Backpacking in Yosemite - Five Days Through the Clark Range

July 15-19, 2010

backpacking in yosemite Challenge yourself on this backpacking trip through the Clark Range in Yosemite! This is the longest domestic backpacking trip we offer, and it covers amazing ground in the Yosemite High Country. Take a few days off of work and enjoy the peace and beauty of the wilderness.

This is one of our more challenging backpacking trips. If you've ever hiked up to Half Dome and thought about visiting the beautiful peaks visible to the south or if you've hiked up to Little Yosemite Valley and wondered what lies farther up the river, this is the trip for you. This backpacking trip takes you away from the crowds and puts you in the middle of the mountains.

The Trip:

Our trip will start (and finish) at Glacier Point. Along the way we'll cross the Clark Range, drop down to Merced Lake, and follow the Merced River to Little Yosemite Valley before finishing our loop back at Glacier Point. Along the way we'll cover 47 miles and head over the Red Peak Pass at 11,000 feet. It's a beautiful trip that will take us to some amazing parts of Yosemite that many people just don't make the effort to visit. You'll love it!

We'll be covering approximately 8-10 miles per day, and gaining a fair amount of elevation along the way, including crossing Red Peak Pass. The key to covering the distances required is to trim weight from your pack and take full advantage of the daylight. We can help you lighten your load as you prepare for this amazing adventure.

backpacking in yosemite During the trip, the Outdoor Adventure Club guides will be keeping an eye on things and making the backcountry meals we've become famous for. The experienced leadership of the OAC guides will keep everyone confident as we trek off into the wild and scenic Yosemite backcountry.

This trip is a perfect opportunity to break away from traditional backpacking and get into fast and light packing. The farther you carry a backpack, the more your body will appreciate it being light. If you have questions about fast and light backpacking give us a call or email us. We'd be happy to share our knowledge and experience with you to make this trip a memorable and pleasurable one.

Level of experience: This trip is a serious undertaking. It involves being in the woods for 5 days, hiking over 45 miles, spending time at elevations up to 11,000 feet. It is not for the inexperienced. However, fit, determined, advancing beginner backpackers are welcome with pre-approval. This is not the trip to break in your new boots. You should have multi-day backpacking experience. Your experience should involve trips with distances of at least 10 miles per day.

Gear:
A complete gear list will be sent to you with the trip details, but you should be prepared with personal gear for a backpacking trip. This includes a backpack, tent, sleeping bag, pad, clothes, appropriate shoes, a bowl, cup, spoon, and fork.

Our head guide, Richard, is an expert in lightweight backpacking and can help you put together a lightweight system for this trip. You can email Richard for more information and advice, at richard@OutdoorAdventureClub.com. We’ll provide all the group gear, including stoves, water filters, kitchen gear, food, and bear resistant containers.

Where is this trip?

Here's a Google Map to the general area:

View Larger Map

Specific driving directions for the trip will come with your confirmed reservation.

Includes:

Professional guides, certified as Wilderness First Responders
All meals from Thursday dinner through Monday lunch
Maps of the trail
All necessary permits
Group kitchen gear- stoves, water filters, pots, etc.
Camping arrangements the night before the trip starts
A carpool list so you can arrange rides to the trip

The Outdoor Adventure Club has a supply of backpacking gear available for rent. For a list of available items and pricing, please visit our rental page. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to rent gear so we can reserve it for you.

Pricing:

OAC Member: $430 - new lower price for members!

Non-member: $525

Sounds fun- Sign me up!!

Trip Cancellation Policy

The Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) operates with permission and special use permits from Yosemite National Park, amongst others, and is a fully insured and professionally operated guide service.