Weather: Forecast was for the nineties but it was partly cloudy in the low seventies.
Trail Head: It's officially O'Shaughnessy Dam, but I marked it from where we parked. We parked in the lot before the dam. The one with the picnic tables and pit toilets.
Trail head elevation: 3728 ft.
This was an alternate hike to the Rancheria Falls hike because of this:** Massive rock slide just beyond Wapama Falls has cut off access to Rancheria Falls until late summer. **
The alternate route included a hike up the canyon wall toward Beehive Meadows. Those who went the full 13 miles RT turned-around at the highest point on the ridge, returned to the reservoir and went out to Wapama Falls and back, creating a Y shape.
There were three difficulty ratings and route choices.
Easy: 5.5-mile out and back to Wapama Falls with 200 ft elevation change.
Moderate: 9-mile out and back, up the trail toward Beehive Meadows, turn-around at 3 miles, then out and back to Wapama Falls with a 1483 elevation change.
Strenuous: 13-mile out and back, up the trail toward Beehive Meadows, turn-around at 5 miles, then out and back to Wapama Falls with a 2456 elevation change.
Transportation: We carpooled and caravanned from Burger King in Oakdale.
Fauna: The reptiles were Gopher Snakes and Whiptails. Steve saw a rattlesnake and juvenile Gilbert's or Western Skink with a blue tail. Nick photographed a California Sister butterfly on Debbie's truck.
Dinner: Pot luck at the trail head.
Participants: We partnered with Jaunt on this one. They had quite a few participants but I'm only listing I/H members here. (16) Debbie, Lauren & Johnny Schickert, Barb Hayes, Kristin Swanke, Steven Fotheringham, Jeanette Farley, Stefanie Rochow, Michael Booth, Ken Keith, Nicole Cipriano (with son, Austin), Andria Hernandez, Doug Meredith, Nick, Eric & Becky Teberg.
Comments: I was dreading potential hot weather because of NOAA's misforecast, but it turned out fine. Irony: even though the Thursday before the hike i was told the Rancheria Trail would be closed until late summer, it opened the night before the hike but I didn't know. We walked through last years Rim Fire burn.
Trip Notes - Wapama Falls to Beehive Meadow Trail
Organized By: Becky L. Teberg
Photo: Reservoir from Beehive Trail.
Photo Album: #125.
Weather: Forecast was for the nineties but it was partly cloudy in the low seventies.
Trail Head: It's officially O'Shaughnessy Dam, but I marked it from where we parked. We parked in the lot before the dam. The one with the picnic tables and pit toilets.
Trail head elevation: 3728 ft.
This was an alternate hike to the Rancheria Falls hike because of this:** Massive rock slide just beyond Wapama Falls has cut off access to Rancheria Falls until late summer. **
The alternate route included a hike up the canyon wall toward Beehive Meadows. Those who went the full 13 miles RT turned-around at the highest point on the ridge, returned to the reservoir and went out to Wapama Falls and back, creating a Y shape.
There were three difficulty ratings and route choices.
Easy: 5.5-mile out and back to Wapama Falls with 200 ft elevation change.
Moderate: 9-mile out and back, up the trail toward Beehive Meadows, turn-around at 3 miles, then out and back to Wapama Falls with a 1483 elevation change.
Strenuous: 13-mile out and back, up the trail toward Beehive Meadows, turn-around at 5 miles, then out and back to Wapama Falls with a 2456 elevation change.
Transportation: We carpooled and caravanned from Burger King in Oakdale.
Flora: Keckiella Breviflora, Elegant Clarkia, Butterfly Mariposa Lily, Brewer's Monkeyflower, Live-Forever.
Fauna: The reptiles were Gopher Snakes and Whiptails. Steve saw a rattlesnake and juvenile Gilbert's or Western Skink with a blue tail. Nick photographed a California Sister butterfly on Debbie's truck.
Dinner: Pot luck at the trail head.
Participants: We partnered with Jaunt on this one. They had quite a few participants but I'm only listing I/H members here. (16) Debbie, Lauren & Johnny Schickert, Barb Hayes, Kristin Swanke, Steven Fotheringham, Jeanette Farley, Stefanie Rochow, Michael Booth, Ken Keith, Nicole Cipriano (with son, Austin), Andria Hernandez, Doug Meredith, Nick, Eric & Becky Teberg.
Comments: I was dreading potential hot weather because of NOAA's misforecast, but it turned out fine. Irony: even though the Thursday before the hike i was told the Rancheria Trail would be closed until late summer, it opened the night before the hike but I didn't know. We walked through last years Rim Fire burn.
Time: May 24, 2014 from 10am to 7pm
Location: O'Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Yosemite
Street: Evergreen Road off Hwy 120
City/Town: Camp Mather
Website or Map: http://www.yosemitehikes.com/hetch-hetchy/hetch-hetchy.htm
Phone: 209-649-6682
Event Type: day, hike