Sierra's alone in October?

“Howdy all,

long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm thinking of going up into the Sierras, probably around Yosemite, for three or so days, probably alone. Altitude will be low (less than 8000 feet). Can you folks fill me in on how bad I should expect the weather to be? I'm a moderately experienced backpacker, but I not quite sure what to expect in October. Snow unlikely right? Thunderstorms likely? Cold at night?”

“You have to be prepared for cold, snow and heavy rain in October. Anything could happen in October in the Sierras.”

“I had a snow storm in July, I was at 9,000 ft.”

“If your planning on hiking in Yosemite, you will have to limit your options to hikes from the Valley. Usually after October 15, you are not allowed to park overnight along Tioga Road. Most hikes starting from the valley and having only a few days, won\'t get you any higher than 8000\' and I wouldn\'t be too concerned with snow this early in the season. Not saying it won\'t happen, but it\'s too early for any major concerns.

The Backcountry”

“Dont have anything to add here but welcome to TT and good luck on your solo :)


Oh yeah, TROLL! :D”

“I agree with mike regarding snow this early. Also, it's pretty easy to predict what the weather will be at that elevation - just watch the published forecasts and bail if it looks dicey.”

“welcome longcrossing, give us a good trip report and pics.

Stay safe (and warm) and enjoy!”

“Thanks all. I'm thinking about the Chain Lakes in southwest Yosemite. Trailhead starts on National Forest land so hopefully I'll avoid the Yosemite restrictions. Should be fun.”

“Longcrossing, check out my trip report from almost exactly a year ago. Took my son there on Hikin Mike's advice - it was great! The road is kinda long and bumpy, but definitely a good October trip.”

“"...so hopefully I'll avoid the Yosemite restrictions..."
What does that mean? Going without a bear cannister? Hopefully not, since there are good reasons to use bear cannisters.”

“nah, I was just refering to the overnight parking restrictions that Hikin Mike was refering to.

Do hate carrying those bear canisters though. On a solo trip it is a lot of weight. A lot better than feeding the bears though. I often wish more of the popular backcountry lakes had bear boxes, but I guess that compromises that wilderness feel a bit.”

“I like carrying the bear cannister more than I like looking around for the right tree and trying to toss rope over a branch. If I tried to go solo and hang my food, I'd probably be up all night with the effort.”

“

Snow does happen in Oct. sometimes!
last edited: 10/09/04 8:49:23 PM”

“You will enjoy Chain Lakes and bears aren't a problem there. Be prepared for a long (1 hour), bumpy and dusty road to the trailhead. Also the trailhead may be a bit hard to find.

If you want you can also take a look at the pictures and trip description on my site. While the pictures are a bit lousy, the info is still valid. Enjoy your trip and welcome to TT!

The Backcountry: Chain Lakes”

“I used a waypoint from TOPO! for the unmarked spur road off of Sky Ranch Road to the left (you will see it on a topo map) that leads down to the actual trailhead - it was spot on:

37° 31.860' 119° 27.252'”