High Sierra Topix

I am entertaining a Deadman Canyon Loop.

Two questions based on this thread
1) Sugarloaf -> Roaring River alternatives via Tablelands: Are those above off-trail/cross-country efforts? I personally want on-trail since I am Level 1/2 in such regards. And really ,is this sandy area that terrible?

2) Elizabeth Pass -> How much does snowpack settle in up there and fail to melt out? I hear it can linger for long while. What may expect at end of August in typical year and high snowpack year? We're not a crew super attune to how to hike on snow.

Thanks

1) it depends on what you call terrible. I hate overheating, and hitting open granitic sand in full sun after 10 am (because the forest was burned away some years ago) at mid to low elevation? Sucked. Sucked, blew, and it was absolutely filthy hiking. Fortunately there was water to roll around in at the end of the day. Hiking in granite at higher elevation was still giving the bounceback of the sun, but being higher helped, and not slogging along in several inches of sand for mile after mile with all my pores clogged was quite nice.

The on trail version would be Wolverton to Bearpaw, to Elizabeth Pass. Much nicer hiking so far as the filthiness goes - also a little higher, and much of the exposed parts are do-able in the morning. The views are better but that route will not be so isolated - big groups do the HST together, we saw a constant stream of people both coming and going.

2) You'd probably be fine in August. I may do Elizabeth again this year but in September. Elizabeth is a wide open expanse of talus and it would take a lot of snow to make a cornice.

AlmostThere wrote:1) it depends on what you call terrible. I hate overheating, and hitting open granitic sand in full sun after 10 am (because the forest was burned away some years ago) at mid to low elevation? Sucked. Sucked, blew, and it was absolutely filthy hiking. Fortunately there was water to roll around in at the end of the day. Hiking in granite at higher elevation was still giving the bounceback of the sun, but being higher helped, and not slogging along in several inches of sand for mile after mile with all my pores clogged was quite nice.

The on trail version would be Wolverton to Bearpaw, to Elizabeth Pass. Much nicer hiking so far as the filthiness goes - also a little higher, and much of the exposed parts are do-able in the morning. The views are better but that route will not be so isolated - big groups do the HST together, we saw a constant stream of people both coming and going.

2) You'd probably be fine in August. I may do Elizabeth again this year but in September. Elizabeth is a wide open expanse of talus and it would take a lot of snow to make a cornice.

Thanks. Helpful. So this loop wouldn't take me out Twin Lakes / Silliman / Ranger then? I had envisioned out Lodgepole, loop around via the lakes -> Deadman -> up Elizabeth and exist out Bearpaw to Wolverton area. Where does the loop come in if you go down Elizabeth Pass to Deadman? I am unclear.

Well, you could do a lollipop - depending on the length of the days and the trip. Go out over Elizabeth, to the junction at Roaring River, then up Cloud to Colby Pass, over to Kaweah Gap and back via Precipice, Hamilton, to Bearpaw and back to Wolverton.

In fact, I might just do that myself.

AlmostThere wrote:Well, you could do a lollipop - depending on the length of the days and the trip. Go out over Elizabeth, to the junction at Roaring River, then up Cloud to Colby Pass, over to Kaweah Gap and back via Precipice, Hamilton, to Bearpaw and back to Wolverton.

In fact, I might just do that myself.

That trip looks amazing, but comes to about 90 miles or so. A bit more than we would like to bite off in 5-6 days. Thanks for clarifying. We might be stuck in the sand for a hot day if we go for Deadman.

The slog can be shortened by permitting from Rowell Meadow instead of Lodgepole and self-shuttling around to that trailhead - it's over in Big Meadows. We nearly did that ourselves.

Wouldn't Rowell require one to walk via Roaring River -> Sugarloaf?

Wouldn't Rowell require one to walk via Roaring River -> Sugarloaf?

Yes, it would.

That trip looks amazing, but comes to about 90 miles or so. A bit more than we would like to bite off in 5-6 days.

You are correct, you need to allow yourself time to scout out locations which you can go back to at sunset and sunrise, otherwise, you will be only be taking documentary photos of your trip.


There are no shortcuts, besides using crosscountry routes to do this trip Sambieni. If photography is the priority, Lost Lake (sunrise), Ranger Meadow (wildflowers), Big Bird Lakes outlet creek (wildflowers), Tamarack Lake, Lonely Lakes outlet creek (wildflowers), Cement Meadow (Whaleback photo's), Hamilton Lake (sunset), Precipice Lake, and Kaweah Gap (sunset) are some of the places along or close to the trail that you should make an effort to see, time and energy allowing.

It may take more than just a day or two to capture some special light in a location (many times I will spend 3-4 night or more in a location and still not get anything), for you allocated time my preference would be to concentrate on Cloud and Deadman Canyon or just one of them, both of these locations have a lot of subject matter to offer a photographer and one should not rush thru them, if you chose just one of these locations then Lost Lake could be visited on the way in or out too.

Maverick - thanks. You'e confusing me for LTM01. I am just hopping into his/her thread so as not to create a new one - since many of my questions were related. For me - its all about getting miles in to see a landscape, a few easy photos, and a chance to recline by my tent each night with a book, good food, and good chatter.

You're confusing me for LTM01.

Sure did, at least in some of my reply, which is why we prefer everyone starting their own thread instead of piggybacking off of someone else's, which is why you now have your own thread.