Water and camping along Cold Canyon/Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Loop

[Gene C]

Hi all.  I scored a pair of permits and am looking to do a loop in Yosemite via the Glen Aulin trailhead next weekend.  The plan is to go up through Cold Canyon, follow the PCT around over Benson Pass, then down Rogers Canyon, and up the GC of the Tuolumne.  My planned campsites are:

1. Where the PCT runs west at the junction of Return Creek and McCabe Creek

2. Smedberg Lake

3. Along Piute Creek about a mile and a half north of the junction with the Tuolumne River

4. Maybe a mile south of Waterwheel Falls

Caltopo link

 

My biggest concern is for #3.  We could go the extra bit down to Pate Valley, but I was trying to take a mile off what is already a lot of descent.  On the topo, the trail isn’t right at Piute Creek, so it’s hard to tell how accessible the water is.

 

The topo shows two alternate routes from the PCT/Rogers Canyon junction, one goes by Rodgers and Neal lakes, the other route is on the west side of a little ridge and goes near Murdock lake.  Is there any reason to take one route over the other?

 

I can’t tell if there’s any accessible water along the Cold Canyon stretch from Glen Aulin up to Return/McCabe Creeks.  It looks like some seasonal flow in the bottom half.

 

Is there anything I’m overlooking?

 

Thanks!

[jscott]

I much prefer Rodgers Lake to Smedberg…but it does require of tiny bit of a slog if you’ve already done a long day. And Smedberg is very nice! the campsites are exposed however; except the few better ones that require a wade across the outlet stream.

Rogers is a cut above and likely to be empty of people. Great views and shady, flat and protected.

Watch for rattlesnakes in the GC of the Tuolumne. Not to worry, just be observant!

[Author]

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