Yosemite Backpacking Trips

Backpacking - Mt. Conness - Itinerary

  • About the Trip: Mt. Conness, which sits along the north eastern borderYosemite is considered by many one of the best kept secrets of the Sierra. This trip is for those who want to have a classic high sierra backpack experience with beautiful hiking, a challenging 3rd class alpine peak ascent, and want to do it in "long weekend" format.
  • Accommodations: All nights will be spent in backpacking tents.
  • Group Size: 3-12 participants with 1-2 guides.
  • Grade: Strenuous. ( Moderate if you opt out of the peak ascent). The hiking is moderate, but the peak ascent has some exposure and isn't recommended for the "faint of heart.
  • Equipment: SYMG can supply all needed personal and group camping equipment (backpacks, sleeping bags, ground pads, tents) if requested on the registration form. There is no additional cost for this service. You may print from our web page a detailed gear list , directions, and this itinerary.
  • Cost of the Trip: $715 per person.
  • Your Cost Includes: Meals provided, Tuolumne meadows campground on night 1, camping gear, permits, and guide(s).
  • Not Included: Personal gear, meals noted above, alcoholic beverages, tips for guides (10-20% of trip fee), transportation. Optional trip cancellation insurance.
  • Meals: Meals begin with lunch the second day and are provided through breakfast and trail snacks the last day. Our "Back country Gourmet" meals have been acclaimed in Sunset Magazine.
  • Preparation: We recommend increasing your exercise routine in the month prior to the trip to increase your cardiovascular/aerobic ability. Hiking, with a backpack, preferably on hills and off pavement is excellent practice.
  • Day 1: Meet at the Tuolumne Campground(8580') 5pm for orientation, back country protocol, gear check etc. This night is essential for acclimatization. Dinner on your own at the Tuolumne grill.
  • Day 2: After a campground breakfast, we drive a few minutes to the nearby trailhead. The trail is moderately steep for the first 1 1/2 miles and then is easy/moderate, rolling terrain to the Middle Conness Lake. The trail starts out in forest with occasional open areas offering views of domes, meadows and glacial tarns. After a few miles the trail crosses Delaney Creek at a beautiful meadow with views of MT Dana and Gibbs and the Sierra crest. After crossing the meadow the trail goes back into the forest for two miles before entering the meadow of Dingley Creek. Lunch is made along the creek and there are spectacular views of the domes of the Tuolumne area as well as the peaks and glaciers of the High Sierra from Cathedral Peak past MT Lyell to the Ritter Range. After lunch continue to the Young Lake Basin, past Lower and Middle Young Lakes to the beautiful campsites of Upper Young Lake (10,200'). 7 miles, 1,700 feet elevation gain.
  • Day 3: Easy morning, leaving camp by 10 AM. Take the easy cross country route to Roosevelt Lake arriving in time for lunch. After lunch there are optional short hikes in the area. Back to camp in time to rest, swim, fish and relax. 4-5 miles, easy/moderate acclimatization day.
  • Day 4:Leave camp by 8 AM. The hike to Conness is short but is cross country and quite strenuous in sections. Also, much of it is above 12,000 feet. The summit ridge is exhilarating and the views from the 12,590 foot summit seem endless, extending from central Nevada to most of Yosemite and the Coast Range of Central California, including the famous Grand Canyon of Tuolumne. 6 miles, 2,300 feet of elevation gain arriving back at camp by 4 PM.
  • Day 5:Leave camp by 9 AM and walk the Dingley Creek trail back to Tuolumne Meadows to complete our loop, arriving by early to mid afternoon with snacks along the way. 7.5 miles mostly downhill with easy uphill at the finish.

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