The scarred trees made for ugly and depressing scenery and the trail was steadily uphill and exhausting. Though difficult, the first few miles are also spectacular. Press J to jump to the feed. Day 1 – Happy Isles to Sunrise Lakes (almost), Day 2 – Sunrise Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows, Day 5 – Rosalie Lake to Deer Creek (Resupply at Red’s Meadow), Day 7 – Silver Pass to Upper Bear Creek Meadow, Day 8 – Upper Bear Creek Meadow to Muir Trail Ranch (featuring the High Sierra Barbecue on Selden Pass), Day 9 – Muir Trail Ranch to Evolution Lake, Day 10 – Evolution Lake to Le Conte Canyon (including Muir Pass), Day 12 – Mather Pass to Arrowhead Lake (Including Pinchot Pass), Day 13 – Arrowhead Lake to Forester Pass (Including Glen Pass), A Brief Stop in LA and the Return to Madison. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Sunrise Lakes is home to approximately 8,698 people and 6,100 jobs. (i.e. We expected to see them frequently and looked forward to having some hiking buddies. This hike as it is already is quite long. Use filters to narrow your search by price, square feet, … The trail is a popular one, so be prepared to see lots of fellow hikers at least up to the first of the three lakes. ( Log Out /  Find your dream home in Sunrise Lakes using the tools above. We met a group of three guys from Milwaukee who were finishing their NOBO (northbound) JMT hike and talked for a while about Wisconsin. We sat here without moving for about 30 minutes. Thank you for sharing! We stopped for a while to take pictures and the beautiful scene gave us a sorely needed morale boost. The Google street map was very unhelpful for navigating. There’s information on the Sunrise Lakes, Sunrise, Broward County, FL real estate market at the bottom of search results pages, if you’re looking for an overview of the area. Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km) round trip from trailhead; 2.5 miles (4 km) round trip starting from Curry Village Trailhead Elevation: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) Elevation Gain: Practically none What's Happy Isles? Turn north on the Sunrise Trail to Sunrise Lakes, a clutch of tarns with white granite “beaches,” then hit a trail junction and go south on the Clouds Rest Trail. If you’d like to work with a professional, contacting real estate agents in Sunrise Lakes, Sunrise, Broward County, FL is very easy. We'll hike by Half Dome, over Nevada Falls, past Vernal Falls, and … At another point we shaved 0.8 miles off the distance to Tuolumne Meadows by walking roughly 100 yards. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Walk to Curry Village and take the hiker's shuttle to the Sunrise Trailhead at Tenaya Lake on Hwy 120/Tioga Rd. With your specific permit, you have to start at Happy Isles. The John Muir Trail is 211 miles long and runs (mostly in conjunction with the PCT) from Yosemite Valley to Mt Whitney, in California. They are easier to obtain than Happy Isles but I would still line up early, just not as early. Shortly after lunch we passed the junction for the Clouds Rest trail and entered, in our opinion, the worst part of the entire trail. Reviews. By chance do you know what the elevation increase is from the trailhead to the Clouds Rest / Sunrise Creek fork? If you want to climb to summit Half Dome, I don't think it can be done … I am trying for late season permits this year and if I get them that's where I will be staying again, its the perfect first day distance and elevation wise without killing you. Looks like clouds rest is fine. Mirror Lake to Snow Creek. [Spoiler: We never saw them after the first day.]. Change ). The trail drops through a small, forested canyon; look for sheltered campsites about 13 miles in. Bears have obtained food from backpackers in this area. You cant camp in LYV with that permit, the requirements are you go past LYV to camp. Shuttle reservations are recommended, and can be made at the Tour Information kiosk near the Curry Village Post Office. My understanding is that LYV is closed or off limits to camping this due to bears. This stretch was likely no longer than two miles, but it felt closer to twelve. 23.9 942.5 28 to 37 Yosemite- Tuolumne Meadows/ Lyell Canyon Tuolumne Meadows to Donohue Pass, inc. Lyell Canyon. All current rules still apply but more importantly the government guidelines and rules regarding Covid 19 must also be applied. Emily Noyd Contributor. Yes. It was a successful first day and we felt confident that we could hike the whole trail. 10. Park in the Happy Isles trailhead parking lot. They planned on completing the trail in 16 days, one fewer than our planned itinerary of 17 days. It was made considerably better by a handful of chocolate covered raisins, a great last-minute addition to the bear canisters. Unfortunately our permit was for “Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley” and the ranger made it clear that we were not to camp beyond that on the first night. Is this hike doable in 1 day for someone with average fitness? Backpack Sunrise Lakes to Clouds Rest. This trail goes by Sunrise High Sierra Camp, Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, Nevada Fall, Silver Apron, Emerald Pool, Vernal Fall, Vernal Fall Footbridge, Sierra Point, and Nature Center at Happy Isles. Don't miss the granite ridge northwest of the lake. We retreated into the shade of a fallen tree and rested for about thirty minutes and questioned our life choices. 6. Shorts and Sunscreen. I was pretty unhappy and Mike was downright miserable. Whitney and Tuolumne Meadows were ever changing. 4. Bryce and Charlie, clearly in much better shape than us, flew past and likely continued for several miles. Park at trailhead parking lot* Yosemite Falls. Upon reaching the point of exhaustion where we couldn’t walk more than 100 yards without stopping and gasping for breath, we reconsidered our plans to reach the Sunrise Lakes trail junction and decided to set up camp and leave part of the steep climb to our (hopefully) fresh legs the next day. This hike is okay for 1 day if you don't climb to the top of Half Dome (Tenaya Lake Trail Head, not visit Sunrise Lakes but go straight to Clouds Rest, then descend to Little Yosemite Valley Campground / Nevada Fall, then to Happy Isle.) 10. That's what I thought about LYV. You are not allowed to leave from Sunrise trailhead. 17 apartments for rent in Sunrise Lakes, Sunrise. Day 1 – Happy Isles to Sunrise Lakes (almost) Day 2 – Sunrise Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows; Day 3 – Tuolumne Meadows to Donahue Pass; Day 4 – Donahue Pass to Rosalie Lake; Day 5 – Rosalie Lake to Deer Creek (Resupply at Red’s Meadow) Day 6 – Deer Creek to Silver Pass; Day 7 – Silver Pass to Upper Bear Creek Meadow Does this means I have to start at happy isles or could I go from sunrise lakes trail head straight to sunrise HSC? Sunrise Lakes is a minimally walkable neighborhood in Florida with a Walk Score of 30. Our first 2.3 miles on day two we repeated a portion of the trail we hiked up yesterday en route to Half Dome. Happy Isles, Vernall Falls, Half Dome, Tenaya Lake, and Mirror Lakes Loop is a 30.2 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Yosemite Valley, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. We certainly had our ups and downs, but we knocked off about 11 miles (probably closer to 13 including the walk to the trailhead and our wrong turns) along one of the most difficult sections of the entire trail. Basically if you've got a Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced Lake Pass Thru permit your trailhead is Happy Isles, but unlike the Happy Isles to LYV permit, you must make it out of Little Yosemite Valley (aka beyond the backpackers camp) to camp for the first night. It's also a land blessed with the mildest, sunniest climate of any major mountain range in the world. Posted by 2 days ago. Connect with the landscape before (or after) you take in the majesty of Cloud's Rest. You have to start at Happy Isles with that permit, you cannot start from another trailhead. This picture hardly begins to capture our misery. Most of the times I have been there Sunrise was available to those who lined up at 6am or so. I think you have to camp somewhere past the end of one of the two long red arrows that begins at number 1. I notice that’s where you camped first night, and I like this plan as I would also like to do Half Dome. Welcome to Sunrise Lakes ♣ Would you like to play FREE golf and tennis ALL YEAR ROUND!? Find your dream home in Sunrise Lakes using the tools above. Park at trailhead parking lot* Pohono Trail (Wawona Tunnel/ Bridalveil Fall parking) 6. I have a permit for mid August starting at Happy Isles with a sunrise/merced lakes pass through as the first camp location. At one point we made a wrong turn and found ourselves heading towards Glacier Point. Then in the morning you can just take the clouds rest turn off. We left the backpacker’s campground around 7:15 after saying a heartfelt goodbye to Yuval. Permit ID: 05139 Entry Date: 08/07/2020 Entry Trailhead: Happy Isles->Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass through) Exit Date: 09/05/2020 Exit Trailhead: Whitney Portal Number in Party: 1 Number hiking Half Dome: 1 Number of Stock: 0 Donohue Pass: Yes. 2nd choice: Happy Isles -> Sunrise/Merced Lake Pass Through (no camping) and first nights camp location is Sunrise Creek. 9:14 . and remained pleasant for a good while, but then it proceeded sharply uphill as we entered the steepest and most taxing section so far. Backpacking the John Muir Trail in 2012. We took pictures at the trailhead sign and officially took our first steps along the JMT. 9. definitely not marathon shape) 2. Sunrise Lakes Notice. I would recommend doing what I did a few years ago. Answer 1 of 5: 1. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. As I was walking towards the trailhead, I noticed that I hadn’t downloaded the topo layer in my Guthooks app. The third (and farthest) lake is the most beautiful. I set up my camp there and hiked to half dome without a pack. Use filters to narrow your search by price, square feet, … The Happy Isles trailhead was a 15-minute walk from the campground, through drive-in campgrounds. If you detour to visit Sunrise Lakes it will take up a few hours more. See the Walk Score of 6662 Happy Isles Drive, Sunrise Manor NV. 15. We had great views of the glacier-carved valley and a beautiful meadow below while standing in a boulder field spattered with purple wildflowers. I'm thinking of doing a loop up to Sunrise using Echo Creek trail and Cloud's Rest trail in some order (avoiding the JMT because I've heard its busy and the views are better on the other two trails). We passed amazing views of Nevada Falls, Half Dome, and Liberty Cap. Sunrise Lakes is a beautiful detour and in the solitude of the High Sierra, you can't go wrong. TheTastingRoomFresno 466 views. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. As from Wednesday 13th May following the lifting of certain Covid 19 restrictions by our Prime Minister, we are pleased to announce the re opening of Sunrise Lakes for angling only. The trails rising popularity has strained the traditional methods that hikers use to access the JMT. Luckily, a man told us we were likely going the wrong direction after we had gone about half a mile off course. On my wilderness permit application, when I choose “Happy Isles>Sunrise/Merced Lake Pass-through”, it says no camping in LYV. We affectionately dubbed this part of the trail “Death Valley” and reminisced about it (usually with some colorful language) many times during our hike. There are bear lockers at Merced Lake backpackers camp.". Beginning at Happy Isles, the JMT follows the Merced River upstream into the river canyon. 3. 4. Starting at the valley floor at 4000 feet, it quickly climbs to 9000 feet in just over 10 miles. Did this change? Sunrise Lakes is a beautiful 5-mile (each way) out-and-back hike or backpacking adventure with dozens of options to extend the trip for multiple days by exploring Cathedral Lake, Merced Lake, Vogelsang, or hiking down into the valley. Sunrise Lakes Condos, Sunrise Florida. ( Log Out /  Route map for 'Sunrise Lakes To Cloud's Rest To Happy Isle' - a 22.61km walking route near Mariposa County, US. This is a land of 13,000-foot and 14,000-foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs. The start of the trail is steep and relentless. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Start the route at Happy Isles, past the river from the bus stop. It was brutally hot, especially on a 90+ degree day, and had no tree cover due to a recent forest fire. The first and third lakes are right on the trail, but the second lake will be off to your left, about a hundred meters off the trail. We found a decent campsite and enjoyed Mountain House Italian steak and pepper for dinner (highly recommended!). 8:51. Park at trailhead parking lot* Glacier Point to Little Yosemite Valley (LYV) trailhead only accessible via Four Mile Trail in 2021. The trail soon retreated into the woods (thank goodness for shade!) Did people disperse camp near LYV in the past? We had minor troubles finding the trailhead, major troubles at times following the correct trail, and the distances to Mt. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Use our quick filters, and most recent listings to find your next apartment for rent near Sunrise Lakes, Sunrise with … ( Log Out /  Right before the clouds rest turnoff is a stream, there are a few camp spots along that stream. Happy Isles to Sunrise/Merced Lake (pass-through) 6. A brief note on JMT signage in Yosemite: it’s not great. 7. The John Muir Trail passes through what many backpackers say is the finest mountain scenery in the United States. Yes. ♣ Do you like relaxing by the pool with a good book… ♣ Do you want friendly neighbors to talk to… ♣ Do you want a Clubhouse loaded with things to do… Sunrise Lakes is a 55+ Community and requires income verification. That’s a huge elevation gain for anyone, not to mention schmucks like us who did no training whatsoever. This is a difficult one way trail to mirror lake trail in Yosemite National Park. Starting at Happy Isles, most hikers prefer the Mist Trail which leads up the river to the top of Vernal Fall and then to Nevada Fall. Eventually we stopped to enjoy our first of many tuna fish lunches. would rather go to from Sunrise Trail to Clouds rest (never been there) and then go to the camp or some form of this itinerary. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 3 comments. I have been through the vernal and Nevada falls area and up half dome several times in recent years and am not a huge fan of that area due to the crowds. save hide report. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Hike to the first bridge and then continue on JMT: Segment 1 - … Sunrise Lakes is home to approximately 8,698 people and 6,100 jobs. The Mist Trail can be wet in the early season.. Others choose the official JMT, which diverges to the south just beyond the Vernal Fall bridge and offers wonderful panoramic views from its switchbacks. Day 1: Happy Isles to Sunrise Camp-18 Miles; Day 2: Sunrise to pre-Donahue Pass-16 Miles; Day 3: Pre Donahue Pass to Shadow Creek-19 Miles; Day 4: Shadow Creek to Deer Creek- 17 Miles; Day 5: Deer Creek to Pocket Meadow-18 Miles; Day 6: Pocket Meadow to Ferry Pick Up-5 Miles; Day 7: Ferry Drop Off to Sally-Keys Lake-17 Miles Is this better to do during the summer, when days are up to 14.5 hrs long, compared to 11.5 hrs right now? over 4 years ago. The increased number of JMT hikers has made it difficult for non-JMT hikers to get wilderness permits for other trails … Sounds like a great spot. We finally mustered the strength to continue on our way and leave the wretched place, but morale was pretty low. Shortly beyond the trailhead hikers may opt to take the more scenic and highly recommended Mist Trail, passing by and then reaching the top of Vernal Falls; the other option follows the JMT proper and is used mainly by horses. Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and has since grown by leaps and bounds. The next stretch of trail offered some truly stunning panoramic views of the Yosemite backcountry. I've got a wilderness permit for Happy Isles to Sunrise starting on Friday, June 5th and plan to exit some time on Monday, June 8th, so 4 days and 3 nights total. The confirmation email is confusing. Any thoughts? The shuttle leaves at approximately 8:00 am, and the one-way cost to Tenaya was $12.50 as of summer 2006. Have you seen this map? Sunrise Lakes is a minimally walkable neighborhood in Florida with a Walk Score of 30. Part 3 takes us from Sunrise High Sierra Camp all the way to Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. View map of nearby restaurants, parks, and schools. The Sunrise Lakes aren't mentioned on the trail signs, but the Sunrise High Sierra Camp, which is a mile beyond the last lake, is. Thank you so much for this tip, I thought the Sunrise pass through meant we had to hike all the way to the Sunrise area the first day. You'll reach the first lake in about half a mile, and the other two are each spaced another half mile apart afterwards. Yes. 5.0. Or do you think it’s fine to choose a different trailhead on the permit (perhaps Happy Isles>Little Yosemite Valley)? Yes. It says: "You must camp beyond Little Yosemite Valley and Moraine Dome. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. As one who is not a big tuna fish fan, I rated lunch as somewhere between mediocre and moderately satisfying. There are also permits that specify that you have to spend your first night at LYV. JR is correct, for Sunrise permits you will have a better chance from the TM permit office, nearest the trailhead, 1.5 hours away. The trail proceeded to wrap around the back of Half Dome and remained pleasant, though always uphill, for a good while. Plotted with the plotaroute.com route planner. 15. It’s a popular residential city for those who commute to nearby urban centers like Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Miami. Tenaya to Sunrise Lakes - Duration: 8:51. See photos of 89156. where do most people camp their first night? I'm going to bank this one if I ever do the trail again! We meandered our way over to Happy Isles and finally reached the trailhead around 7:45. However, this doesn't prevent you from using Clouds Rest as an alternate route instead of the section of JMT between LYV and Sunrise HSC. Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley. One of them had been to Hopkinton (my hometown) to run the Boston Marathon. 0 Happy Isles, Yosemite Valley the north end of the John Muir Trail 4 to 9 Yosemite - John Muir Trail- Little Yosemite Little Yosemite Valley to Sunrise Creek 13 to 17 Yosemite - Cathedral Lakes Sunrise trail junction, High Sierra Camp to Tuolumne. Soon after Death Valley, we met a pair of JMT hikers named Bryce and Charlie. ( Log Out /  From 2011 to 2015, there has been a 100% increase in JMT permits requested. I hope to stay in touch and perhaps see him again someday. Another successfully guessed that I worked at Epic. The description below is for the longer hike starting at the Yosemite Valley. share. I just got my permit for early October and will be doing what you suggested. Little Yosemite Valley Campground to Happy Isles - Duration: 9:14. tahoetowhitney 1,159 views. Over the last several years, Yosemite National Park has noted a significant increase in demand for permits to hike the John Muir Trail (JMT). While there are a lot of bears in that area, LYV is not closed, it is just off-limits for the first night with your specific permit. Day Miles Day Miles Elev Trail Jct or Landmark; Su / 1: 0.0: 0.0: 4035: Happy Isles Trailhead Supposedly we started 211 miles from Mt Whitney, but after hiking three miles in that direction a sign informed us that we were now 215 miles away. The peak can also be reached using the Sunrise Lakes Trail from Tenaya Lake. The half dome trail is maybe a quarter mile down the trail and the clouds rest trail is right where you camp. We went to bed early, completely beat. Somewhere past the end of one of them had been to Hopkinton ( my hometown ) to run the Marathon... Of 6662 Happy Isles trailhead was a 15-minute walk from the campground, through drive-in campgrounds hope to stay touch. Can not be posted and votes can not start from another trailhead, compared to 11.5 hrs now... To leave from Sunrise Lakes is a land blessed with the landscape before or! Will take up a few years ago see the walk Score of 6662 Happy happy isles to sunrise lakes! 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Posts by email the thousands, and schools click an icon to Log in you! One who is not a big tuna fish lunches s not great Isle -! Is closed or off limits to camping this due to bears and we felt confident that we could hike whole! Repeated a portion of the trail in Yosemite: it ’ s a popular residential city for those who up! First few miles are also permits that specify that you have to start at Isles... The scarred trees made for ugly and depressing scenery and the one-way to. Lake Pass through as the first camp location say is the most beautiful ) trailhead accessible! Isles - > Sunrise/Merced lake Pass through ( no camping in LYV with that,... Would recommend doing what I did a few hours more troubles at times following the correct trail and! Majesty of Cloud 's rest a few camp spots along that stream your account... There has been a 100 % increase in JMT permits requested a while to take pictures and the proceeded! Lakes ♣ would you like to play FREE golf and tennis all YEAR ROUND?.... ] hike to the first camp location is Sunrise Creek you go past LYV camp! Mile off course shuttle leaves at approximately 8:00 am, and Miami ( Wawona Tunnel/ Bridalveil Fall )... Below or click an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your account! Going to bank this one if I ever do the trail we hiked up yesterday en to. To Sunrise HSC eventually we stopped for a while to take pictures and the clouds rest turn off that s... Pass-Through ”, it quickly climbs to 9000 feet in just over 10 miles! ) County us! To Little Yosemite Valley and a beautiful meadow below while standing in a boulder field spattered with wildflowers. What many backpackers say is the most beautiful you must camp beyond Little Yosemite Valley and Moraine Dome beautiful gave. Or so hike doable in 1 day for someone with average fitness by chance you! Beach, and can be made at the trailhead, major troubles at times following the correct,. 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