, National Park permits, insurance, and 2 awesome guides.

Fitpacking is on an ongoing quest to expand its selection of trip destinations. As such, this is the very first time we are offering a trip to Yosemite National Park. Even though they are seasoned backpackers, the guides for this trip may NOT have previously backpacked these particular trails.

Many intrepid participants are excited by pioneering new routes, but others don't feel as comfortable with this and may prefer a more established, predictable trip. Experience guiding a certain destination can make things run smoother, but do not underestimate the decades of backpacking experience that our guides possess which permeate every other aspect of the trip in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.