Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports Stomping Around in Merced Grove, Yosemite

One of the fringe benefits of SuperBowl Weekend is that if a person is a not into football, the world is an empty playground one weekend a year (no matter the weather conditions) This was true of Yosemite this last SB: approximately 5 cars to bee seen for the whole duration on highway 120 within the park.

A quick & easy descent on snowshoes and one arrives at the Merced Grove, a neat cluster of Giant Sequoias tucked away in small grove (just a short turn off Hwy 120)Starting out with Microspikes ended with a quick switch to snowshoes after the previous hikers postholes made it impossible to continue with spikes, (the trip remained enjoyable nonetheless). The trees are stunning, and the dappled light provided by the broken sky emphasized the deep contours of the roughened red bark. Mild temperatures in the low 50's rounded out a perfect day in a perfect place.

As an afterthought, I would place Merced Grove high on the list of places to take young children when introducing them to the delights of hiking.

Great picture! Sounds like a wonderful day.

What a blast, Beeeee!! The Merced Grove is one of my fave stops on the way to The Valley, esp in fall when I'm meeting my parents. My first stop was in '11: made it to Olmsted Point to see sunrise, then caught the early morning light (and no people!) through the grove.

Great stuff!!

-L

PS: Hoping to see the other end of Tioga next weekend... :grin:

This is my first year of really using snowshoes (I gifted myself witha a new set of downhill poles, but I am finding that they work great for SS,too) , and I am finding that I really enjoy going places that most people give up on (due to postholing) I love the big trees, so in the following weeks, I am going to go check out the other two groves, also: Tuolumne & Mariposa.

I am getting out more this winter than the past; it's a whole different experience.

Keep those hands warm - and avoid streams . . .

I almost took a picture of my hands (just before I put the gloves back on) beecause they had taken on a strange blue-ish cast. I can only tolerate down to 50F without gloves.

Would it help if you used the little chemical handwarmer packets? With those sensitive hands, I think I'd buy them in bulk.

Sounds like Reynaud's. I know several people who have it, and use the chemical packs that Steve mentions. I use the foot warmer version - they're thinner and have an adhesive side - when I'm hiking in very cold temps. I put them on top of my toes.

I think that once you have experienced frost bite, or near frost bite, as I understand Bee has, you are more sensitive and vulnerable in the future.

I am experimenting with 3-fingered gloves from Outdoor Research. I am hoping that they properly strike for me that needed balance between warmth and dexterity.

Akichow, you are correct: I had a good dose of frostbite, and it has been an uphill battle of circulation problems/loss of sensation since then. I could not emphasize more how important it is to not ignore the hands when they even begin to get cold. I do carry the chemical heaters, always, as a backup to drop in my gloves (not familiar with the design meant for the feet, though)


I will bee really curious to see what Richard P has to say about the long-term effects of his recent frostbite experience, so that I can compare.