Brewer Creek

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tpdwr
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Brewer Creek

Post by tpdwr »

Anyone use or have information on using Brewer Creek between Cloud Canyon and Big Brewer Lake. Apparently it was used on the first ascent of Brewer, but I never see it mentioned as a regular approach/descent route.

Thanks
Don
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by oldranger »

Don,

Brewer Creek is doable but the hard way. I have fished up the creek aways from Cloud Canyon and it wasn't easy. (nice, generally unfished goldens though).

The easiest way to take the Avalanche Pass trail to directly s. of Moraine Meadow. The head s. aways until you pick up the old cowboy trail. It is actually possible if you have a good eye to follow the trail up to little Brewer Lake.

There is another cowboy trail that starts from Cement Table Meadow and zigzags up the e. side of canyon, then traverses n. until it crosses Brewer creek and hooks up with the other trail near the frog pond to the n. of Brewer Creek. Gotta go! my grandson just showed up. If you want more details pm me.

mike
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by tpdwr »

Mike,

Thanks for the info. I had thought just by looking at the map, that the Moraine Ridge vicinity looked like the way to go.

Don
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Re: Brewer Creek

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Don,

To continue, The trail from Cement Table used to be marked by an old snag that had an arrow and "Brewer Creek and Lakes" carved in it. I can't remember if it was still standing on my last trip in the area about 10 years ago. And even if you can find it an turn e. finding the start of the trail in the rocks and brush wasn't easy 20 years ago and there probably is more brush hiding the trail now.

From moraine meadow area I will describe the easy route. Head up the avalanche pass trail to the top of moraine ridge. The trail crosses a small creek flowing from S. to N. if there is water in it (almost always is). The trail parallels the creek s. a short ways then turns e. paralleling what on the map is shown as the n. fork of the creek. Shortly after the trail turns n. look for a jeffery pine shaped like an oak tree. Turn right off the trail here, cross the creek and head s up the shallow valley about a mile or so. There should be an old trail still visible that will cross your path. turn left and follow. The closer you follow the trail until you are clearly in the Brewer drainage the easier the going. The micro topography caused by the irregular dropping of ancient glaciers makes this area fairly complex and the trail, though not necessary, makes travel much easier. In the 80's I used to ride my horse up to about 10,600 feet then walk up to the Brewers to check out fish populations. Sometimes I'd ride as far as the "frog pond" at about 9700 ft. then take the other trail thru Barton Meadow and down to Cement Table and back to RR Ranger Station.

It is a great area. Fish mixture used to be interesting Rainbows in Big Brewer RB/Golden hybrids in little Brewer. Then way down near Cloud Canyon the fish looked like pure strain goldens but that is unlikely given the upstream heritage.

have a good trip

mike
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maverick
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by maverick »

Definitely stick with the Moraine Ridge route, the Cement route was filled
with bush 10 yrs back and would probably be a nasty bushwacking festival now.
I liked that little lake west of the word "Crest" on the map north about 11/2 miles
from Brewer Creek.
Ever visit that small lake under the Sphinx Crest Mike?
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by oldranger »

maverick

Sure did. Supposedly there is some kind of monument there. Couldn't find it. The Moraine meadows area has a bunch carvings scattered through the area and several old campsites. So I thought whatever was there would date to the basques.

I went by that lake on an early season patrol to upper Sphinx then over to Brewer. Got the bejesus scared out of me as I crossed a snowfield in Sphinx. Heard whompf then a sound like sifting sand. Apparently with the shallow snowpack and cold temperatures that spring there was about a one or two inch crust on a couple feet of temperature gradient (sugar) snow. So my weight just kind of set everything off. There was no sliding just a settling. The snow was so shallow I don't think there was an avalanche danger but being basically chicken I rerouted my journey a bit. The next day I camped by little brewer lake early in the afternoon, sat down against a rock to read, but was continually interrupted by rock falls off the S. wall of the canyon. Ah the delights of the melt freeze cycle in the spring. Next day I followed the trail down to Cement Table and then to RR.

Cheers

mike
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by maverick »

I didn't see any monument but do remember seeing some carvings and campsites at
MM.
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Re: Brewer Creek

Post by KT5519 »

oldranger wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:32 pm

From moraine meadow area I will describe the easy route. Head up the avalanche pass trail to the top of moraine ridge. The trail crosses a small creek flowing from S. to N. if there is water in it (almost always is). The trail parallels the creek s. a short ways then turns e. paralleling what on the map is shown as the n. fork of the creek. Shortly after the trail turns n. look for a jeffery pine shaped like an oak tree. Turn right off the trail here, cross the creek and head s up the shallow valley about a mile or so. There should be an old trail still visible that will cross your path. turn left and follow. The closer you follow the trail until you are clearly in the Brewer drainage the easier the going. The micro topography caused by the irregular dropping of ancient glaciers makes this area fairly complex and the trail, though not necessary, makes travel much easier. In the 80's I used to ride my horse up to about 10,600 feet then walk up to the Brewers to check out fish populations. Sometimes I'd ride as far as the "frog pond" at about 9700 ft. then take the other trail thru Barton Meadow and down to Cement Table and back to RR Ranger Station.


Mike
Mike, I went up to Big Brewer Lake via Moraine ridge for my 2nd time this week, stumbled across this post before the trip and was curious to try the route you described (the last time I went I left the trail while still heading east), especially because I love to try and find old trails. I found the turn easily; I did see a few Jeffreys scattered about in the general area; I'm not sure that I saw the particular one that you described, could be gone by now. Right at the turn, there was some carving on a tree; hard to make out the letters; as you're so familiar with the area, wondering if you have any familiarity with it? As soon as I crossed the creek I was confronted with a forest so dense that it was hard to get through it; it's amazing how things can change; I was rather curious about the last time you went through here; I was trying to imagine riding a horse through this area; it must have been a lot different whenever that was. After awhile, maybe 1/4 mile or so (although it felt much longer), things did open up and I found myself on a side hill going up the valley; alas I never did find the old trail. Up at about 10,235' I did find old horse droppings, and what maybe was an old blaze about 7 or so feet up a tree - it was a T shape though; not the usual lower case i shape, so maybe my mind made me think it was a blaze because of the horse evidence.
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Blaze.jpg
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