High Sierra Topix

In August I'm planning on a typical loop out of Mineral King - out over Timber Gap, over Black Rock Pass, through/past the Big/Little 5 Lakes, up Lost Canyon and out over Sawtooth Pass.

We have four days, maybe including the drive from the bay area (might drive out the night before). Strong hikers, do off-trail travel, this would be classified as an easy trip for those going.

My husband has never been in to Mineral King before and he's sick of hearing me tell him about it and wants to see for himself. His vacation time is very limited otherwise I'd plan a longer adventure - I already have other adventures planned for the extra vacation time I get . We tend to knock off miles pretty quickly but don't mind getting to camp too early if there is a peak to bag or a lake/stream to fish. This particular loop is one I've never hiked so it's great - we both see new terrain. Not looking for long miles or anything complicated on this one, doing that on other trips - just a nice quick backpack trip.

The itinerary is pretty straightforward but i'm wondering about night 2. Night 1 will be somewhere along Cliff Creek. Night 3 will be by Columbine Lake. Night 2 - somewhere within the Big Five or Little Five Lakes area. I'm looking for camp suggestions, keeping in mind that we like to fish but like the big views too. Any help?

Did that hike last year...fantastic loop, the area around Big Five and Little FIve being the areas I definitely wanted to spend more time at. Don't think you can go wrong with either (I know...not much help huh). Little Five has a ranger station (if that affects your decision any) - I camped there when the ranger was out on patrol so I had the area to myself. Didn't get a bite when I fished the lakes (which surprised me, but hopefully someone with more experience fishing in the area will chime in - Columbine was easy fishing). I'd recommend pacing yourself so you can take your time hiking up Lost Valley...it was one beautiful area.

My recollection is the nicest view was towards the Big 5 Lake that was furthest in. One person in my group was also going to try to fish there (don't remember if he had any luck). There's easy x-country over the ridge separating the Big 5 basin from the little 5 lake basin below Blackrock Pass.

For what it's worth, I was not fond of the trail on the west side of Blackrock -- switchback hell and completely covered with small rocks -- and also the part of this route that goes down thousands of feet once you pass Pinto Lake. If I ever did that route again, I'd go over Glacier Pass and x-country towards Blackrock. The lakes below Glacier looked really beautiful. Of course, this year snow might still be an issue there in August.

Hi calpidder,

I've been over Sawtooth twice and Timber Gap as well as 4 other trips at the south end of the valley.

Alot of backpackers do that loop and tend to play up the fact it is a loop. However one pays quite a price for going way down into that hole of Cliff Creek. On a 7 to 9 day trip the loop route makes sense because one can leisurely spend 3 nights west of Blackrock 2 nights beyond Big 5 and then layover 3 or 4 days at Big 5/Little 5. With just a few days it be strenuous for most of we mortal types. Your a strong hiker so maybe all this doesn't matter. But do the vertical up down math on the topo. Note there are some late season cheater routes via Spring Lake across ledges from Columbine fit for savvy climbers but there are U fall U splat ledges and the best routes supposedly are not obvious.

Really sweet zone is the upper Big 5 Lakes Basin. So lets say lake 10192 is the target. If one just does an out and back via Sawtooth Pass the vertical up/dw by trail alone is about 8k. If one does the loop and visits 10192 using trail only the up/dw is about 9.5k. Actually there are three places one can cross country via Sawtooth and save about 700 feet. One is by contour up to the ridge from 9960 in Lost Canyon, a second is by taking a use trail not on the topo from 9830 up to 10192, and a third is at the Groundhog Mdw junction with the Chihuahua Mine spur. Note the topo is way incorrect in that area and one actually wastes 200 feet by sticking on the (horse) trail. So one is really saving about 2k by just coming in one way. And the scenery and route is arguably most interesting on that half.

This trip depends on whether or not you're comfortable with some x - country. I took my 9 year old son on this loop knowing there was no way I was willing to waste all that effort going down to Cliff Creek (I had been there several times hiking to Granite and Hangst or Eagle Scout Lakes). As far as I'm concerned the best rout by far is staring over Sawtooth pass and exiting over Blackrock Pass and Glacier Pass (x - country) down to Monarch Lake. The x - country is easy once you find it. It's harder to find if done in the other direction (from Monarch Lake). Big 5s has the better scenery, Little 5s the better fishing.
Pictures from the bottom up are Mike: fishing; on Blackrock Pass; and just under Glacier Pass (much easier than it looks and to the left). Mike thought it was a piece of cake. In fact at the summit (Glacier Pass) we stopped to eat lunch and played Gin (card game). We hiked out from Little 5s to Mineral King in one day (and Mike was just 9).
jackthomascarter@gmail.com

Thanks guys - like usual, you've given me some things to think about as I finalize the itinerary. I'm really excited to get into that area, having never seen it before (except, of course, from a distance when passing through the other nearby areas).

http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s5/v4/ ... 0662-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Black Rock Pass West
http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s5/v4/p33857681-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Black Rock Pass East
http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s6/v6/p836220152-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Sawtooth Pass East

I will not recommend any x-country routes since you mentioned you wanted this to be
leisurely trip.
Both lake basins have a lot to offer, and I am sure your husband will enjoy this
wonderful area.

I know it is not easy but consider out of mineral king to glacier pass down to spring lake 1st night then over hands and knees pass to big five lakes 2nd nite. Over to little five and a long day over black rock pass to spring lake and glacier pass and down to your car. I would suggest another nite at spring lake on the way out.

merlynnmann wrote:I know it is not easy but consider out of mineral king to glacier pass down to spring lake 1st night then over hands and knees pass to big five lakes 2nd nite. Over to little five and a long day over black rock pass to spring lake and glacier pass and down to your car. I would suggest another nite at spring lake on the way out.

Glaacier Pass holds snow late in any year and this year ought to be well into August. Hands and Knee Pass aka Cyclamen Pass I touched on above has a class 3 headwall:

http://www.petesthousandpeaks.com/Capti ... sPass.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think Big Five Lakes is prettier. Didn't fish in either place.