I'm planning to climb Royal Arches on Wed. On the topo, it looks like there's a big ledge at the top of the first pitch (where you start traversing right). I'm entertaining the idea of climbing the first pitch at the end of the day on Tues and sleeping on the ledge. Anyone know how good of a bivy ledge this might be? The reason for doing this is twofold...I can get an early start and I don't have to deal with finding a place to camp on Tues night. Thoughts?

Dingus Milktoast wrote:I don't think that is a good option.

Camp outside the park on forest service land, get up a bit earlier and drive on in in the morning. That's what I do.

DMT

DMT, can you tell us where that forest service land is? Sounds like a good option for when we come down.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Camp outside the park on forest service land, get up a bit earlier and drive on in in the morning.

Aye... Go do a little warm-up on Fresno Dome the day before. Nice camping in that zone. They don't call it 'way mellow' for nothin'!

While bivies are cool and all, this doesn't seem guaranteed to accomplish your goal of getting moving quick in the morning. Like DMT advised, just camp outside the park (you can camp anywhere legally on Forest Service land) and drive in early. If you're coming in the from the south, that's pretty much anywhere just off the road between Fish Camp and the southern entrance. Sometimes it takes a little work to find a flat area but it works.

fatdad wrote:While bivies are cool and all, this doesn't seem guaranteed to accomplish your goal of getting moving quick in the morning. Like DMT advised, just camp outside the park (you can camp anywhere legally on Forest Service land) and drive in early. If you're coming in the from the south, that's pretty much anywhere just off the road between Fish Camp and the southern entrance. Sometimes it takes a little work to find a flat area but it works.

Good advice. Thanks!

I agree with fatdad.

But FWIW, many, many, many years ago we used to go up there in the winter to spend the night, build a fire and drink lots of wine.

I bivyed on the top once, but that's a story more for DMT's other thread!

OK, I'll probably mooch at the Pines. I can usually find someone who will let me put up a tent in the back corner of their site. I know about the places outside the park...I've slept near Fish Camp in the past. But I might as well stay in Fresno, as it only puts me like 45 min closer. I just really hate the camping situation in Yosemite. Unless you want to plan 6 mo ahead, or get in line at 5AM for Camp 4, there's really nothing for when I just want to come into the park for one night.

Tom, PM sent.

Tom..

It is only an hour and a half drive at the most from Fresno to the base of Royal Arches.

Ahh.... get up early, leave Fresno at 4ish and be on route by 6 AM.

Hell, I used to leave Hanford around 3AM and be on route on the Stone no later than 6:30-7AM.

I thinking camping on those ledges would suck, hauling sleeping bags up and stuff. They are big ledges for sure but much easier and just as illegal to stealth sleep in the forest.

Camping at the oasis at the top would be really fun. However it's a half-day climb so a bivy is unnecessary.

Why not just stay at the Ahwahnee? It's a 5-star hotel, right there. Sip cognac in the common room before retiring in the evening.

SpiderSavage wrote:
Why not just stay at the Ahwahnee? It's a 5-star hotel, right there. Sip cognac in the common room before retiring in the evening.

supposed you'd have to pinch more than pennies for that, eh?

Why not stay in Curry village and walk across the meadow at 5:30 in the morning? U are only saving one pitch and have a lot of work to do to sleep there

Isn't Camp 4 usually pretty okay by October?

Second that. . . I would think camping anywhere one wants in the valley, at this time of year, would be easy. We camped there in late Aug. and it wasn't really a problem. Wake up and you're there.