Mammoth & Yosemite Trip Planning, August 8-10 2014 - Hiking Photos, Trip Reports, Trail Info and Gear Reviews

Half the charm of climbing mountains is born in visions preceding this experience… visions of what is mysterious, remote, inaccessible.
-George Mallory

Itinerary

A rough outline for our trip. More details to come…

Aug 8 (Fri)

9 am > Drive to Bishop
1 PM > Lunch in Bishop
3 PM > Arrive in Mammoth
Afternoon > Possible (easy) Hike
PM > Stay @ Mammoth Mountain Inn

Aug 9 (Sat)

3:00 AM > Leave for hike
4:30 AM > Arrive @ Trail Head. Possible hikes, in order of preference:
- Cloud’s Rest
  - Distance: 14.5 mi || Duration: ~7 hrs || Elevation Change: ±1,775′ (rolling terrain) || Max Elevation: 9,931′ || Difficulty: Strenuous
  - Hike Description: Yosemite Hikes, LocalHikes, EveryTrail
- North Dome & Indian Rock Arch
  - Distance: 9.5 mi || Duration: ~4-6 hrs || Elevation Change: ±900′ || Max Elevation: 7,543′ || Difficulty: Moderate
  - Hike Description: Yosemite Hikes, Modern Hiker
- May Lake & Mt. Hoffman
  - Distance: 6 mi || Duration: ~3-4 hrs || Elevation Change: ±2,000′ || Max Elevation: 10,856′ || Difficulty: Moderate
  - Hike Description: Yosemite Hikes, SummitPost
Early Afternoon >Return to hotel after hiking
PM > Stay @ Mammoth Mountain Inn

Aug 10 (Sun)

11 AM > Hotel Checkout
12 PM > Lunch in Bishop
5 PM > Arrive Home

Weather

Here are some forecasts for the area:

Mammoth
- NOAA
- Mountain Forecast
Yosemite
- NOAA
- Mountain Forecast

Gear

Clothing

If the forecast holds true, we will be dealing with temperatures between 50 & 70°, with the possibility of rain. Prepare for the possibility of getting wet, and then cold as a result of the precipitation. This is what I plan to carry:

Baseball cap (sun protection)
Rain Gear: Rain Pants and Poncho/Pack Cover/Garbage Bag
Columbia Watertight Jacket
Champion Double Dry Competitor Compression Long Sleeve (instead of thermal top)
Columbia Men’s Sweat Threat Crew Tee (wicking T-Shirt)
New Balance 100% Polyester Lined Pants & New Balance 100% Polyester Training Shorts (worn under pants for hike)
(2) Pairs Thorlo Hiking Socks
(2) Pairs REI Sock Liners
(1) Pair Light Gloves (Mechanix or Outdoor Designs Stretchon Glove)

First Aid/Emergency Kit
I will carry a large first-aid kit for the group. Each individual should carry the following:

Navigation
I will print out a index card sized map for everyone
Sun Protection
You don’t want to forget sunscreen, chapstick and sunglasses for this hike
Headlamp or Flashlight
The first hour of this hike will be in the dark
Emergency Shelter
I prefer an SOL Emergency Bivvy over a space blanket, but either will work
Poncho
If large enough, can also be used as a pack cover. Not necessary if your jacket is waterproof
Emergency water purification (tablets or iodine)
In case you get separated from the group (not likely)
Toilet Paper
Small first-aid kit for personal use.
Items may include:

Diamox (may prevent AMS)
aspirin (may delay onset of AMS)
ibuprofen (may relieve symptoms of AMS or other conditions)
Benadryll
small bandages & antibacterial ointment

Food

We should be off the trail early enough to grab lunch on the drive back to Mammoth or once we arrive in Mammoth. I am bringing snack food as well as some extras in case the hike takes longer than expected.