Rutherford Lake/Fernandez Pass BCM Course Area Guide Base Camps BCM San Leandro Office Tioga High School Base Camp
General Information BCM Headquarters 1667 Vine St. Denver, CO 80206 303.271.9200 www.bigcitymountainers.org Day 1 Camp Clover Meadow Campground Sierra National Forest Latitude: 37.52861 Longitude: -119.27972 Timber Knob Quad Regional Office San Fransisco/ San Leandro Regional Office 176 Juana Avenue, 2 nd Floor San Leandro, CA 94577 510.895.8607 Base Camp: Post-Expedition Tioga High School 19304 Ferretti Rd. Groveland, CA 95321 Call Stan Morgan, custodian, when leaving for school with ETA: 209.401.5556. or TEXT 209.403.2826 Gear Pick Up: Pick up gear at the San Leandro Regional Office on Day 1 of your trip, at 9am. Permit Pick Up: BCM special use and wilderness permits are provided in the team leader trip binder. Make sure you have copies--they are available at the San Leandro Office. Additional wilderness permits may need to be picked up at a ranger station on your way to the trail. Refer to the trip binder (section 1) for permit instructions. The Backcountry CAG lists wilderness permits if they are needed. Grocery Store: Pharmacy/ Hospital: General Store: Camping Gear: Laundromat: Raley's Supermarkets 40041 Highway 49 Oakhurst, CA 559.683.8300 Groveland Pharmacy 18638 Main Street, Groveland, CA 209.962.5211 Walmart 1977 W. Cleveland Ave. Exit 155 on CA-99 Madera, CA 559.675.9212 REI-Fresno 7810 N. Blackstone Ave. Exit 135 on CA-41 12 miles south of CA-145 559.261.4168 Sierra Suds Ste B 40423 Highway 41 Oakhurst, CA 93644 559.683.1464 Save Mart Supermarket 1504 Howard Rd. (West of Yosemite&Howard West of CA-99) Madera, CA, 559.661.1982 Yosemite Pharmacy 136 East Yosemite Avenue Madera, CA (E. of CA-99) 559.674.8583 (Walgreens near SaveMart) Yosemite Village Store Tecoya Rd Yosemite National Park 209.372.1227 Miller's Mountain Sports 40343 Highway 41 Oakhurst, CA 93644 559.683.7946 Housekeeping Camp Yosemite Valley Yosemite National Park Mar-Val Food Stores 19000 Main Street Groveland, CA 209.962.7452 Sonora Regional Medical Ctr. 1000 Greenley Road Sonora, CA 209.532.5000 Iron Door General Store 18752 Main Street Groveland, CA 209.962.6864 Yosemite Mountain Shop At Curry Village Yosemite National Park 209.372.8396 Last resort: as there are no laundromats available in Groveland, Take laundry back to San Leandro Celebration Dinner: Gas Stations: Stan s Que 18745 Back St, Groveland, CA 95321 209.962.0806 209.403.2826 Chevron 1103 S. Main St. Exit 5 on CA-120 Manteca, CA 209.825.0174 Oakhurst Chevron 40219 Highway 41 Oakhurst, CA 559.683.5511 Groveland Gas 18707 Main Street Groveland, CA 209.962.6234
Pre-Expedition Diving Directions Day 1 Directions from BCM office to Clover Meadow Campground Start: BCM Office, 176 Juana Ave., San Leandro, CA 94577 Head east on Juana Ave (0.8 mile) Turn right at Grand Ave (signs for Interstate 580/Hayward) (0.2 mile) Turn left to merge onto I-580 E toward Hayward (33.2 miles) Continue on I-205 E (13.5 miles) Merge onto I-5 N (2.0 miles) Take Exit 461 onto CA-120 E toward Manteca/Sonora (6.4 miles) Take the exit onto CA-99 S toward Modesto/Fresno (86.6 miles) Take the exit toward Central Madera and turn left at N I St (0.4 miles) Turn the 3 rd left on W Yosemite Ave (0.2 mile) Continue onto CA-145/E Yosemite Ave (15.7 miles) Turn left at CA-41 toward Oakhurst, CA (29.7 miles) Turn Right at Road 222 / Bass Lake Rd (3.4 miles) Continue onto Rd 274 / Malum Ridge Rd (2.4 miles) Turn left on Beasore Road, (Forest Road 7, or 5 S07) and continue north on Beasore Road for approximately 20 miles. Continue North onto 5 S030 (1.8 miles) Veer left (north west) onto 5 S047 (0.1 mile) End: Clover Meadow Campground in Sierra National Forest Estimated Time: 5 hours Estimated Distance: 226 miles Day 2 Directions from Clover Meadow Campground to Lillian Lake Trailhead and Fernandez Access Trail Turn right (south) onto 5 S030 Continue west on Beasore Rd Take the 3 rd right onto 5 S86 End: Norris Creek, Fernandez Access Trail to Lillian Lake Loop Trail.
Post-Expedition Diving Directions Day 6 Directions from Trail head to Tioga High School: 19304 Ferretti Road, Groveland, CA 95321 Head south on 5 S86 to Beasore Rd. Turn right on Beasore Rd, and continue on Beasore / Forest Road 7 (road makes many turns) (27.1 miles) Slight right at Rd 274 / Government Un High Rd / Malum Ridge Rd (2.4 miles) Continue straight onto Rd 222 / Bass Lake Rd (3.4 miles) Turn right at CA-41 N (12.4 miles) Turn left at CA-41 N / Wawona Rd (26.2 miles) Continue onto CA-140 E / Southside Dr (1.4 miles) Turn left toward El Capitan Dr (about 0.5 mile)* Continue onto CA-140 W / Northside Dr (2.9 miles) Turn right onto Big Oak Flat Rd / CA-120 W toward park exit and continue on CA-120 W into Groveland (about 41 miles) Turn right at Ferretti Rd (1.8 miles) End: Tioga High School (on the left) Lodging will be in the gymnasium on the right side of the campus, marked by Tioga High School on the building *Continue on Southside Dr./CA-140 into Yosemite Valley to do laundry at Housekeeping Camp. Estimated Time: 3 hours and 5 minutes Estimated Distance: 119 miles Directions from Tioga High School to Stans Que (for celebration dinner) downtown Groveland: 18745 Back St, Groveland, CA 95321 Turn left out of the school and head south on Ferretti Rd (1.8 miles) Turn right on Main St (CA-120 W) (0.2 mile) Turn left at Back St (looks like an alley between buildings, across the street from Cocina Michoacana Mexican restaurant) End: Stan s BBQ straight ahead Contact for Stan s Que: Pam Brown, (209-403-2826) Estimated Time: 5 minutes Estimated Distance: 2.1 miles
Day 7 Directions from Tioga High School to BCM office / HOME Turn left out of the school and head south on Ferretti Rd (1.8 miles) Turn right on Main St / CA-120 W (3.3 miles) Veer right to stay on CA-120 W down New Priests Grade (13.7 miles) Slight left to stay on CA-120 W (sighs for Oakdale) (3.5 miles) Turn left at CA-108 W / CA-120 W (25 miles) Turn right at CA-120 W / N Yosemite Ave (also called California St and Main St in Eacalon). Continue to follow CA-120 W (19.9 miles) Turn left to merge onto CA-120 W / CA-99 S towards San Francisco 0.4 mile) Stay right and take the exit into CA-120 W (6.3 miles) Take the I-5 S exit toward San Francisco (2.3 miles) Follow signs for I-205 W toward I-580 W, San Francisco) (14 miles) Merge onto I-580 W on the right (33.1 miles) Exit toward Estudillo Ave, downtown San Leandro (0.3 mile) Turn left at MacArthur Blvd (0.1 mile) Take 2 nd right onto Juana Ave (0.8 mile) End: BCM office will be on the right Estimated Time: 2 hours and 17 minutes Estimated Distance: 124 miles
Base Camp and Trip Guidelines Wear sunscreen. Wear close-toed shoes around camp. (See hazards below.) Watch out for cacti, tent stakes, wildlife and possibly rattlesnakes. Keep all food, drink and snack items in the vehicle or cooler. Do not put food in tents. Do not feed wildlife. Securing the screen door tent flap inside the tent each time you enter or depart will help reduce the number of bugs that come into the tent. Please don t smash mosquitoes or other bugs against the tent wall. Keep tents DEET-Free. Check types of bug repellent brought by team members. DEET will deteriorate tent material. Please keep the following in mind if using it: Apply repellent to the back of your hands for applying to other parts of your body. This will keep the DEET off the palm of your hands and thus off the tents and gear. Also, please apply DEET only when you are outside and away from the tents. Use the gas grills for cooking if available. Please don t use candles, stoves, or open flames in the tents. Wash dishes in the kitchen area if possible. Otherwise please wash dishes in the buckets provided by BCM at the tent site. Swimming and dipping are not allowed in moving water. In still water dipping is allowed under close adult supervision. Closed toed shoes must be worn. Make sure to sweep the base camp area when you leave for the trailhead and for home. Shake out the tent ground tarps when leaving for home. Make sure everything is packed in an orderly fashion. Make sure all the trash is removed, no food is left behind, and the tents are fully zipped. Remember that another group will be using the same gear after you, so please leave things tidy, the way you would want to receive them. Thank you for your cooperation!
Getting Acquainted with Tioga High School Upon Arrival & Parking When you are ready to leave housekeeping camp, please call Stan Morgan (custodian at Tioga High School and the owner/cook of Stan s Que) with your ETA. He will open the school s gymnasium for you. Parking is convenient at the school. Call Stan at 209.401.5556. or TEXT his wife, Pam, at 209.403.2826 Sleeping Arrangements You will be sleeping in the school s gymnasium. Please use your BCM and personal sleeping bags and pads. Because we ask you to do laundry and clean the gear (clothes, sleeping bags, tents, etc) on day 6 of your expedition, we understand that you ll need to use the sleeping bags again once they are clean. This is ok! Use sleeping bag liners to keep the inside of bags clean, and please be conscious of the people who will be using the gear next. Water Source The school has running water and 2 showers within the boys and girls locker rooms. Cooking and Dishes Take a break from cooking on night 6! You ll be having your celebration dinner at Stan s Que in Groveland. Gathering Locations No information is available. Feedback would be great! How to Handle Garbage No information is available. Feedback would be great!
Post-Trip Responsibilities Cleaning Gear Try to find a place to clean gear in Yosemite Valley, while others are doing laundry. Please refer to the Backpacking Trip Gear Cleaning Instructions in the team leader trip binder. Wipe down tents in the valley, at Tioga HS, or as a last resort, in the BCM parking lot in San Leandro. Laundry Head to Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite Valley for laundry. Take Southside Dr./CA-140 into Yosemite Valley and continue around the loop onto Northside Dr./CA-140. Follow signs for Housekeeping Camp once in Yosemite Valley or get directions at the Yosemite Valley Visitor s Center. Laundry is located at the shower house, as is a coin dispenser. You can also get change at the Visitor s Center. (Unfortunately there are no laundry facilities near base camp in Groveland.) The following is a list of items that will need to be laundered. Towels Fleece: tops, pants and hats Long Underwear Sleeping bags (use a small amount of soap) Showers Showers are available at Housekeeping Camp; take showers while doing laundry, or wait and use free showers in the locker rooms at Tioga HS: there is one in the boys locker room and one in the girls locker room. Celebration Dinner Yosemite and Sierra expeditions go to Stan s Que. The contact person for Stan s Que is Pam Brown, (209.962.0806). Before Leaving Base Camp Please make sure you leave the place as nice or nicer than you found it. Shake out the tent and ground tarps. Make sure everything is packed in an orderly fashion. Make sure all trash is removed. Call Amy / BCM San Leandro with you estimated time of arrival as soon as you can. Team Leader Paperwork Refer to the Paperwork Checklist in the trip binder.