Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

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kylekuzma
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Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by kylekuzma »

Hey everyone,

Anybody have any experience in the above route? I'm leaving for it at the end of this week. There aren't a lot of TRs about Glacier Ridge, but there were a few that I was able to glean some info from. The Arnot chapter was also helpful, but it still left me with a few questions.

1) Once over Lion Lake Pass, how is the traverse westward towards the old Coppermine Pass Trail down? According to Arnot, I could hike along the west wall of Cloud Canyon/east east wall of Glacier Ridge at about 10,600' as opposed to dropping all the way into Cloud Canyon and walking to the north end and then ascending up to Josephine Lake. Anyone have experience with this? Although the only meaningful snow is at the head of cloud canyon, I'd MUCH prefer the former route instead of going all the way north and then up to Josephine.

2) I've been unable to find ANY good trip reports about DESCENDING from Glacier Ridge into Deadman Canyon. Anyone able to help? Arnot has a few pages on what he perceives as a safe way down starting from Lake 9914', but i'd love some more info if anyone has anything. We're giving ourselves plenty of time for this descent so i'm not worried about not getting down, just more info would be helpful.

3) When ascending up to Big Bird Lake from Deadman Cyn, climb east or west of the outlet?

4) This will be my first time in the Tablelands and I'm really excited. Descending from Lake 11,200', does anybody have any tips? Stay north or south of the creek running from Table Meadows?

Here is the Caltopo that I've been working on for the trip. It's a total cluster-**** so please dont judge me. Hopefully this adds clarity to my questions: https://caltopo.com/m/2ST1

Thanks!
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kursavwilage
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by kursavwilage »

We visited Big Bird Lake 2 years ago coming from the Tablelands. We descended the west side of the outlet to Deadman and found it rather easy with some easy route finding among a series of slabs which eventually led us to a wooded area and a camp site close to the Deadman trail. Before descending the west side I did scout out the east side and concluded that the west side looked easier.
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MichaelRPetrick
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by MichaelRPetrick »

Hi Kyle, I can comment on item 4 from your queries.
kylekuzma wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:25 pm

4) This will be my first time in the Tablelands and I'm really excited. Descending from Lake 11,200', does anybody have any tips? Stay north or south of the creek running from Table Meadows?

Thanks!
I descended from Lake 11,200 to the Lodgepole trailhead in one day in the Fall of 2016 - we made it to the trailhead by 2 or 3 I think?

We stayed on the south side of the creek - that's where you eventually encounter ducks and a use trail closer to Pear Lake.

I can not recall any route-finding issues significant enough to lodge in my memory, except having to be attentive once in the trees down lower around 9500 feet for the left/south turn to get to Pear Lake and to not accidentally find oneself pushing towards Tokopah Falls.

I should say that I'd been to Pear Lake and above several times prior to that trip, mostly going up to Winter Alta, so I was very familiar with the terrain in the next few hundred meters just West of the lake already -- and for all I know, the split in the use trails that heads to Pear Lake is perhaps harder to find if you haven't been there before? (But I don't at all expect you'd find it insanely tricky given the other things you're tackling on this trip.)
Last edited by MichaelRPetrick on Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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kylekuzma
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by kylekuzma »

Thank you kursavwilage and Michael! Very helpful
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by cgundersen »

Hi kyle,
Ian Harlen posted a TR of an extended jaunt he did up to Josephine in late 2018. And, I posted a TR in which my buddy and I went in from Wolverton across the Tablelands to Big Bird (we descended east of the outlet until about 2/3 of the way down and crossed the creek on very smooth granite and then headed for where the trail had to lie). We went from Deadman up to Josephine and then down the other side before heading up to Colby Lake/Pass and looping around the upper reaches of the Kern-Kaweah basin and coming back to Glacier Lake via Triple Divide pass. Hence, there is a lot of overlap with your planned route. And, at some point since then, I responded to someone's query about scuttling along Glacier ridge, but I do not recall seeing a trip report. Aggressive searching might turn up something. And, Ian's TR is a fun read with additional useful info.
Good luck!
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druid
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by druid »

kylekuzma wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:25 pm
4) This will be my first time in the Tablelands and I'm really excited. Descending from Lake 11,200', does anybody have any tips? Stay north or south of the creek running from Table Meadows?
We just got back from a trip to the area. We ate lunch at lake 11200 and spent the night at lake 10559, staying relatively high on the way down. From there we stayed north of the river until around 9800' and then crossed and descended a bit more before traversing to Pear Lake. Route finding was fairly straightforward and we didn't even get the soles of our shoes wet crossing the Marble Fork.
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by kylekuzma »

druid wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:15 am
kylekuzma wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:25 pm
4) This will be my first time in the Tablelands and I'm really excited. Descending from Lake 11,200', does anybody have any tips? Stay north or south of the creek running from Table Meadows?
We just got back from a trip to the area. We ate lunch at lake 11200 and spent the night at lake 10559, staying relatively high on the way down. From there we stayed north of the river until around 9800' and then crossed and descended a bit more before traversing to Pear Lake. Route finding was fairly straightforward and we didn't even get the soles of our shoes wet crossing the Marble Fork.
How were the mosquitoes???
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kylekuzma
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by kylekuzma »

Thanks Bill. I read your Glacier Ridge TR and appreciated the info.

Also:

"8/24/91 Saturday 7;30 am
Kaweah Basin, Island in Lake. This must be the most beautiful place on earth."

I literally thought the same thing when i was there, and think i put it in my blog as well
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Re: Tips? Lion Lake Pass to Glacier Ridge to the Tablelands

Post by druid »

kylekuzma wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:20 am How were the mosquitoes???
There was a little breeze Sunday that kept them at bay. Monday morning at Lake 10559 we had frost on our tent which I assume kept them in check. We didn't notice any at all on the hike down to Wolverton. On the way in the mosquitoes were a bit of a nuisance lower down in the trees, but not too horrible, maybe a 3.
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