So I have been looking through some guidebooks, and it seems that the normal approach to Mt Conness is from the east, from Saddlebag lake. Has anyone done it from the west, coming in from Young's lake? Any tips on the approach?
Thanks

It's pretty easy from that side too - class 2. Just make your way to the unnamed lake south of Conness and follow the drainage up from there. You can also gain the ridge south of Young lakes and take that to White Mtn and then along the crest to Conness to make a nice loop. Still class 2.

I did it from Young's lake, and it was a waste of time. The trail to the lake is good, but the hike isn't all that special considering other hikes in the Yosemite high country. The approach is too long for a one day climb of Conness, and too short to bother with backpacking in all the climbing and camping gear, which is what I did. Plus the campground, at least back then, was plagued with bears that roamed around, sniffing in tents and swatting at backpacks all night. My opinion, there are plenty of other technical climbs in the backcountry where one has no choice but to do the long approach. Why make it longer on purpose?

darinchadwick wrote:I did it from Young's lake, and it was a waste of time. The trail to the lake is good, but the hike isn't all that special considering other hikes in the Yosemite high country. The approach is too long for a one day climb of Conness, and too short to bother with backpacking in all the climbing and camping gear, which is what I did. Plus the campground, at least back then, was plagued with bears that roamed around, sniffing in tents and swatting at backpacks all night. My opinion, there are plenty of other technical climbs in the backcountry where one has no choice but to do the long approach. Why make it longer on purpose?

+1 tedious, long haul via Young lakes, a million miles through the pines with little visual interest. Saddlebag approach goes through a nice valley and gets you up to the Conness saddle with great views and some fun scrambling. Done it both ways and saddlebag wins hands-down

How would you rate the Saddlebag route up Conness? Also Class 2?

Ambret wrote:How would you rate the Saddlebag route up Conness? Also Class 2?

Yes, by the easiest route to Conness Pass. Folks often end up off route and report it class 3. ymmv

If you are headed to Young Lakes, you might as well skip Conness and do Ragged Peak and Peak 11,255 to the east. Sheep Peak is to the north and rarely visited, but it would be a long ways from the Young Lakes TH. Just my opinion.

Folks often end up off route and report it class 3. ymmv

Count me among those folks- if there was a class 2 route up that final stretch to the saddle I sure wasn't on it.

If you ascend west from Alpine Lake, aiming for the point at which the East Ridge meets the South Ridge, you will find a use trail to the summit plateau. If you head up the East Ridge too far east, or the South Ridge too far south, you will find class 3 terrain.

My first hike to Conness was as a 15 year old, back in '76. I dayhiked alone from Tuolumne Meadows via Young Lakes. I loved the route because the forested trail was so different from the desert where I lived. The highlight of the day was the dozen nudists throwing a Frisbee around in a meadow just past Young Lakes. The frollicing gals made quite an impression on me, though I can't really remember the guys.

sharperblue wrote:

darinchadwick wrote:I did it from Young's lake, and it was a waste of time. The trail to the lake is good, but the hike isn't all that special considering other hikes in the Yosemite high country. The approach is too long for a one day climb of Conness, and too short to bother with backpacking in all the climbing and camping gear, which is what I did. Plus the campground, at least back then, was plagued with bears that roamed around, sniffing in tents and swatting at backpacks all night. My opinion, there are plenty of other technical climbs in the backcountry where one has no choice but to do the long approach. Why make it longer on purpose?

+1 tedious, long haul via Young lakes, a million miles through the pines with little visual interest. Saddlebag approach goes through a nice valley and gets you up to the Conness saddle with great views and some fun scrambling. Done it both ways and saddlebag wins hands-down

So I don't know what your idea of 'a million miles with little visual interest' is , but I sure wouldn't call that an accurate description of this hike. We did it this weekend and I thought it was a pretty awesome hike. Granted, we were breaking trail through about a foot of powder, and it snowed on the way up and down to young's lake, but I have to say i disagree with your critique of the young's lake hike. just my 2 cents

A nice variation to the Young Lakes trail is over the saddle east of Ragged Peak. It saves a little distance (at the expense of a little elevation), is much more scenic, and you can tag the peak. The south side is wide open, really mellow:



The north side is a little steeper, but still quite manageable, it drops you right down on the lower lake.



Here are some more photos from 8/09 - bear in mind it was all quite dry; the meadows might be marshy and the northern slopes may be holding some snow at this point.

http://www.qitnl.com/v/081409/