I'm thinking of doing a quick 3 day backpacking trip into the highcountry around Yosemite, any suggestions of a good place to go where I'll be able to get some unique photos?
I've been to 10 Lakes and Royal Arch Lake before which were both nice trips but those were all before I was into photography.
I'm going to be going with 2 other people and we are all very experienced hikers/backpackers.
We are open to going to other areas outside of Yosemite too are are going be be coming from San Francisco.
On many occasions I've spent upwards of a week in any of several areas around Tuolumne Meadows. Of course, if I told you where I go... you wouldn't be as likely to get "unique photos..." ;-)
gdanmitchell wrote:
On many occasions I've spent upwards of a week in any of several areas around Tuolumne Meadows. Of course, if I told you where I go... you wouldn't be as likely to get "unique photos..." ;-)
Dan
Hi Dan, thanks for the reply. I wish I had a week to spend up there! Maybe sometime soon...What areas of Tuolumne do you recommend? I meant unique in terms of places worth photographing, (lakes with nice reflections, waterfalls, rivers, etc.) Luckily Yosemite is full of those but I figured if I'm going to be up there backpacking I might as well find a nice destination!
The tuolumne meadows "valley" has lots of great photo ops due to the water (streams), small ponds, grassy meadows and ragged peaks that might still have a touch of snow in places. Right off the road there are lots of photo opportunities. The drive down to Mono lake is stunning.
I have shot 10 Lakes, that's a great location. You have backpacked there before, so you would be familiar with the area a bit. With only 3 days, there may be some value to your going to a place you have been so that mentally you will be able to be more prepared.
Also, Cathedral Lake area. Permits for backpacking can be a bit hard to come by for it, but wow... what a beautiful area! There is also Glen Aulin. I have backpacked there, it's a very cool location. You have the Waterwheel you can shoot. You can stay in the High Sierra camp there, so you have a little nicer area. There are lot's of cool photo ops as you hike in.
Arob1000 wrote:
Hi Dan, thanks for the reply. I wish I had a week to spend up there! Maybe sometime soon...What areas of Tuolumne do you recommend? I meant unique in terms of places worth photographing, (lakes with nice reflections, waterfalls, rivers, etc.) Luckily Yosemite is full of those but I figured if I'm going to be up there backpacking I might as well find a nice destination!
You probably want to pick up one of the usual back-country trail guide books that will give you more details of the area and the hiking possibilities.
If you are completely new to the area, a classic short trip is the one to Cathedral Lakes. Photographically it has been done to death, but that because it is accessible and can be quite beautiful. Longer and popular trips out of T-Meadows go to the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp area and, in the opposite direction, up Lyell Canyon and/or up Rafferty Creek towards the area around Fletcher Lakes.
In any of these cases, around and beyond these main destinations you'll find a lot more to explore, but it would be inappropriate for me to start listing out a bunch of quiet, isolated, and non-yet-overrun locations here. :-)
I find it hard to believe a camping spot with 5 to 10 mile or more hike from the highway especially if permits are required would become over run.
Dan some of your back county shot are truly awesome and inspiring but take a real commitment to get to, not exactly like pulling off the road to shoot Horsetail in Feb.
I respect your opinions on protecting sensitive locations if its possible to be overprotecting.
On the other hand a day spent anywhere in the High sierra is a good day!
WAYCOOL wrote:
I find it hard to believe a camping spot with 5 to 10 mile or more hike from the highway especially if permits are required would become over run.
Believe. :-)
Visit Cathedral Lakes on a high-season summer weekend. Or the camping areas around Fletcher Lake. Or Glen Aulin. Or portions of Lyell Canyon.
These are what they are - beautiful and very popular - but there are places that are only a bit more remote and not yet quite so busy that I don't say so much about. They aren't exactly secret spots, but they don't need the added publicity either. Poke around a bit and spend some time exploring the area and you'll get to know them, too. :-)
On the other hand a day spent anywhere in the High sierra is a good day!
I understand where you are coming from Dan, thanks for the suggestions. I'm only in my 20's but I tend to avoid Yosemite, even in the past 10 years the amount of people visiting has gone up exponentially which is good and bad...I always stay out of the valley (except for the occasional Half Dome trip) but I get where you are coming from.
Luckily I tend to find that if it takes effort to get somewhere (ie. backpacking) most people aren't willing/ready to lug up their gear up there which keeps the numbers down inherently.
Last spring I went on a backpacking trip up to the Lost Coast Wilderness (over a major 3 day weekend holiday) and saw maybe 3 people over 3 days and saw some really unique parts of the California Coast. Being out there alone can add to the experience but at the same time I wouldn't hesitate to tell people how to find some of those places...some of the locals had a similar thought and ripped down the sign to the dirt road heading to the trail-head which is sad to see but I understand where they are coming from.
I'll pass some of these ideas onto my friends and see what they think.
Dan have you ever been to Royal Arch Lake? It is an incredible lake not to mention the best fishing I've ever had plus totally deserted usually.
The Cathedral Lakes area really is beautiful. People have shot it before, but compared to many other locations I think there's still plenty of room for good shots from there. It's on my list for next year.
Arob1000 wrote:
Dan have you ever been to Royal Arch Lake? It is an incredible lake not to mention the best fishing I've ever had plus totally deserted usually.
I have not been there. In fact, I wasn't sure where it is and I had to look it up. I've looked at that area from a distance a few times, but my "stomping grounds" tend to be in the high country accessible to TPR for the most part. :-)
After all of the decades* there are still quite a few places in the Yosemite back country that I have not visited. I still need to get into the Clark Range, and there are a number of low to middle elevation areas that I have not visited, and there are many very remote areas in the northern portion of the park that I have yet to see.
Dan
*How many decades, you ask? My early backpacking was done in an era when there were no wilderness permits - just show up and start walking. :-)
