Trip Advice: SHR / Bear Lakes Basin

[bbayley80]

you'll be hot on my heels! my big trip for the yr is 8/27-8/31 as well.
going through most of the same area-Pine Creek loop, through Granite Park/Italy Pass, Bear Lakes Basin, over Feather Pass but hanging a left to go back out to Pine Creek TH for the next two days.

i agree with LaserJet on your Day 1and last day . they are long ones. but with two days to acclimatize and being fit you guys will be good.

your day out will be a big one from Hutchinson Meadow. last year i finished up a North Lake loop through Lamarck Lakes/Lamarck Col/through Evolution Valley by coming out the same way. i came from camp at the bridge/wilderness boundary up the Piute Trail through Hutchinson Meadow and ended up camping just short of Summit Lake. i was pooped. i would think it would be a similar mileage for you too-starting further up the trail-but finishing over the pass to the car. expect to be gassed at the car but the scenery along the way is awesome! of course..

I'm on the same program-i like to push when out with the boys, you gotta take advantage of that hall pass from the wife - so I'm a fan of your itinerary. have fun!

[paul]

Do not miss Merriam Lake while you are in the area.

[SSSdave]

I'm not a fan of that type of itinerary but understand there are fair numbers of Sierra hikers including some well experienced ones on this board that enjoy packing light putting in lots of mileage, moving through zones quickly, hiking all day. Especially trail running enthusiasts.

So a number of long days that will tend to leave people weary at the end of each day with little time or energy to spend at each of what some would consider very interesting destinations with much to explore. You are basically rushing through 4 praised zones (Humphreys, French Canyon, Granite Park, East Bear Creek, many could spend several days at each getting to know the areas.

David

[Bluewater]

I did a loop through many of the same areas last summer and with similar time constraints. I like your mix of trail and cross country and although I agree that each of the areas deserves several days to fully appreciate, for me that amount of daily mileage makes sense when I have a little window of time and I want to see a lot. There is a use trail from the top of Piute Pass that leads over toward Mesa Lake. It might be difficult to find, but just start scrambling north once at the top of the pass and there are a few places to join it. Day 2 over Puppet, to Pine Creek Pass and into Granite Park should be fun, it's all trail after Puppet. Granite Park is unreal. It's only a two hour boulder scramble from Italy Pass to the entry to Bear Lake Basin, leaving plenty of time to explore. The basin leading down to Merriam Lake is amazing, possibly a good place to spend that extra day? In my experience a UL pack and trail runners would be essential to making this itinerary enjoyable.


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