Exploring the Backcountry

Of the more than three million people who visit Yosemite each year, 95% never leave the valley, but the brave 5% who do so are well rewarded. A wild, lonelier Yosemite awaits just a few miles from the crowds, where you'll find some of the most grandiose landscape in the Sierra. Most hikers, especially serious backpackers, head into the high country -- a backpacking paradise. Tioga Pass via CA 120 is the gateway to the high country. Once through the pass, the high country presents meadows of wildflowers, stark granite domes, and shimmering rivers and lakes.

Most backpackers set out on their own, as we discuss below, but guided backpacking trips (including overnight trips) are also available with the respected Yosemite Mountaineering School (tel. 209/372-8344; www.yosemitemountaineering.com). Techniques and skills are taught along the way, and the student-to-instructor ratio usually does not exceed 7 to 1. Meals are included on longer trips. Private trips are available, as is transportation to and from the trail heads. Gear is available for rent.

A car is much more vital in Yosemite's high country than it is in the valley. There is a once-a-day shuttle from the valley to Tuolumne Meadows. The bus leaves the valley at 8am and will let you off anywhere along the route. The driver waits in Tuolumne Meadows for 2 hours before heading back to the valley, where the bus arrives at about 4pm. The fare is about $15 one-way, slightly less for those who hop off midway. In addition, the park offers a summer-only shuttle bus from Olmstead Point to Tioga Pass, with stops at the lodge, campground, and visitor center.

Tuolumne Meadows is a wide, grassy expanse bordered by the Tuolumne River and tall mountains. Several peaks rise high overhead and offer challenging hiking and rock climbing. In spring and midsummer, the meadow fills with wildflowers and turns an emerald green. Fishing in the river is popular, and a number of hikes begin in the meadows. There is a general store that stocks last-minute hiking supplies, a slew of canvas tent-cabins (often all full in summer), and a restaurant.

In addition to Tuolumne Meadows, Tenaya Lake, set in a bowl of granite surrounded by sheer slopes, is a beautiful destination spot en route to the high country. Tenaya Lake offers canoeing, hiking, fishing, and sailing. It's also open to swimming for those who don't mind dunking in the chilly water -- it generally remains frigid until late summer. There's ample parking and a picnic area, and many hikes lead from here to the high country. White Wolf is midway between the valley and Tuolumne Meadows (west of Tenaya Lake). It encompasses a campground, canvas tent-cabins, a small store, and a restaurant. The scenery here is less dramatic, but it serves as a starting point for many hikers going into the Hetch Hetchy area. This region is accessible only by snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the winter.

Like any backcountry experience, staying in the high country -- or anyplace outside the valley -- requires advance planning and, if you're a beginner, a reasonable itinerary. Planning a 5-day excursion your first time out wouldn't be wise. But an overnighter, or 2 nights out, is reasonable, and Yosemite has hikes that can accommodate and reward those who venture -- even briefly -- off the well-paved path.

In addition, the park has five High Sierra Camps that provide food and shelter, allowing hikers to shun heavy backpacking gear with the knowledge that someone a few miles ahead has everything under control. All camps fill quickly and advance reservations are necessary. The camps -- May Lake, Glen Aulin, Vogelsang, Sunrise, Merced Lake, and Tuolumne -- are situated about a day's walk apart, and each is a sort of rustic resort. Tent-cabins are furnished with steel bunk beds, wood stoves, and a folding table and chairs. Beds include a mattress, three blankets, a comforter, and a pillow. Soap and candles are also provided. Most tents sleep four, but some accommodate only two people. This means you'll often be sharing your tent with strangers, but the camps tend to attract people who rank high on the camaraderie scale, so that's not usually a problem. Breakfast and dinner are served family style in a dining tent. The food is excellent and portions are generous. One dinner meal included pasta, filet mignon, soup and salad, eggplant Parmesan, and cookies. Breakfast is substantial as well. Box lunches are available for an additional charge. All you need to bring is day-hike stuff (including plenty of water or a purifier), plus a flashlight, personal toiletries, something to sleep in, a change of underclothes, and bed linen. In spring, trekking poles are also handy for crossing streams.

Each camp accommodates 30 to 60 guests; demand exceeds supply, so accommodations are assigned by a lottery. Requests are accepted in fall and assigned in winter to the lucky few. Cancellations are frequent, however, so it's worth a last-minute call to see if space is available at any of the camps. The camps offer a meals-only option (about $38 per adult, reservations required) if you want to bring your own tent and eat at the camp. For information or to request an application for High Sierra Camp accommodations, call tel. 559/253-5674 or visit www.yosemitepark.com. Applications are accepted from November 1 to November 30. The lottery drawing is held in mid-December, and guests are notified by the end of February. Camps are open from mid-June to around Labor Day, conditions permitting. Overnights at the camps cost $145 to $149 per adult and $90 to $94 per child for meals (breakfast and dinner, while sack lunches are available for a fee) and lodging; there are also packages for multiday saddle trips and guided hikes.