Half Dome Backpack
August 27, 2019 - August 31, 2019
8:00am - 6:00pm
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the first wilderness parks and most popular in the United States. Yosemite is best known for its waterfalls, but within it’s nearly 1,200 square miles you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more. While there we will be backpacking through the park starting at the Cathedral Lakes Trailhead in Tuolumne Meadows we will visit Upper and Lower Cathedral Lakes before making our way to Sunrise camp for our first night in the wilderness. The next day we make our way along the Clouds rest Trail for arguably the best views in the park. We will spend the night near the summit. On day 4 we attempt to summit the iconic Half Dome! Our last night will be spent at Little Yosemite Valley reminiscing on the past few days. Our final day we will take the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Fall on our way to the Valley Floor. As we head out of the park we will make a couple stops for some final Yosemite Views before returning to CSUSB.
Trip Cost
SRWC Member: $160
Faculty, Staff, Non Enrolled CSUSB Student, and Alumni Association: $190
Affiliate: $250
Sponsored Guest: $320
Pre-Trip Meeting / Sign Up Deadline
August 21, 2019 @ 6pm
Activity Level
4 - Epic
Trip Departs From
CSUSB Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Itinerary
Day 1: Let’s get ready for an adventure of a lifetime! We will meet at the SRWC at 8:00am, gather our gear and begin the drive (about 6.5-hour drive). Along the way, we will stop for lunch (not included), gas and restroom breaks. We will arrive at our Tuolumne Campground to set up camp and eat some dinner. At night we will make some final preperations for our backpack trek the next day.
Day 2: One of our trip leaders will depart early (530am) to drop off our van at our trail's end. They will join up withthe group after breakfast around 1030am. We will then begin backpacking through the park starting from Cathedral Lakes Trailhead 8 miles to Sunrise Lakes. Here we will set up camp, make dinner and prepare for more backpacking tomorrow.
Day 3: We will wake up to have a yummy morning breakfast. Once done we will pack up camp and hike 4 miles to Clouds Rest Trail.
Day 4: We will start our day early, pack up camp and begin our 9-mile day and attempt to summit the iconic Half Dome! We will spend our last night at Little Yosemite Valley. At camp, we will enjoy dinner and stargazing.
Day 5: On our last day, we will wake up for some breakfast, pack up camp, and take the Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Fall on our way to the Valley Floor. As we head out of the park we will make a couple stops for some final Yosemite Views before returning to CSUSB. . Along our way home, we will see waterfalls and the classic tunnel view of Yosemite Valley. We will also stop for dinner along the way home (not provided) and arrive back to the SRWC around 10:00pm.
Weather
Food
12 meals are included, starting with dinner on day 1 (4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners)
2 meal are not included (1 lunch and 1 dinner). Bring money.
Hygiene and Comfort
We will be carrying our all our food, shelter, clothing, water and equipment in a pack weighting over 40lbs. We will be staying in a reserved campsites on the first night with flush toilets, drinking water, and there are NO showers. The next 3 nights will be spend in the wilderness. We will treat water from a nearby springs or lakes. We will use backcountry vault toilets or practice Leave No Trace methods to dispose of human waste. You will have the option to share a tent with one or two people or sleep out under the cover of the stars. Light weight tents, warm synthetic sleeping bags, foam pads and ground tarps will be provided to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. The ground consists of soft and hard soil.
Risk / Hazards / Safety
Cancelation Policy
How to Register