Young Lakes, Yosemite – Late June or July

[Rich Lillo]

Anyone interested in a 4-5 day trip to Young Lakes or another location in eastern Yosemite? Open to other ideas in general area. I am in good shape for my age (52), but cannot handle 15 miles a day anymore. Looks like some of the trips on here are aiming for 15-20 miles a day :-/ Leaving out of Sacramento, so could carpool with anyone from central California.

[Bob Gross]

The standard round trip to Young Lakes is for three days. One day going in. One layover day to bag Mount Conness. One day going back out over Ragged Peak Pass, just to make things interesting. I can't really imagine where to spend more time around there. Note that the quotas routinely fill up in advance.

Another good route requires a car shuttle. Start from the Saddlebag Lake Dam, and go over the Shepherd's Crest and to Upper McCabe Lake on the first day. The second day, you go up over Don't Be A Smart Pass, along Roosevelt Lake, and over to Upper Young Lake. Then the third day you go out to Tuolumne Meadows to shuttle cars.

On a normal year, the best season is about the last week of July. This year, I would move that up by two weeks.

–B.G.–

[Rich Lillo]

I did not know Mt Conness could be reached from the west side without mountaineering equipment. I was thinking of spending an extra day at Roosevelt Lake, or the lakes below White Mountain. I like to be at different places at sunrise and sunset for photographs.

[stephan q]

I'm with BG on three days. I've gone several times, but i go in via Ragged Pass, hit Ragged Peak and camp at Upper Young. Day two for Mt. Conness, and out via the trail on day three. A great trip for sure.

stephan

[Bob Gross]

"I did not know Mt Conness could be reached from the west side without mountaineering equipment."

The west face is indeed a high angle climb, but that's not where we are talking about. From the Young Lakes, you go up to Unnamed Lake 10598 which is due south of the peak. From there, you scramble up the talus slopes and a high valley. Then for the last few hundred yards, you are approaching the summit along the southeastern ridge. I've dragged dozens of newbies up there. The problem is that the summit area is tiny, and there is room for only three or four people at a time.

Roosevelt Lake is OK in mid-day, but it doesn't have the best view of either sunrise or sunset.

"The Shot" is done by camping by the Middle Young Lake or else the Upper Young Lake, and you aim west to catch the first rays of sunrise hitting the top of Ragged Peak in the west with a water reflection in the foreground. But, what do I know?

–B.G.–

[Rich Lillo]

Has anyone been to Skelton Lakes at the top of Delaney Creek? Is it worth a side trip? It looks interesting on the topo map.

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