Program Overview: This Yosemite Field School backpacking course takes you into the rugged terrain of the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep near Mount Lewis, Mount Gibbs, Mono Pass, and Parker Pass. You will camp both nights in a stunningly beautiful spot at Summit Lake just outside of the park near Mono Pass, where the ambitious can get an early start to watch the sunrise over Mono Lake.
After setting up our base camp, the group will take excursions to where the sheep lead us. Sometimes there are sheep visible right from camp, other times they are a short hike away, and there are occasions where scrambling over scree slopes is necessary to view them.
Unfortunately, during the historically deep snowpack of 2022–2023, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep struggled to find adequate nutrition and escape avalanches in their high alpine terrain. These factors led to high mortality throughout their range, which may make it more difficult for us to spot the sheep than in the past.
Bighorn Sheep Biologists and Sarah Stock, Terrestrial Wildlife Branch Lead for Yosemite, will be teaching the group about Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. Your instructors will use radio telemetry devices to help locate the collared sheep, which can then lead us to the rest of the herd. The instructors know a lot about these animals and where they like to spend their time, which is also very helpful in locating them.
While your instructors will have spotting scopes to help you to see the sheep more closely if they are found, it is highly encouraged to bring your own good quality small binoculars on the trip. With your own binoculars, you can be helpful in scanning for sheep, and you will be much more likely to spot them — especially if they are moving. As part of the course, your instructors can train you in the best way to use and adjust your binoculars. Consider borrowing some if you don’t have your own.
This will be a small group trip with ample time to relax and learn about the unique adaptations of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, their history, struggles and successes, and the ecosystem in which they reside.
Can’t wait to learn about the Seirra Neada bighorn sheep? Check out the “Bighorn Sheep” episode of Yosemite Nature Notes.
Know Before You Go:
- Program dates: Thursday, August 21 evening meeting 6:30–8 pm. Start hike Friday, August 22 at 8:30 am and exit Sunday, August 24 by 4 pm.
- Program location: Mono Pass
- What’s included: An evening meeting and a three-day backpack trip with guided instruction by bighorn sheep biologists, Park Wildlife Biologist Sarah Stock, and a Yosemite Naturalist; park entry (as needed); a wilderness permit; bear canister rental (as needed); and shared tent camping before and after the trip (camping dates cannot be altered). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Camping dates: Participants can arrive on August 21 after 12 pm and must depart on August 22. After the backpack trip, participants can arrive at the shared camping spot on August 24 after 12 pm and depart on August 25 by 11 am. There are three shared campsites among all the participants. We guarantee tent camping only. If you choose to bring a recreational vehicle, we cannot guarantee you will have a parking spot. Please be prepared to tent camp. A picnic table, bear locker, and firepit are provided at each site. Campsites fit six people per site.
- Campground Location: Tuolumne Meadows. Please note that if the campground is not open for some reason, then camping will be provided at the best alternative location available.
- Lodging: No lodging accommodations other than camping are available.
- Experience level: Experience hiking at high elevations is recommended. This is a physically demanding backpack trip traveling at high elevations and sometimes off-trail on rocky terrain. Must be physically fit and have good balance to attend.
What’s not included:
- Gear or meals during your program.
- Camping gear or meals in the shared campsites.
- Transportation.
View a suggested packing list including gear rental options.
