Last year, I completed a 5 day, 65-mile hike on the upper rim of Yosemite. It was my first backpacking trip and definitely not an easy one, but so worth it. Navigating the permit lottery can be a bit of a circus but overall the system is well-done and I totally understand why it exists — I think we saw maybe 3-4 people total during our time on the trail and we went during July 4th weekend. It was insane to see the crowds swarming at every scenic point and endless lines for shuttles down on the Valley floor only to get up to the rim and be emphatically, overwhelmingly, beautifully alone. We started at Yosemite Creek trailhead as our entry point and made our way over to Eagle’s Peak and El Capitan before skirting back along the rim and exiting the Snow Creek trail.