Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Yosemite Passes Advice

The Yosemite back country is a very unexplored place for me so I am planning among other things a lengthy trek around it, but at the moment I am not sure when to start this hike due to snow levels, of course all years vary and this one is shaping up to be a ton of snow but I was wondering if anyone on here has any experience crossing Red Peak, Fernandez and Isberg Passes, i've never been any where near them so I don't know what to expect, i'm hoping to begin my hike by at least early July yet it seems like a shame to cross a beautiful pass like Red Peak and not be able to enjoy all the red rock buried under snow.

Been over all of them. July is early in a big snow year.

Sounds like I may have to do some post holing, the problem is I plan to loop around northern Yosemite through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne which is best as early as possible other wise the cascades such as water wheel falls isn't a water wheel at all lol.

But then go straight from that into the southern loop, guess can't get the best of everything.

You won't be post holing in July. Summer snow is always consolidated. Maybe icy in the mornings, but no post holing.

Yeah makes it a bit more tricky, on the JMT allot of people would tell me to get over the passes early morning, why? for super hard packed snow that you cannot get foot holds into and is more dangerous?, now if I had crampons that would have been fine.

Mather Pass was very dangerous early morning.

I'm just going to have to keep an eye on snow levels and not plan when to leave until almost July, there is a week long trail project out of Reds Meadow the first week of July, I was hoping to attend that then just go straight to Yosemite from there and begin my hike, it would be day 8 that I would begin Red Peak Pass so maybe by then it wont be so bad.

I'll just have to look over the net to find people with reports of early season crossings.