High Sierra TopixSierra Nevada related information; backpacking, camping, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, fishing, photography, and more!2024-03-18T23:58:25-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/app.php/feed/topics_active2024-03-18T23:58:25-07:002024-03-18T23:58:25-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182926#p182926 I have searched for this information, but can not find any mention. I have a permit for the Beck Lake trail out of Devil’s Postpile on April 2nd. I am interested in trying to get to Lost Dog Lake the first day, and I am wondering if anyone has experience visiting this lake?
Thank you.
]]>2024-03-18T20:41:43-07:002024-03-18T20:41:43-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182925#p182925 Once you get into the Lyell Fork there are plenty of camping possibilities. I do not think you have to worry much about finding one. From Lake 10217 you drop off a bench that is tricky to find a good way down. It is pretty cliffy. The waterfall is impressive.
I have never been over Old Bones Pass but I think the north side is a bit difficult. If the weather is unstable, you would be better off going over the easier Forrester Pass to the trail and then down on the trail to the Lyell Fork. Blue Lake has wonderful camping. Getting from the Twin Island Lakes to Blue Lake is also tricky but I think a few cairns and use-trails have popped up since I did it years ago.
There are several trip reports on this area. Do a search on "Blue Lake" or "Forrester Pass" or "Twin Island Lakes" or any other named feature on your route. Here are two of mine.
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]]>2024-03-18T16:10:23-07:002024-03-18T16:10:23-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182922#p182922 And also beware: I noticed that my trekking pole tent has started to delaminate (it's DCF material), likely from UV exposure from dozens of trips. I've been told that leaving my tent under the baking sun isn't the best thing, and I can confirm first-hand its true.
]]>2024-03-18T13:40:02-07:002024-03-18T13:40:02-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182921#p182921viewtopic.php?t=14806&hilit=mono+meadows
I thought Upper Merced Pass Lake was just OK, but Lower Ottoway was spectacular. We did not try to get all the way to Lower Ottoway in a day, but started midday from Mono Meadows and camped the first night at the Clark Fork crossing of the trail. Doing it all the way to Ottoway in a day might have been possible if we had started earlier, but we did not try. We missed Lower Merced Lake entirely--it was not visible from the trail as I recall, and Upper Ottoway has an obvious use trail to it leaving from the intersection. We went over there for lunch.
]]>2024-03-18T10:25:39-07:002024-03-18T10:25:39-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182918#p182918 Option 2 would be rough and if you fell short then I think you may be very disappointed as you will be deep in leconte canyon, or potentially further up towards muir pass and have to backtrack ground you just covered without reaching your goal.
I like the idea of Ladder lake. I think if you make good time you can make it there on day 2 starting from Dusy Basin. If you are in good shape you could climb the citadel early in day 3, and hopefully making it to at least the campsite at (37.09437, -118.58575). From there you could make it to the trailhead in 6 hours I would guess.
Or stay higher and cross into palisade basin/barrett lakes via thunderbolt col, come back to dusy via knapsack (or vice versa). This will allow you to cover ground in both basins.
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]]>2024-03-17T03:10:17-07:002024-03-17T03:10:17-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182907#p182907Tough women!
I have it installed on my PC. It's free and has more features than the web version.
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]]>2024-03-15T09:45:19-07:002024-03-15T09:45:19-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182886#p182886 2006- slow spring melt
Piute Mountain 6/3-8, Hetch-Hetchy until stopped by impassable stream, some snow before dropping to the valley ,climbed Piute Mountain (all snow). No mosquitoes
Miter Basin 6/16-21 In Cottonwood Pass, snow, climb peaks in Miter Basin, Sky Blue Lake frozen, out New Army Pass- cornice on pass. No mosquitoes
Mineral King 7/1-4 Farewell Gap- Shotgun Pass- Franklin Pass-- patchy snow, no mosquitoes
Tablelands 7/5-12- Lonely Lake-upper Deadman Canyon, Glacier Ridge- Elisabeth Pass-Tamarak Lake-Lion Lake-out HST. No mosquitoes, difficult crossing of Lone Pine Creek. No longer able to out-run the mosquitoes by going higher.
2016- fast spring melt
Boundary Lakes and Spotted Fawn via Kibby Ridge 5/20-6/4 High water but little snow, a few mosquitoes
Dusy Basin 6/25-30 steep snow on Bishop Pass, patchy snow in Dusy Basin. Few mosquitoes.
I think I put in trip reports for the above trips. Bottom line- too early to tell now what early season is going to look like. My strategy is simply to keep going out, try to outrun the skeets by going higher, until it no longer works, then take a 2 week break from the mountains.
]]>2024-03-14T20:39:31-07:002024-03-14T20:39:31-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182880#p182880 I caught but failed to land golden trout in Tommy Lake last year. The fish were not big but looked nice and fat. Supposedly golden in Upper Cook Lake where you can also day-hike to fish the lower end of Wall Lake. You could then go over Lester Pass (Tommy Lake is just south of the pass) and drop to the trail junction that goes up to Island Lake. It may be a bit early for the off-trail route via Wall-Island Pass which tends to have a snowfield on the Wall Lake side. If there are still snow patches on the shores of Wall Lake, it can be difficult to reach the inlet.
Both times I was at Pyramid Lake, it was mosquito hell. Never tried to fish it.
Edits-- I went back and looked at my trips that I did in the last half of July, and yes, there were mosquitoes, but no big issues with snow or frozen lakes except for the highest lake in Atlantic Canyon. Elbow Lake was open- I did not try to fish it. However, trips the first week or 10 days in July did have some frozen lakes. Unless this is an unusually cold spring and June, I do not think there will be many problems. The major streams will be high and some not easily crossed. Most of the crossings if you stay on trails are horse crossings, that will have to be waded but the streambed is usually relatively smooth. I think you will be fine.
]]>2024-03-14T11:37:39-07:002024-03-14T11:37:39-07:00https://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=182875#p182875 On the North Lake to South Lake loop, know that there is a major bridge out across the San Joaquin. I believe if you went up over Lamarck Cole you'd be fine. This is another classic, I've hiked up Bishop Pass and Paiute Pass and they are both spectacular.
Merriam Lake is exquisite. So is the French Lakes basin. I stayed at Merriam and summited Royce Peak and really enjoyed it. Would definitely go back. While I did not go up to/ over Feather Pass, that is the one I'm most familiar with and what I would attempt.
Nice job on that Iceberg Lake traverse. I hiked up to Iceberg when I stayed at Ediza this summer and that traverse looked very intimidating.