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Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:07 pm
by Hobbes
maverick wrote:"while not really the main topic" really.
Let's keep the thread on topic, start a separate thread.
It's probably not worthy of a separate thread, but maybe we can create debate teams to discuss the point in July. Last year, we stayed up till 11pm shooting the sh!t, but for some reason I cannot seem to remember what the heck we talked about.
As for night drops and more flexible start times, now I'm thinking I could possibly jam down the SHR from Piute, and then exit Mono. Other than Pioneer, I'm not sure there's enough to see coming in from LLV. But, going over Feather & the Bears, or even just Italy & Mills from Pine, could be possible with more time to deal with shuttles & permits.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:08 pm
by Hobbes
hiccup
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 12:04 pm
by Hobbes
Upon even further thinking, it's dawned on me that this location will be both the shortest distance and have the flattest elevation profile so far. Per my initial calculations, if one were to start from the nearest TH @ LLV, the total distance is around 15 miles with 2k+- ascent/descent.
The four previous meet-up locations were (significantly) more remote, had (much) more elevation gain & loss, and in some cases entailed (substantial) cross-country efforts. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it actually provides a lot of options.
For one, if one were properly motivated and in sufficient condition, you could literally hike in, say hi, spend the night, and hike out. For those with difficult schedules and/or last minute change of plans, this could provide a viable option.
For two, it's quite easy to add many different alternative pathways and make a trip out of it. The previous four locations required budgeting sufficient time just to reach/return, so trip plans were by necessity dominated by this basic time/effort.
For three, there may be situations where people might be in the general area with different plans, but are flexible enough for a quick in/out. This would be a variation of #1 above, but it would still allow hikers to pursue altogether different regions.
As for me, I'm toying with #2. Lots of options, including the SHR, or fishing certain select spots, or just winging it on the fly.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:46 pm
by Shhsgirl
Wish I could come, but recovering from total hip replacement. Someday, I'll make it to one of these.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:28 pm
by SNOOOOW
Hobbes wrote:As for me, I'm toying with #2. Lots of options, including the SHR, or fishing certain select spots, or just winging it on the fly.
Don't forget Red Slate, Red & White, Isaak Walton or The Big 4 to name a few
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:00 pm
by maverick
Wish I could come, but recovering from total hip replacement. Someday, I'll make it to one of these.
2019!
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:15 pm
by richlong8
Hobbes wrote:As for me, I'm toying with #2. Lots of options, including the SHR, or fishing certain select spots, or just winging it on the fly.
I have a permit for Mono, and my top priority is to make a visit to Lower and Upper Mills Creek Lake. That is assuming that Mono Creek is fordable. Second is to visit Red and White Lake. After that, the great thing about this trip is the flexibility,and having 9 days to wander around. Many optional side trips available. I might even get a permit and come in by Lk Thomas Edison and forget about Mono Pass entry.Since I am starting the trip on a weekend, It is worth a few extra bucks to have a guaranteed spot, and change my mind if I want to. It should be a good one, after my disappointment of aborting last year due to Taboose creek high water.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 8:17 pm
by fishmonger
Just checked for the 2018 date and location. Noted on my calendar. I am pretty free to build a trip around this date, so if I decide to hit the Sierra this summer, this meeting will be part of my route and timing. In fact, it'll be half the reason for going. I'm somewhat undecided if I actually want to go this year.
There are other competing ideas, like riding the Colorado Trail on my fat bike, and that's a full summer vacation right there. I need a few more weeks to make up my mind. The Sierra generally wins out, though, plus after a few aborted summer trips, there's a lot of unfinished business to attend to. Time to look at some maps. My guess is that I will be coming from the north. Time to check some old trip reports from Rogue to get the lay of the land around that lake.
Should I head out west, I'll be alone this summer, since my son plans to work during summer break. What a concept.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Thu May 24, 2018 9:44 pm
by SSSdave
After announcing the destination and given the dry start to winter storms, I thought there was a decent chance of catching the dates. However this May has been very stormy with snow actually adding to the pack above 10k. Reno newspaper just ran a story saying its been the third wettest May on record. Just looked at the Worldview satellite that shows a clear view for May 25 and snow on the Silver Divide has barely changed over the last couple weeks. May 11 and 25 look the same. And the current storm coming in tonight will add more snow.
Of all the Mono recesses, the Laurel Creek recess keeps snow maybe longest because its north to south orientation with high ridges is shady. Thus am not willing to gamble wasting the effort to backpack in there over a second straight summer only to find that canyon barely out of snow melt dormancy. Instead likely will schedule a 9-day base camping trip for 3 of us out of North Lake over Piute Pass into Humphreys Basin and Carol Col maybe starting early August picking up a walk up permit.
Also for those interested in the shortest easiest route in, simply take the Edison ferry, then hike east up the Mono Creek horse trail, then vector north at the Laurel Creek spur trail that goes as far as the brink of its hanging valley. Above there, a couple decades of avalanches have obscured what was once a horse trail, (WD related a "good trail" but not now.) on the USGS topo. However to reach Laurel Lake, another 2+ miles is trivial crosscountry simply walking up through open timberline along the east side of the creek. Also instead of WD's advice of going up to that topo pond above, better to turn up northeast into the other headwall canyon. Just look at the less steep closeness of the topographic map lines. And unless one is a peakbagger, definitely don't climb up along the outlet from Grinnel Lake as that is steep class 3 slabs. See this page for visuals of those slabs:
http://www.davidsenesac.com/2017_Trip_C ... .html#aug7
For those coming in over Grinnel Pass from Red and White Lake, if there is still a lot of snow, going around the east side of lake via the usual route could be difficult using the standard late season route. See my input today on the Grinnel Pass route that includes an image.
Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 7:32 pm
by Gazelle
So getting closer who is in for this still? I am for sure!