Cherry Creek Aficionados

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Sierra_Summits
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Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by Sierra_Summits »

Hello fellow hikers! I'm looking forward to getting out into the mountains this year as I'm sure many of you are.

I'm looking at going into the cherry creek drainage for 11 days this May/June, and doing some day hiking as well as backpacking. I had some specific questions that I was hoping to get some help with.

The first question revolves around getting from the Bourland trailhead down to the west fork of cherry creek. I outlined my proposed route here. Also, I was planning on not being able to cross the creek and was curious how far on one side could I feasibly walk with out getting into any pinched granite sections that would have me need to turn around or climb class 4-5 slabs to continue the route. ( I have seen photos of the sections on cherry creek called the cherry bomb that look to steep and dangerous to try to climb).

Ideally I would like to walk near the creek and camp for 2 nights (shown in image). Is this a realistic goal or is the creek hiking to dangerous in late May?
6C57.jpeg




My second Question is based around Styx Pass and how far up and down cherry creek one could hike? Can you get past Lord Meadows and go all the way to Huckleberry Lake? How about going down canyon? Could I make it near the cherry bomb section pretty easily? The cherry bomb section is not in this map but it is basically WNW of Sasche Spring on the Kibbe Ridge trail. Thanks for any help regarding this area. Hopefully it will be help for me and others as well.

SierraSummits
Trail Name: SaltyOtter

3E05.jpeg












What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 4- Comfortable with trail and/or x-country travel

What terrain are you comfortable/uncomfortable with?

- Class 3 terrain/pass/x-country.... Comfortable with this
- River crossings..... Uncomfortable when water is above the mid thigh.
- Snow travel/Glacier crossings. Will do it but not my first choice.

What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Photography



When is your trip?

Trip is in late May through early June 2021


Have you hiked at elevation before? Any prior issues with Altitude Sickness?

I am fine with it.

Have you hiked in the Sierra Nevada before, if yes, where? Please list a few of your more difficult hikes, so we can then recommend routes based on your experience level.

I have hiked sections of the Sierra High Route
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kpeter
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by kpeter »

As for Bourland I can't help you since I have not been in that way, but others here have and will chime in.

Last year I asked the same question you did about hiking along the south side of Cherry Creek from Styx Pass to Huckleberry Lake and was told it was possible and am thinking about trying it at the end of May. WD has done it near the river an on some snow as I recall, and some others do it via a high route over Bartlett Peak. I have been eyeing point 8151 and thinking it might be necessary to stay south of it rather than following the swollen creek too closely.

By the way, one of the reasons I like this area early season is how much you can do without crossing any streams, coming from Cherry Lake--most probably the Lake Eleanor trailhead since the road to Shingle Springs seems to be out all the time.

I have camped at what you have marked Camp 1 and Camp 4. At Camp 1 at Mercur Lake walk up to the ridge overlooking the Cherry Creek canyon for spectacular views. Actually, I camped a bit more on the mid northern shoreline of Mercur. Early season it is a challenge getting around Mercur since there is so much flooding. Camp 4 at Little Bear is delightful near the outlet. If water is flowing follow the outlet downstream just a little ways for some small falls and cascades. I found Camp 4 to be a delightful location from which to take day hikes and explore the area.

Camp 2 at Boundary looks high above the water. The west side has much more convenient access. There are camps on all the little peninsulas on the west, looking at some very pretty cliffs on the eastern side.
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I day-hiked down Cherry Creek from Lord Meadow on the south side to about river mile 25. I cannot remember exactly where I stopped. There were some tricky parts, mainly due to flooding. I think I turned around because I was running out of time. I remember having to go above the river at times and a bit of bushwhacking. I have a trip report that may be of some help.

I labeled this photo "above Mile 25" but cannot remember exactly where I took it. I was on the south side of the river, June 3 2016 (89% snowpack year). Not sure that helps. But I would guess you could get fairly close to your proposed Camp 3. In my trip report I said I went down to mile 25.5.

from the report "I dropped down, left the trail and stashed my stuff near the two wide spots near River Mile 26. It was only mid-morning so I day-hiked down to Mile 25. The water is high so you have to climb slabs high above the creek. I returned closer to the creek and had to wade through the swamped timber patch at Mile 25.5."
4768_Cherry Creek above Mile 25.jpg
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by wildhiker »

I used a different route from Bourland Meadow down to the West Fork Cherry Creek on July 4 weekend in 1994, as shown on the map below (best as I remember). I don't recall any problems with brush, but do remember lots of granite slabs. We didn't explore much up or down the creek, so I don't know if you can reach all the way upstream to your proposed camp.
-Phil
BourlandMdw2WForkCherryCreek.jpg
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mschnaidt
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by mschnaidt »

I've been into Cherry Creek from Bourland several times. Your 1st map is pretty accurate. There is a use trail through the forested section. The only tricky part is where you cross the little creek. It's an open marshy section and the use trail can be easy to miss on the other side. Once the trail leaves the forest the going is easy down a moderate granite slope to the creek. There are excellent legal campsites along the creek there. This is a quick and very enjoyable hike into Cherry Creek.

I've also done Huckleberry to Big Lake passing through Lord Meadow. Lord Meadow is a bit of a mess. The trail is grown over and there is a lot of brush. Once you leave the meadow there is an old trail that is in fair shape all the way to Huckleberry.
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

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kpeter wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:36 pm As for Bourland I can't help you since I have not been in that way, but others here have and will chime in.

Last year I asked the same question you did about hiking along the south side of Cherry Creek from Styx Pass to Huckleberry Lake and was told it was possible and am thinking about trying it at the end of May. WD has done it near the river an on some snow as I recall, and some others do it via a high route over Bartlett Peak. I have been eyeing point 8151 and thinking it might be necessary to stay south of it rather than following the swollen creek too closely.

By the way, one of the reasons I like this area early season is how much you can do without crossing any streams, coming from Cherry Lake--most probably the Lake Eleanor trailhead since the road to Shingle Springs seems to be out all the time.

I have camped at what you have marked Camp 1 and Camp 4. At Camp 1 at Mercur Lake walk up to the ridge overlooking the Cherry Creek canyon for spectacular views. Actually, I camped a bit more on the mid northern shoreline of Mercur. Early season it is a challenge getting around Mercur since there is so much flooding. Camp 4 at Little Bear is delightful near the outlet. If water is flowing follow the outlet downstream just a little ways for some small falls and cascades. I found Camp 4 to be a delightful location from which to take day hikes and explore the area.

Camp 2 at Boundary looks high above the water. The west side has much more convenient access. There are camps on all the little peninsulas on the west, looking at some very pretty cliffs on the eastern side.
I saw your trip report where you hiked from Kibbe Lake to the ridge trail! I was thinking of using that on this trip!

I see your point with staying south of point 8151. It almost looks like you could access the cherry creek gorge from the north end of Inferno Lakes too. Hmmm that could be interesting too.

Thanks for the tips on Boundary Lake camping.
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

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Wandering Daisy wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:30 pm I day-hiked down Cherry Creek from Lord Meadow on the south side to about river mile 25. I cannot remember exactly where I stopped. There were some tricky parts, mainly due to flooding. I think I turned around because I was running out of time. I remember having to go above the river at times and a bit of bushwhacking. I have a trip report that may be of some help.

I labeled this photo "above Mile 25" but cannot remember exactly where I took it. I was on the south side of the river, June 3 2016 (89% snowpack year). Not sure that helps. But I would guess you could get fairly close to your proposed Camp 3. In my trip report I said I went down to mile 25.5.

from the report "I dropped down, left the trail and stashed my stuff near the two wide spots near River Mile 26. It was only mid-morning so I day-hiked down to Mile 25. The water is high so you have to climb slabs high above the creek. I returned closer to the creek and had to wade through the swamped timber patch at Mile 25.5."

4768_Cherry Creek above Mile 25.jpg


How are you able to figure out where each mile marker is? Is there a website that has them posted?
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by Sierra_Summits »

wildhiker wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:32 pm I used a different route from Bourland Meadow down to the West Fork Cherry Creek on July 4 weekend in 1994, as shown on the map below (best as I remember). I don't recall any problems with brush, but do remember lots of granite slabs. We didn't explore much up or down the creek, so I don't know if you can reach all the way upstream to your proposed camp.
-Phil

BourlandMdw2WForkCherryCreek.jpg
Interesting route! Was it class 2 hiking in there or 3? I may try it on the way out.
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by SSSdave »

That SNF maze of dirt roads may be blocked early season. Lots of chinquapin brush areas that otherwise on the map show low gradients to avoid via Goggle Earth homework. Also SNF has a history of early season closing the Cherry Lake reservoir dam road gate.

Late June 2017, big winter, camped very close to WD's photo. A tedious brushy marshy maze in that 7k zone.

At 6.8k is the crux along the south side of the creek. Friction slab traverse on smooth granite where sliding into the creek could be lethal as strong flow with nothing to grab onto on smooth bed rock edges. I gingerly reached this point for the sake of a photo that would be dangerous with a pack unless one brought a rope with crack protection devices.
Image
Last edited by SSSdave on Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Cherry Creek Aficionados

Post by grampy »

Sierra_Summits wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:28 am
How are you able to figure out where each mile marker is? Is there a website that has them posted?
The “mile markers” are identified on topo maps;
for example USFS and USGS maps. Not on every creek, but on rivers and their major tributary creeks, in whatever way “major” is defined.

Caltopo shows them; map apps like Gaia show them if you display the appropriate map layer.
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