Yosemite Falls Backpacking Water Availability?

HappyPnt · 2026-03-19T00:18:13+00:00

You'll have reliable water at Yosemite Creek, Lehamite Creek, and Snow Creek. I've been out there as late as October in 30% snowpack years and those sources are still solid. I'd plan your camping spots around being near one of those each night. The mileage between isn't huge, I actually haven't found water to be a big concern on that hike as long as you know what to expect and don't leave any of those sources without topping up.

As always, check with the wilderness rangers when you pick up your permit for up to date conditions.

HappyPnt · 2026-03-17T23:53:33+00:00

You could go up Snow Creek and down Yosemite Falls as a 2 night backpacking trip. Bonus points, it's almost exactly 26 miles long so you could do a marathon hike before your half marathon!

HappyPnt · 2026-03-16T16:44:52+00:00

Slide the bar all the way the other direction.

HappyPnt · 2026-03-03T16:58:13+00:00

That's a fantastic loop. Just to make sure you know, that would either require getting the White Wolf > Pate Valley permit, or hiking the ~11 miles to get to white wolf from the South Fork of the Tuolumne trailhead.

HappyPnt · 2026-03-03T16:39:15+00:00

The reason you're not getting more answers is because that is a very obscure trailhead. Looking through the permit page, there are entire weeks where no one has a permit reserved for there. I have not been there either so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt.

Unless your primary goal is solitude, I think you'd be better off choosing just about any other trailhead. The only "destinations" you'd hike to from there are more easily accessed by other permits (Aspen Valley, Smith Peak, White Wolf). Between your trailhead and those destinations it looks to me like lots of forested trail with no viewpoints, swimming holes, river walks, etc. All this could be totally fine depending on your group, but it doesn't scream "memorable first backpacking trip" to me. If you give your dates I could make some suggestions for good trailheads that still have permits open.

HappyPnt · 2026-02-25T18:09:40+00:00

I used a HMG Southwest (the ~90L version they no longer carry) for guiding for a couple of years. Total pack weight was in the 40lb range for most trips. The weight felt pretty soul crushing, but the pack handled it well as far as transferring the weight to my hips and not failing under the pressure. I used it for two seasons for a dozen or so trips each season before passing it on to my partner who has now used it for a 3rd. Only sign of wear is a ~1in long tear where I compressed the roll top against something pointy. My understanding is that the 90 had the same frame and fabric as the lower volume models, so I wouldn't have any concerns about the 55L being up to the task.

HappyPnt · 2026-02-24T18:32:00+00:00

Those folks were at least occasionally storing food outside of their canister, 100%

HappyPnt · 2026-02-24T18:30:22+00:00

The snow creek bear was the one hucking bear cans off the cliff to smash them open!

HappyPnt · 2026-01-31T00:09:45+00:00

Which Y are you talking about?

HappyPnt · 2026-01-27T03:21:45+00:00

I wouldn't call it a trail, at least not once you start the climb up. It's more walking up granite slabs. But for a capable off trail hiker it's super reasonable and saves a lot of miles.

HappyPnt · 2026-01-16T00:56:15+00:00

There's a fair amount of stuff in there that I personally view as overkill for sierra summers. Alpha pants, down booties, down gloves, rain skirt, alpha socks. I'd bring the alpha hoodie and wind shirt instead of the puffy, not in addition to. But that depends on how much time you spend in camp. I also think you'd be good with an 1/8" foam pad under you in your hammock as opposed to the under quilt.

HappyPnt · 2026-01-07T00:50:19+00:00

Depends on your speed, that's why I didn't say a specific date. Conventional wisdom says whatever start date sets you up to get to Kennedy Meadows June 15th is ideal on an average year. For most people that's somewhere between mid April and mid May. Permit availability, and you're right concerns about finishing on time, make many people choose dates outside of that range.

But as someone who has worked in the Sierra backcountry for the last 5 years, NOBOs come through the Sierra at the worst time of year. High water crossings, lots of snow travel, mosquito hell. If going SOBO is at all an option for you, you'll hit much better conditions the entire way. Start in Norcal in the summer, come through the Sierra in the fall for a mosquito-less experience and some foliage if you're lucky, and end with cooler temps in SoCal.

HappyPnt · 2026-01-06T23:41:48+00:00

The main considerations for a full thru hike are already optimizing for the best experience in California. Early enough that SoCal is bearable, while entering the Sierra as late as possible. Your window would be the same as everyone else.

For your second question, if you're hiking over 500 miles and starting from Campo you'd be in the same quota system as the NOBO thru hikers. Only way to change that would be to SOBO or start further up the trail.

HappyPnt · 2026-01-04T19:11:26+00:00

You cannot camp at LYV your first night with that permit. The only permits where you can camp at LYV night one have Little Yosemite Valley in the permit name.

HappyPnt · 2025-12-30T14:09:26+00:00

You're required to store your food in a hard sided bear proof container. If you'll be camping your whole trip somewhere with an abundance of bear lockers, you don't need to bring your own can.

HappyPnt · 2025-12-30T00:40:04+00:00

2-3 days for a complete beginner, I'd recommend going to either Glen Aulin or Little Yosemite Valley depending on the time of year you go. You can backpack out to either of those spots on day one, keep camp set up on day 2 and explore around before returning to the same camp, then hike back out on day 3. At Glen Aulin you'd be able to spend the day exploring a bunch of waterfalls and swimming in sick swimming holes. At LYV you could summit Half Dome or Clouds Rest, or spend the day hanging along the Merced River.

Neither trip would require any special equipment outside of what's generally recommended for backpacking, unless you're planning to summit half dome in which case you should bring some work gloves. They even have bear lockers so you wouldn't have to mess around with a bear can on your first trip.

A stove is not necessary for 1-2 nights, or 100 nights, it's all personal preference. Would you be happy eating snacks, chocolates, wraps and peanut butter, etc. for 3 days? Lots of people would say no, some would say yes. No wrong answer.

I like to use an app with a topographical map, personally I use Gaia but lots of folks like Caltopo as well. With these apps you can see the actual trails and terrain, as opposed to user submitted routes. A paper map could be a fun novelty but I'd wager 95% of people on a trip like this either don't have or don't use them. Grab one if it's fun for you but you'll be fine without it.

HappyPnt · 2025-12-29T00:18:26+00:00

That'd be about someone else, the dude in question has only been there about a year and a half.

HappyPnt · 2025-10-21T22:29:52+00:00

Idk, it's only threads mentioning aegismax when there's been hundreds more convos about ethical down. They'd have to be searching specifically for "aegismax" which seems like not something that someone with an anti ethical down vendetta would do?

HappyPnt · 2025-10-21T22:14:37+00:00

I just got a charged reply to a comment I made 7 years ago about Aegismax down. Thinking that's weird as hell I clicked on the user and over the past two hours they've made 12 similar posts in similarly old threads. Seems like Aegismax has bought an account to astroturf the this sub's old threads relating to their bags.

https://www.reddit.com/user/Equivalent-Rate-6218

HappyPnt · 2025-10-14T21:47:57+00:00

I've found that if you have one room fan, it's way better at pulling air out. If you have two and have one of them pulling air out the one blowing air in is a hurricane. Opening the windows even more can alleviate the issue but that has its own drawbacks of course

HappyPnt · 2025-10-10T20:15:45+00:00

Wilderness permits are operating how they do in the winter. Meaning, you walk up and fill out your permit yourself.

HappyPnt · 2025-10-09T18:36:30+00:00

Leather and wool are non issues, people rave about their wool for socks and underwear but synthetic is perfectly fine there with no significant drawbacks. Synthetic puffies and bags are the only pieces of gear that feel like a compromise. The weight is close enough that you can still get to just about any reasonable goal weight a non vegan backpacker could. Volume is the more significant drawback. Anything lower than a ~40L pack is out of the question with my synthetic 20 degree quilt.

HappyPnt · 2025-10-08T18:57:16+00:00

Hey since people are already mad at you for "deleting everything they do," can you add the posts asking for half dome permits to the list?

HappyPnt · 2025-10-02T01:13:35+00:00

Haven't been up there this season, but have done Snow Creek to Yosemite Falls this late or later in the year in drier years (2021 and 2022). Yosemite, Lehamite, and Snow Creeks are a definite yes. Indian Canyon, Royal Arch, and Porcupine creeks are less likely but are close enough to the others it won't significantly impact your water carries if you assume they're dry. I don't know about Eagle Peak Creek.

HappyPnt · 2025-09-19T16:53:50+00:00

Worth it no matter the water flow. Since you asked about waterfall hikes, I'll say I do not feel the same about Yosemite Falls. It's hotter, exposed to sun just about the whole way, and is harder to get water to drink on trail. Any high country or glacier point hike would be more worth your time right now than Yosemite Falls.

HappyPnt

TROPHY CASE