If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
All wilderness permit holders for trailheads starting in the Rock Creek Canyon are being cancelled through Sunday July 26th. This includes the Little Lakes (including the Mono Pass Trail that starts here) and Hilton Lakes Trailhead. Exiting hikers are being escorted out.
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
Slated to go over Mono Pass on the 6th. I'm confident Forest Service will have it under control by then. Hope the weather cooperates and everyone stays safe.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
Was expecting to try and get a permit tomorrow Monday for LLV later in the week when they load walk up permits. Doubt that is going to happen now as INF won't be permitting till fire is totally out and all the fire crews are out. Since more storms through Monday night, Wednesday 7/20 would likely be the earliest. It had stormed in the area every day since I went in on Monday but mostly just nearby. But that luck was to run out.
Came out of a 6 day Convict Creek trip Saturday and when the fire started on Friday. I was at 1pm up at the far south end of Dorothy Lake watching that huge thunderstorm build up in next door Rock Creek canyon. My plan was to do some important photography about 4pm and then move camp down to Mildred 2 miles and 700 feet down. Gambling it would not move my way, but about 1:30pm the black clouds with lightning started pushing over nearby Red Slate Pk so sped back to my already packed up gear and began pounding my way north the 1 mile along the Dorothy shore trail as hail began overtaking me. Yeah it shifted north suddenly as does happen sometimes when a static storm builds in higher atmosphere where winds then push it.
Mid lake breathing heavy with max exertion carrying my 42% body weight load with the loud sound of approaching hail on lake waters plus much lightning thunder, decided to hunker down beneath a large whitebark. Had on my bomb proof rain jacket but my rain pants were still in my pack that was covered with a rain cover. Pulled out my Tyvek ground sheet and covered my pack and me scootched up awkwardly against the V-trunk where I endured for an hour plus of constant rain and hail. Was hoping it would not be one of those storms that goes for hours into the evening as I would at some point have to whether raining hard or not, backtrack maybe 200 yards to the one trail side tent spot I'd noticed and pitch in the rain to survive. As a sucker hole opened while still sprinkling, made my way to the north end of the lake where more groups were holed up and with drops still falling pitched my tent quickly tossing much gear inside. And then an hour later by 5pm when the fire was likely causing havoc in Rock Creek peoples, storms looked like they had ended in the Convict basin, so packed up again and made my way down to Mildred where 3 other groups had fled to and camped in the sand zone. That turned out well as took some of the best images of the trip Saturday morning before leaving at 10am. As I hiked down must have passed 4 dozen people making their way up the rocky canyon and half were backpackers. And as I drove out yet another big storm was now up the canyon atop those pilgrims.
David, loved your story. Sounds like a sketchy sort of fun. Glad the weather let up, I've been in those wait and see situations where you are just hoping you don't have to give up shelter to make shelter. I was up at Dorothy last year for a night and had a good time. It was later in the season and the weather was clear and cold. Lovely colors in that area. The reds whites blues etc.
Inyo NF has already opened up wilderness permits for Little Lakes Valley on rec dot gov today. Well done!
Before I noticed, all the permits from Thursday through Sunday had already been snagged so I ended up with a Monday 8/3 start. There are still several permits as of 8am available for Tues/Weds. Will be near Chickenfoot Monday and then up on the barren Dade plateau, and if that goes well with some calm morning air maybe over Morgan Pass my last night.
Before that will spend a day or 3 up about Sonora Pass where wildflowers were at summer peak last Saturday. In the mean time have weeks worth of post processing to do from the Convict trip that was quite productive despite all the afternoon thunderstorms.
