TR: The Mt. Brewer Loop - August 2020

[oddtiger]

Thanks for the trip report and beautiful pictures! I did a similar 3-day loop over July 4th last year clockwise over Mt Brewer, basically same itinerary as in sekihiker's trip except I stayed overnight at Big Brewer for sunset and fishing (Roads end->East Lake->side trip to Lake Reflection->East Lake->Bag Mt Brewer->Big Brewer->Sphinx->Roads end). The trip was inspired by William Brewer’s journal as well! Actually I played the audio book "Up and Down California" along the hike. Over the entire long weekend I saw no soul from Junction Meadow to Sphinx/Bubbs junction. It's amazing that this area shares the same permit quota with the Rae Lake loop but with so much solitude.

[Flamingo]

Thanks @kylekuzma for sharing the great trip report. I completed a similar loop in 2018 -- oh man, flashbacks to all the micro-terrain and gullies near South Guard Lake, and the total sandy slog from Cunningham Creek to Longley.

http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... =1&t=18882

[kylekuzma]

Haha @Flamingo i actually used your report for research! Thank you for writing it!

[Lumbergh21]

Great report and photos. I need to think about going there myself some day. I'm going to start reading Brewer's report/book immediately.

[oleander]

Brings back memories! My experience going the opposite direction (clockwise):

- Ascent of Longley Pass was beautiful, but slow for me. I stayed too far down by the creek, which turned out to be tedious...Likely the easier route is to stay fairly high above the creek.

- Westbound descent of Longley Pass to Cunningham Creek is dead easy in that sand! Good reason to recommend that direction, I guess.

- Getting from South Guard Lake to Cinder Col was fairly easy by simply climbing up the first big gully from the lake heading east - then traversing, fairly high in the basin, to the Col.

- Had same alpenglow experience at Big Brewer, but didn't think to bring a psychedelic inner tube with me! Next time.

- I thought the upper Sphinx Basin was pretty and was enjoyable walking, but it didn't rock my world the way it apparently has for many on this forum.

- Also gave middle finger to lower half of Sphinx Basin. Tried all kinds of lines and none of them were fun. Lots of deadfall over the area where some people on HST said there had been a use trail (which I never found).

Your google earth photo makes me want to explore what looks like some nice granite walkabout country between Mt. Brewer and East Lake.

[Harlen]

Congratulations on a fine trip. Your description, and Wandering Daisy's recent pictures of Big Brewer Lake really make me want to get there.
Thanks for the inspirations, Harlen.

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We came up from East Lake via Brewer Col- seen here, looking east.

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We had 4 young kids with us, and so we headed directly over to Sphinx Lakes from Brewer Col... is that Brewer Lake below?

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8 year old Nathan Harlen on Brewer Col.

[Wandering Daisy]

I climbed Mt Brewer from East Lake, and yes, it IS nice granite walk-about country! The climb from East Lake is longer but a much more aesthetic climb than the slog from Brewer Basin.

[kursavwilage]

Thank you for the great trip report! Brings back some great memories.
I've climbed Brewer twice, did Longley the same direction and have been to Lake Reflection a bunch of times. Looks like I'm going to have to finally get up to Big Brewer Lake area.....

[TehipiteTom]

Thanks for this excellent report!

I did a Sphinx Lakes/Big Brewer trip in 2012, also motivated by Brewer's account. (From 2010-2014 I did a blog where I posted excerpts from Up & Down California in real time + 150 years.) From Big Brewer I came back over Avalanche Pass, with a stop at Lake 9735, Brewer's base camp in July of 1864.

Reading your description of the section from Sphinx Creek up to the lakes, I didn't remember it being nearly that bad, so I went back to look at how I did it:

Above the trail, Sphinx Creek goes through a series of stepped hanging valleys. The first riser presents a particularly ugly prospect: the west side is one big talus slope, the east side is steep and rocky, and in between near the stream it's all rocky and willow-choked. I followed an intermittent trail remnant along the western edge of the meadow; at the head of the meadow, it appeared to point straight into that willow hell. Didn't look appealing, but it didn't look any less appealing than the alternatives, so I tried it.

Turns out there's a pretty clear way up a little west of the stream that isn't apparent when you're looking from a distance. (General tip for Sphinx Creek basin: if you find a trail remnant, follow it; it never steered me wrong.) Once up this it's slabs and open forest (with smokey views back toward the valley) for a little ways. I got a little above the second valley, thinking maybe I could keep traversing upslope, but that's more trouble than it's worth and I wound up dropping back to near creek level.

The forest & undergrowth get thicker as you get further into the second valley, and there's a wet jungle-ish stretch just before the next climb. Best bet is to bypass as much of this as possible by staying on the right (west), then traverse up the slopes to the right to get to the next level. Then it's fairly easy slopes up to the first lake.

So it sounds like you got stuck in that awful talus slope, which is unfortunate. I don't know if the use trail I followed is still there, but it's definitely worth looking for if you find yourself heading up toward Sphinx Lakes.

[JosiahSpurr]

Great report and photos. I need to think about going there myself some day. I'm going to start reading Brewer's report/book immediately.

(1.)
Since I do delivery work, as an independent contractor, I can go whenever you want. Seriously. I'd like to go with someone from HST community. Let me know. I've got the necessary experience. I invite anyone to help me out (or just tag along) on a project I've been working on for a few years: a route to Mt. Langley from Owens Valley using the ridges S of Tuttle Creek... just photos at: josiah piwigo com

(2.)
Suggestion for alternative to Sphinx Creek and Lakes: Continue up the staircase trail to Avalanche Pass then start cross-country hiking along the west side of Sphinx Crest. It has great views of the Whaleback in Cloud Canyon. But, I'm not sure how to go from there to Brewer Basin. Which is the fun part(!)

Cheers, * Josiah *