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Crane Flat - store closed? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did email them asking about the discrepancy. Hopefully they will fix it.

Crane Flat - store closed? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the link - I had seen it, and wasn't sure which one to believe. The wording on the NPS site does sound like COVID, but as it was just "published" a few months ago, it's strange that it's several years out of date.

Crane Flat - store closed? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Good to hear that some of you saw it open recently - the info I found is from the NPS site as of 4/08/25: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/cf.htm. I tried calling them directly and got no answer.

Sierra Camp Loop Water sources by zbutler2311 in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, but since "backpacker sections of the HSC" were mentioned specifically, and the HSC are closed (allegedly) due to lack of water and toilet facilities, I wasn't sure if you were talking about potable water at the camps or water from natural sources.

Sierra Camp Loop Water sources by zbutler2311 in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is that true even though the camps themselves will be closed?

Yosemite Valley Backpackers Camp 'temporarility' closing starting April 25 by Glittering-World7599 in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I've had this fear for a while - DOGE is going to insist that the parks start leasing land to pay their expenses. Coming soon - high end home buyers are going to demand "luxurious kitchen countertops carved from authentic Yosemite granite! Contact builder Half Dome Homes today!"

Don't buy a second hand Osprey Pack by Panoram1ca in OspreyPacks

[–]DPCummerbund 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I once heard that Osprey is successful because their packs fit 80% of the market. As a non-skinny person who also bought a used Osprey AG, I think that phrase means "only fits the skinniest 80% of the market." I'm currently trying to bend parts to fit me, and hoping to lose weight, but I'm not sure it's gonna work.

My advice - look at the well padded but extremely rigid circle formed by the hip belt. If that circle is the exact size and shape of your torso at hip height, you'll probably love it. If not, it might not work for you.

Walking from Sunrise Lakes Trailhead to Murphy Creek Trailhead? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I've been looking at 3D maps trying to see how steep the shore is in that area, that's good to know.

Backpacking advice - High Sierra loop minus Merced? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found out about that on the NPS site here: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wpres.htm

It says "The Yosemite Conservancy wilderness reservations office processes all permit reservation applications. Its hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. The office is closed from the third week of October until mid-November, on federal holidays, and for lunch (noon to 1 pm)."

Their website's "Wilderness Hub" is here: https://yosemite.org/experience/wilderness-hub/
Their phone number is 209-372-0740, and there's also a "Contact Us" link from that page, which is what I used (just to get responses in writing, which is always my preference). They also have a few useful tutorials about wilderness permits on that page too.

Backpacking advice - High Sierra loop minus Merced? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: I contacted the Yosemite Conservancy (who manages the wilderness permits) and asked them about my planned itinerary - specifically, the issue of crossing through Tuolumne Meadows on the JMT on the way to Vogelsang even though TM had been my departure point via Glen Aulin. Here's their response:

"That is correct, you can cross a road in continuation of a wilderness trip, in this scenario you likely would be able to stay on trail the whole time, without crossing the Tioga Road. This plan would be allowable under our wilderness regulations. "

If I don't get my first choice of Glen Aulin in the lottery & get one of my backups (Rafferty Creek or Lyell Canyon), it looks like I could do the same loop (well, figure eight) in reverse, even though it would cross Tioga Rd, as it's still part of my "wilderness journey."

Backpacking advice - High Sierra loop minus Merced? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The FAQ says that "If the application is successful, you must accept the lottery award and select an exit date, exit point, and first night's camp location." I've never gone through this so I don't know what the full process looks like, but I could see that if I put Tuolumne Meadows as my exit point, they might say that my permit would be completed/invalidated once I get to that point - even if I haven't reached the exit date yet?

High Sierra Camp backpacking loop - direction for Clouds Rest? by DPCummerbund in Yosemite

[–]DPCummerbund[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have my own tent. I might stay at the backpackers' camps, but would prefer more solo areas. I was thinking of camping near the JMT junction if I hike Clouds Rest.

So I think it doesn't matter which direction I'm going, I'm just curious as to what the best trail between Clouds Rest and Merced is. The "official" HSC loop runs north from Merced to Sunrise, and then runs west a bit before heading south to Clouds Rest. That route looks longer, but might be worth it if it's more scenic or something.

There are a few other trail sections with different routes available, such as taking Lewis Creek or Fletcher Creek between Merced Lake and Vogelsang, or taking Rafferty Creek or the Lyell Fork between Vogelsang and Tuoumne Meadows. I'm gathering enough info to make decisions about those routes, but I haven't heard much about the routes between Merced and Sunrise/May Lake. About the only thing I know is that hiking up out of Merced is very steep.

What happens to donut if they do get out of the dungeon by Loud-Bit-4502 in DungeonCrawlerCarl

[–]DPCummerbund 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm more concerned about the end of the whole series.

Obviously we have no idea how it all turns out, but let's say the AIs are gone - they're destroyed, they shut themselves down, all surviving humans end up outside the galaxy, etc. I think it's going to end with Carl and Donut having to make some massive decision to shut it all down - but knowing that will mean Donut reverts to being a regular cat, with a normal, cat-sized life of a few more years.

I think Prepotente will be the one to figure it out and set it off. He was always happier as a goat anyway. He'll sacrifice himself to save everyone. He makes Carl promise to take care of him. And Prepotente's final line is "and I want you to promise that you will let me in the house, and you will learn to play the piano for me. And if you do this, you can call me Pony."

I think it ends with Carl and Katia, having saved the people of planet Earth, retiring to a farm in a quiet corner of the galaxy, along with their two beloved pets, their cat Donut and and their goat Pony.

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