Thanks for that great suggestion, Devra.

Hi Shannon,

Short answer: yes. Those passes top 10,000 feet and there’s likely to be snow above 8,000 feet, on much of the terrain north of Tuolumne Meadows and in Tuolumne. Mid-June is still “late winter” in Yosemite (and the entire High Sierra above around 8,000 feet). While summer ’21 saw snow melt out so early that backpackers could easily hike in June (although mostly at middle elevations, there was probably still snow at 10,000 feet), that’s rare.

The peak backpacking season in Yosemite’s high country begins when most of the snow has melted off higher-elevation trails—usually by mid-July (earlier at lower elevations)—and usually extends through September and not infrequently into October. Although an early-season snowstorm can hit in September or October, those are relatively rare.

I suggest you look at later dates, unless you’re prepared to hike in a lot of snow. Good luck.

Hey Slade,

Thanks for a good chuckle. I’m happy to offer these counseling services. Consider it a benefit of your Annual subscription to The Big Outside.

Of course, the best therapy is just getting out there!

Take care.

I cannot tell you how much relief I feel right now after reading about the Yosimete trips in this article. At least now I finally have a name for my incurable disease…WOCD (Wilderness Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.) Now I have a way to explain my “condition” to my wife and family members that just can’t seem to understand why I am the way I am. I’ll never again have to hear my wife ask me “why do you have to plan constantly and why do you have all these lists of trip ideas? Why can’t you just go with the flow and get to whatever trip you get to?”😳🙉

Thanks buddy for giving me a way to respond ha!

Happy birthday!

Slade

Hi Thuc, Thanks very much for the kind words (and I hope you subscribe; see box above, at the bottom of the story). And good on you for making the effort to travel to Yosemite. You will be able to return there many times and that park will continue to amaze and inspire you, as it does me. Keep in touch.

This post brought back so many good Yosemite memories for me. Only visited the Park for the first time in July and already can’t wait to come back. You are so lucky to be so close to it! I estimate that I am probably about at least 20 hours from it, from Sydney!

What you wrote about the vicious cycle and the irrepressible desire for adventures really resonates with me. I definitely obsess over my own outdoors dreams until it gets too much and I just have to drop everything and book it in.

I loved the Yosemite wilderness. The Valley is beautiful but the crowds definitely turn me off a little. I did Clouds Rest in July and Mount Hoffman was second on the list – will have to do it next time. There was also a moment on our hike where we ran out of water and I had the same “WHY?!” thoughts running through my head!

Love reading your stuff and thought you should know 🙂