Gear for Red Peak Pass Loop (Yosemite) May 22-25, 2015

[Brian Johns]

I am going to do this 50-ish mile hike over Memorial Day weekend.

Day 1: Friday, after driving up from the City early a.m. we will hike from Mono Meadow trailhead to illouette Creek, possibly farther if time/daylight allow.

Day 2:about 12.5 miles from Clark Fork Illilouette Creek Crossing to Red Peak Pass via Merced Pass Lake.

Day 3:Hike about 16 miles from "Unnamed Lake/Pond"to Merced River Crossing via Unnamed Jct.; and

Day 4: about 15 miles to HIke from From Merced Lake High Sierra Camp to Tuolumne Meadows Campground.

My real question for anyone in/around Yosemite this year is will I need an ice axe, crampons, or slip-on shoe spikes for this? I plan to bring them. I have conflicting opinions from rangers at Yosemite I have talked to by phone. A third ranger told us to not even try it, but we are plenty experienced and fit, and I don't think this is the year to avoid Red Peak in late May. What do you say?

Gear Questions:

(1) [PACK] Gossamer Gear Gorilla (for bear can) or squeeze it all in my 1800 cu/in Zpacks Zero? Weight will not be an issue, only volume and I'll save at least 10 oz. using the Zpacks.

(2) [QUILT] stateless society 30* quilt or overstuffed enlightened quilt? Weight favors the stateless but its more confining and if warm, it could be harder to stay comfortable in.

(3) [SHELTER] – here I am torn. Thinking a MLD poncho as shelter if needed and rain gear with a borah bivy for cowboy camping. I also have a hexamid tarp with bathtub floor or SMD serenity and a DuoMid with serenity or Borah Bivy. I am thinking not the duomid. Are the poncho or hexamid suitable in your opinion and would you take one over the other? Weight differences are negligible. 10-ish ounces for either, unless I bring the SMD inner.

That's it. The rest is the usual. Sawyer Mini, Hygene/Dity Bag, BV450 bearcan, StarLyte stove, Caldera Cone, and Litetrails 550 mug/pot.

Clothes will be down shirt (pata), R1 top, LS merino top, wind pants, wind jacket, Darn tough socks and innov8 hikers. Let me know what you would prefer and anything else you know about this trail and I'll edit to add chosen gear and weights.

Thanks in advance for you input.

[Brian Johns]

This is not the loop trail, but sections of it included in a Mono Meadows to Tuolomene Meadows campground.

[Ken Thompson]

Can't Only a moderator can do this.

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