Ape Man: Thank you for posting this video last February. I hiked the JMT NOBO beginning last Aug. 1, 2017, and thanks to you, I had a picture in my head of how to successfully navigate across some pretty heavy current even though water was rarely above my knees. I saw all types of techniques used out there, but I utilized your advice and crossed on the diagonal facing upstream and using my trekking poles for balance. I'm planning SOBO in 2018 and may not see the conditions we saw last year, but your tips are much appreciated.
Thanks Apeman:) my family and I love to watch the JMT video you did with your daughter. We appreciate the time you've put into this. It is very helpful!
Three Lieutenants were trying to cross a rough river in a storm. God appeared before them, granting them one request each. The first LT said "God, grant me the strength needed to cross this river." God gave him the muscle mass and endurance necessary; he swam across the river, reaching the other side in fifteen minutes and almost drowning thrice. The second LT said "God, grant me the means needed to cross this river." God gave him a kayak and paddle; he paddled across, reaching the other side in ten minutes and almost drowning once. The last LT said "God, grant me the intelligence needed to cross this river." God made him a Sergeant; he pulled out his map, realized there was a bridge just a few hundred metres upriver, and reached the other side in five minutes.
Thanks for all of your videos they have been helpful, I got my permit for Tuolumne Meadows for July 21st, not one of my first few choices but at least im getting on the trail, I'm thinking of doing a day hike back towards cathedral lakes before I start southbound so I don't miss too much of the trail, other than that I'm super excited to get started!
A good day hike would be the Cathedral Lakes trailhead. Keep going over Cathedral Pass to the Sunrise High Sierra Camp and take a right at the Sunrise Lakes trail. Take this back to Tioga Pass Road (120) to the Tenaya Lake trailhead. Be warned that the Tenaya lakes trailhead floods every year in the spring and involves a very cold but easy, no current, often thigh high wade - so decide if you want to start out wet or end wet. There is a shuttle that cruises Tioga rd but stick your thumb out for an easy hitch back to the Tuolumne Meadows campground. It's around 13 miles total with no backtracking. Try to get a car campground in Tuolumne even if you have no car. The backpacker campground is a little tight and noisy as hikers come in at all hours. If you have never done it you should do the mist trail out of Yosemite Valley to the top of Nevada Falls out of happy isles. I think it's around 8 miles round trip. Super crowded and full of tourists but I still love it, especially without a heavy back. Outrageous falls and scenery. Will you have a car? There are shuttles so check the schedules. I believe if you come in by bus you are allowed 2 nights in the backpacker camps so you could stay the 1st night in the valley and the 2nd night in Tuolumne.
Informative video! Water crossings is definitely on the top of the list of things I'm worried about this year with all the rain/snow we've been getting. So I ended up being denied in Yosemite but picked up a permit starting at Cottonwood Pass. I'm NOBOing it.
You start out high as a NOBOer so try to sleep at least 1 night up high before you start. You'll get some stream crossing practice after you do Whitney and continue north on the JMT. Wallace, Wrights and Tyndall creeks will be your first challenges but they are not that bad with Tyndall being the most challenging even though it is narrow. Don't forget to admire the Foxtail Pines after you cross Cottonwood or New Army pass. They grow nowhere else in the world.
Whitney will be my 4th day on the JMT, so hopefully I'll be somewhat acclimated by then. I am planning to do some backpacking trips on the Lakes Trail all the way up to Moose Lake at the beginning of the summer. Some day hikes to Mt. Dana and Alta Peak will hopefully help me as well. Question....I've been watching videos of the snow chute up on Forester Pass and scaring myself. This has been a crazy season for rain and snow. How do you think it'll be like mid-July? I'm scheduled to be on Forester Pass on the 20th.
Dana is a great day hike up to 13k. My Dad is up there. You can camp at Tioga Lake at 9900' which also helps and check out the Gaylor Lakes area or a trip up Conness from Saddlebag Lake. Lots of good high altitude stuff around there. You never know what spring will bring and how fast the thaw will melt the snow. A lot depends on the weather and how hot it is. Don't worry about Forester. By mid July there will still be snow but a good trench like boot track through the difficult bit on the south side chute. The north side will have patches also. It helps greatly to have hiking poles to pick your way carefully through those sections. Glenn and Mather will still have snow too mostly on the north side but nothing to worry about. North side of Muir will have miles of snow also and by then you will be tired of snow but then you won't see much after that until Donahue which is easy. Sometimes the horse packers will shovel out the trails on the passes so they can get through. That happened once while I was going up Forester but I think it was August. I was amazed to see a pack train coming down off the summit as I was going up. The wranglers jumped off their mounts at every patch of snow and started shoveling. It was my daughter's first long trip and she was so happy to have the trail cleared and never made fun of my hiking poles again and asked for her own after that trip. Stop worrying about the snow. It's the river crossings that will kill you! The snow makes it really beautiful and the waterfalls everywhere are awesome.
In life. It Gets Serious Real Quick At Times, Which Is Why It Is Extremely Important To Know When To Go From "Civilian Mode" Into "Survival Mode." I Believe This Is A Result of Experience..... You Have To Know When Critical Thinking Needs To Be Adjusted And When To Discard A Lax and/or Absent Minded Mentality.
Some great advices: remove shoe liner/socks; undo hipbelt/sternum strap; make sure you plan an exit spot (I would add have back up exits in case primary is compromised). Also from the demo... you should face upstream?
"Ape"; I must have Hobbits in my family tree, because when I ford a stream, I tie my boot laces together, then hang my boots around my neck, and I would never cross, where I see too much algae coating the rocks; barefoot's the only way to go, as my toes and the rest of the foot, is better able to feel the micro-declivites of where I shall plant my feet. Then, on the other bank, I'll hike another Fifth of a mile or so, until my feet are completely dried by the dust. I'll then vigorously brush all the dust and mud off, then put socks and boots back on. I'll also keep a good eye out, for sap drippings from the conifers, so I don't step in those. Those are HARD to remove from bare feet; maybe I'd have to go another mile or so, to wear those off. With my method, PRESTO!!, no blisters! Kinda looks like you shot this vid, between Auburn and Cool, on the American, right? And, El Dorado Hills, next door to Cameron Park. Cameron Park is one of the few communities, I know of, that is a FLY-IN, FLY-OUT town, where airplanes DO have the right-of-way, on its extremely wide streets. There's signage that frequently states the rights-of ways precedence, too. Everyone must be alert. For pedestrian safety, they're obviously on the bottom of right-of-way precedence, and small children MUST be held on to, by an adult, because of prop wash. There is an extremely long, multi-lane, two-way taxi way (Nothing but airplanes, are allowed on this special street.) leading to the fenced-off air terminal, that you probably need RFID's to open the gates, to and from the runways. And most of the homes do have hangar ports, or hangar garages, attached to their land-based vehicle garages. If a plane taxis at only 15MPH, absolutely no passing, by cars, ever, on the streets. Now how DID I get onto that subject??? And, yes, we DO NEED a Half Dome vid from you!!
I work in El Dorado Hills and filmed this right after work where the American River flows into Folsom Lake. I confess to frequently crossing rivers barefoot but when dispensing advice on the internet need to default to a technique to insure someone's trip isn's ended by a sharp rock. Through hikers have just learned to wear light breathable shoes and simply walk through the streams and keep going. We grew up in an era where summers meant not wearing shoes for several months and our thick calluses protected our feet. People are far more fragile today. The Cameron Park airport isn't what it used to be but some still enjoy the fly in fly out that is still available. There are lots of half dome videos already but if I do it again I will film it. It used to be me and my daughter's spring warm up hike but she's moved to San Diego and is entrenched in the rat race. We are heading out to the Dinkey Wilderness in 2 weeks. Stay tuned for a video of that trip.
Ape Man: Thank you for posting this video last February. I hiked the JMT NOBO beginning last Aug. 1, 2017, and thanks to you, I had a picture in my head of how to successfully navigate across some pretty heavy current even though water was rarely above my knees. I saw all types of techniques used out there, but I utilized your advice and crossed on the diagonal facing upstream and using my trekking poles for balance. I'm planning SOBO in 2018 and may not see the conditions we saw last year, but your tips are much appreciated.
Thanks Apeman:) my family and I love to watch the JMT video you did with your daughter. We appreciate the time you've put into this. It is very helpful!
Another great job simple and clear. Got my JMT permit beginning in late August NOBO. Thanks for all your videos and tips
Three Lieutenants were trying to cross a rough river in a storm. God appeared before them, granting them one request each.
The first LT said "God, grant me the strength needed to cross this river."
God gave him the muscle mass and endurance necessary; he swam across the river, reaching the other side in fifteen minutes and almost drowning thrice.
The second LT said "God, grant me the means needed to cross this river."
God gave him a kayak and paddle; he paddled across, reaching the other side in ten minutes and almost drowning once.
The last LT said "God, grant me the intelligence needed to cross this river."
God made him a Sergeant; he pulled out his map, realized there was a bridge just a few hundred metres upriver, and reached the other side in five minutes.
I love your delivery! Thanks for the upload.
Thanks. My humor is lost on most. Happy trails!
Thanks for all of your videos they have been helpful, I got my permit for Tuolumne Meadows for July 21st, not one of my first few choices but at least im getting on the trail, I'm thinking of doing a day hike back towards cathedral lakes before I start southbound so I don't miss too much of the trail, other than that I'm super excited to get started!
A good day hike would be the Cathedral Lakes trailhead. Keep going over Cathedral Pass to the Sunrise High Sierra Camp and take a right at the Sunrise Lakes trail. Take this back to Tioga Pass Road (120) to the Tenaya Lake trailhead. Be warned that the Tenaya lakes trailhead floods every year in the spring and involves a very cold but easy, no current, often thigh high wade - so decide if you want to start out wet or end wet. There is a shuttle that cruises Tioga rd but stick your thumb out for an easy hitch back to the Tuolumne Meadows campground. It's around 13 miles total with no backtracking.
Try to get a car campground in Tuolumne even if you have no car. The backpacker campground is a little tight and noisy as hikers come in at all hours. If you have never done it you should do the mist trail out of Yosemite Valley to the top of Nevada Falls out of happy isles. I think it's around 8 miles round trip. Super crowded and full of tourists but I still love it, especially without a heavy back. Outrageous falls and scenery. Will you have a car? There are shuttles so check the schedules. I believe if you come in by bus you are allowed 2 nights in the backpacker camps so you could stay the 1st night in the valley and the 2nd night in Tuolumne.
Thanks for the tip on Super feet really making a positive impact on my 57 year old feet
Glad they are working for you. I have superfeet or SOLES in all my shoes now. They really help on long hikes.
Informative video! Water crossings is definitely on the top of the list of things I'm worried about this year with all the rain/snow we've been getting. So I ended up being denied in Yosemite but picked up a permit starting at Cottonwood Pass. I'm NOBOing it.
You start out high as a NOBOer so try to sleep at least 1 night up high before you start. You'll get some stream crossing practice after you do Whitney and continue north on the JMT. Wallace, Wrights and Tyndall creeks will be your first challenges but they are not that bad with Tyndall being the most challenging even though it is narrow. Don't forget to admire the Foxtail Pines after you cross Cottonwood or New Army pass. They grow nowhere else in the world.
Whitney will be my 4th day on the JMT, so hopefully I'll be somewhat acclimated by then. I am planning to do some backpacking trips on the Lakes Trail all the way up to Moose Lake at the beginning of the summer. Some day hikes to Mt. Dana and Alta Peak will hopefully help me as well. Question....I've been watching videos of the snow chute up on Forester Pass and scaring myself. This has been a crazy season for rain and snow. How do you think it'll be like mid-July? I'm scheduled to be on Forester Pass on the 20th.
Dana is a great day hike up to 13k. My Dad is up there. You can camp at Tioga Lake at 9900' which also helps and check out the Gaylor Lakes area or a trip up Conness from Saddlebag Lake. Lots of good high altitude stuff around there.
You never know what spring will bring and how fast the thaw will melt the snow. A lot depends on the weather and how hot it is. Don't worry about Forester. By mid July there will still be snow but a good trench like boot track through the difficult bit on the south side chute. The north side will have patches also. It helps greatly to have hiking poles to pick your way carefully through those sections. Glenn and Mather will still have snow too mostly on the north side but nothing to worry about. North side of Muir will have miles of snow also and by then you will be tired of snow but then you won't see much after that until Donahue which is easy. Sometimes the horse packers will shovel out the trails on the passes so they can get through. That happened once while I was going up Forester but I think it was August. I was amazed to see a pack train coming down off the summit as I was going up. The wranglers jumped off their mounts at every patch of snow and started shoveling. It was my daughter's first long trip and she was so happy to have the trail cleared and never made fun of my hiking poles again and asked for her own after that trip.
Stop worrying about the snow. It's the river crossings that will kill you! The snow makes it really beautiful and the waterfalls everywhere are awesome.
Thank you, very informative and helpful.
In life. It Gets Serious Real Quick At Times, Which Is Why It Is Extremely Important To Know When To Go From "Civilian Mode" Into "Survival Mode." I Believe This Is A Result of Experience..... You Have To Know When Critical Thinking Needs To Be Adjusted And When To Discard A Lax and/or Absent Minded Mentality.
There are not as many absent minded backpackers but some get lucky.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I get the vertigo thing too, and thought I was the only one.
Good stuff. Thanks
Some great advices: remove shoe liner/socks; undo hipbelt/sternum strap; make sure you plan an exit spot (I would add have back up exits in case primary is compromised). Also from the demo... you should face upstream?
yes face upstream
Really like you vids...
Man that water must of been cold!
You are right, too many people try going barefoot? Crazy
6.2.19
Thanks
7.10.19
Ever run into bigfoot
That's my cousin. He's an introvert and quite the recluse and I haven't seen him in years.
Rumors of rare sitings at Mraz Brewery. Alt-facts.
"Ape"; I must have Hobbits in my family tree, because when I ford a stream, I tie my boot laces together, then hang my boots around my neck, and I would never cross, where I see too much algae coating the rocks; barefoot's the only way to go, as my toes and the rest of the foot, is better able to feel the micro-declivites of where I shall plant my feet. Then, on the other bank, I'll hike another Fifth of a mile or so, until my feet are completely dried by the dust. I'll then vigorously brush all the dust and mud off, then put socks and boots back on. I'll also keep a good eye out, for sap drippings from the conifers, so I don't step in those. Those are HARD to remove from bare feet; maybe I'd have to go another mile or so, to wear those off. With my method, PRESTO!!, no blisters! Kinda looks like you shot this vid, between Auburn and Cool, on the American, right? And, El Dorado Hills, next door to Cameron Park. Cameron Park is one of the few communities, I know of, that is a FLY-IN, FLY-OUT town, where airplanes DO have the right-of-way, on its extremely wide streets. There's signage that frequently states the rights-of ways precedence, too. Everyone must be alert. For pedestrian safety, they're obviously on the bottom of right-of-way precedence, and small children MUST be held on to, by an adult, because of prop wash. There is an extremely long, multi-lane, two-way taxi way (Nothing but airplanes, are allowed on this special street.) leading to the fenced-off air terminal, that you probably need RFID's to open the gates, to and from the runways. And most of the homes do have hangar ports, or hangar garages, attached to their land-based vehicle garages. If a plane taxis at only 15MPH, absolutely no passing, by cars, ever, on the streets. Now how DID I get onto that subject??? And, yes, we DO NEED a Half Dome vid from you!!
I work in El Dorado Hills and filmed this right after work where the American River flows into Folsom Lake. I confess to frequently crossing rivers barefoot but when dispensing advice on the internet need to default to a technique to insure someone's trip isn's ended by a sharp rock. Through hikers have just learned to wear light breathable shoes and simply walk through the streams and keep going. We grew up in an era where summers meant not wearing shoes for several months and our thick calluses protected our feet. People are far more fragile today. The Cameron Park airport isn't what it used to be but some still enjoy the fly in fly out that is still available. There are lots of half dome videos already but if I do it again I will film it. It used to be me and my daughter's spring warm up hike but she's moved to San Diego and is entrenched in the rat race. We are heading out to the Dinkey Wilderness in 2 weeks. Stay tuned for a video of that trip.
je dadore😜😝😅😅