Summer Planning: North Lake/Goddard/Blackcap/Bench Valley

[steiny98]

Since it is the winter all I can do is plan and daydream about the summer. Inspired by some trip reports I've read here I'm considering doing the following loop.

Day 1: North Lake to Evolution Lake via Lamarck Col - 9 miles
Day 2: Evolution Lake to Martha Lake via Davis Lake Pass - 10 miles
Day 3: Martha Lake to Blackcap Basin via Valor Pass - 4 Miles
Day 4: Blackcap Basin to Bench Valley - 7 miles
Day 5: Bench Valley to Goddard Canyon via hell for sure pass - 10 Miles
Day 6: Goddard Canyon to Darwin Bench - 10 miles
Day 7: Darwin Bench to North Lake via Lamarck Col - 6 miles

Any macro suggestions about the above would be helpful, ie other places to see instead, sounds like too much in a day, fish here or there, etc.

My friend and I have begun venturing into cross country terrain (Humphreys Basin, Red Slate Mountain area, Lake Basin) but want to keep things class 2. I like this loop because it looks like I will pass by some good fishing and will give me a chance to pass through evolution basin. Other areas we are considering are Bench Canyon/Blue Lake Pass/Rodgers Pass near last year's HST meetup or heading into the Bear Lakes Basin and venturing through there. We have to begin and end on the east side of the sierras because we will be meeting other friends to head into the 4th Recess/Hopkins drainage for three nights around labor day and will do this trip the 7 days prior to meeting them. Thanks for the input.

[maverick]

7 days is just too short for this trip, leave Blackcap Basin/Red Mountain Basin for another dedicated trip, just too much to see and do.

Would recommend that you spend a night at Lower or Upper Lamarck Lake to acclimate, if altitude has not a prior issue, then go over Lamarck Col and spend a night at either one of the Darwin Lakes or Darwin Bench (fabulous views). Head south on the JMT, use Black Giant Pass to gain access to Ionian Basin, head west thru the basin, use Goddard Creek Pass to head down to Martha Lake. Head north and into Davis Lakes Basin, use Pass 11,720 to gain access in McGee Lakes Basin, use either McGee Pass or hike thru McGee Canyon, and then up to Darwin Bench, and out.

[daniellorme]

I did a hike in this area in October 2015 and it is an exquisite and desolate region -- highly recommended. I entered the backcountry from the west and went up Blue Canyon Creek and then Goddard Creek then along the ridge about Martha Lake to Valor Pass -- joining your proposed route then through Blackcap Basin to Bench Valley to Red Mountain Basin (then I turned back west while you'll be going east over Hell-for-Sure). Blackcap Basin is easy to traverse and explore--and it looks like in your four mile day from Martha Lake you should have some time to do that. I most recommend spending a couple of hours traversing up to Lake Confusion and looping around the lake -- the views of Goddard are spectacular, the lake is strikingly blue, plus it is a wonderful geographic oddity perched where it is. I tried to get up here early in the morning but slept in too late to witness the sunrise over the crest to the east--but still quite a spectacular place in the morning light. I'd also recommend checking out the remote lakes to the south of Ambition Lake (e.g., the quiet Division, the wind-swept and cliff-surrounded Pearl) if you have time.

The pass to Bench Valley is pretty simple, if I remember correctly, and Bench Valley is a bit more lush and forested than other places that you will have encountered on your trip up to that point. The route over to Red Mountain Basin and Devil's Punchbowl required a bit more use of Secor's pass descriptions as it's not as obvious, but seemed straightforward with his excerpts.

A possible alternative on day 5/6 is instead of going down (north) into Goddard Canyon along the trail from Hell-for-Sure, you head back up the canyon a bit then cut over back to the east to Davis Lake (which, admittedly, you had passed going the other direction), then over the obvious and relatively easy pass between the east side of Davis Lake and McGee Lakes, then down McGee Canyon to Evolution Valley, and then cross Evolution Creek and head south on the JMT for two miles to the Darwin Bench cutoff. This might be too much to fit into your trip (I did McGee on a separate trip), but McGee Lakes area is remote and lush and certainly worth checking out at some point.

[steiny98]

Maverick- thanks for the input. Not what I wanted to hear but noted. Altitude isn't normally a problem for us, we made it from Taboose TH to Bench Lake in one day last year and felt fine. I was playing around with the idea of Ionian Basin, but most people here have said its very uneven and rough terrain to travel and there isn't any fishing to be had. I do want to spend one night on darwin bench, and plan to do so on the way back.

Daniel- thanks for the details, definitely will look into those.

Just thinking out loud, I could cut out Bench Valley and Red Mountain Basin, and instead enter Goddard Canyon as described, use reinstein to access lake 10,232, and then pop over to Blackcap Basin, then re enter Goddard, and exit through McGee as suggested above.

[maverick]

I was playing around with the idea of Ionian Basin, but most people here have said its very uneven and rough terrain to travel and there isn't any fishing to be had.

Ionian is stark and is slow going, but that is what makes it appealing and intriguing.

True about the fishing, though if fishing is the main objective of your trip, then a trip thru Humphreys (French Canyon & lakes near the Glacier Divide) or Blackcap/Red Mountain Basin (with a visit to Martha Lake) would be much more productive, the lakes in the Evo area will mostly produce fish on the smaller side (goldens) except for the lake downstream from the fishless Lake Wanda, the upper end of Colby Meadow, Lamarck Lake and Darwin Lakes (second lake) on the way in. McGee Lakes Basin is pretty, but it too has smallish golden hybrids, Davis has smaller fish too.

[giantbrookie]

I would agree with some that this plan is a bit on the fast paced side, not so much in terms of feasibility but in terms of not allowing enough time to enjoy some of these exceptionally nice and remote locations. That having been said, I realize that many of us do not have the luxury of the optimal amount of time, so your game plan is pretty much the sort of trip I have a history of doing. If I was going to quibble w details, I'd camp in Darwin Cyn instead of Evolution L at the end of day 1. Folks who know my priorities can probably figure out why (same reason I'd also figure out a way to camp at Davis L. instead of just passing by).

I was playing around with the idea of Ionian Basin, but most people here have said its very uneven and rough terrain to travel and there isn't any fishing to be had.

Ionian is stark and is slow going, but that is what makes it appealing and intriguing.
True about the fishing, though if fishing is the main objective of your trip, then a trip thru Humphreys (French Canyon & lakes near the Glacier Divide) or Blackcap/Red Mountain Basin (with a visit to Martha Lake) would be much more productive, the lakes in the Evo area will mostly produce fish on the smaller side (goldens) except for the lake downstream from the fishless Lake Wanda, the upper end of Colby Meadow, Lamarck Lake and Darwin Lakes (second lake) on the way in. McGee Lakes Basin is pretty, but it too has smallish golden hybrids, Davis has smaller fish too.

A few things to add here. All lakes in Ionian Basin are fishless. It is a very interesting place to wander in--someone once said that there is absolutely nothing flat anywhere in Ionian Basin which is true. There is a lot of up and down over jagged, splintery metamorphic rock which makes for this really austere rugged experience. There are lots of little steps and cliffs that are too small to really show up on topo maps so it is more rugged than you might think by simply looking at a map. Note that the entirety of the McGee Lakes is slated for fish removal as per the FEIS released August 2016. I do not know the scheduling of the fish eradication efforts, but I'd avoid the McGee's for fishing purposes (note the fish were pretty small there anyway). The fish in Evolution and Sapphire are small. The unnamed lake upstream of Sapphire has the best fish in the Evo. but it is also slated for fish removal. Blackcap has mostly medium sized rainbows with a couple of exceptions. I do not have personal experience at the Bench Valley to Hell-for-Sure lakes, although at least one of them has good fish (see some past thread on Topix). There are three esteemed (ie in terms of big fish) fishing spots on your planned route. I think you can read between the lines of my post and figure out two of them (and your game plan includes camping at the 3rd one, so you'll find that one out).

[AlmostThere]

Bench has good fishing opportunities, as does Red Mountain Basin. Exploring the lakes off the official trails yields good results. Many of the lakes yield moderately sized brook trout and rainbows, some of them will fill your 10" backpacking skillet (no fires allowed, bring plenty of fuel). This was three of the dozen or so fat, large rainbows of the day -- we had four such meals at this particular lake.

DSCN1014.jpg

[steiny98]

Sold! This trip has definitely moved to number 1 on my list.

McGee looks very nice just from a scenery perspective, and it would allow me to loop back to Davis... might have to do that.

GiantBrookie your trips are pretty similar to what I aim to do- see a lot in a short amount of time. Even with me hoarding all my vacation days for the summer, I still have to travel to LA from NYC (I'm an LA native), see my folks, then have to make my way up, etc. so it is pretty difficult to get some more days out there, but maybe I can try and squeeze an additional day.

AlmostThere- great picture.

Thanks for all the great info as usual.