High Sierra Topix

hey all

i know many of you went in or out taboose pass last month -- has anyone been up since then?
i'm curious how the lower taboose creek crossing is looking these days.

related question: is there a reasonable spot on the north (i.e. trailhead) side of the creek for two tents?
(in the event that we wanted to wait until the AM to cross.)

i'm also curious if anyone has been over cartridge pass this summer. i haven't seen it mentioned.
i imagine there may still be some snow or ice on the north side?

I can't imagine Taboose creek would still pose a challenge at this point. From my recollection, other than a very small clearing right before the upper crossing, there aren't really any tent spots. Rather, there's only room for a short term bivy. If you're getting a late start and just want to make some miles before dark, you can always just throw down on the trail.

We could see the Cartridge drainage from our meet-up spot, and the south looked pretty clear of snow. Don't know about the north of course, but if Pinchot is any indication, it might not be much more than patches.

The issue you might have, however, is getting over the S fork Kings river. Perhaps the flows have now been reduced enough to enable crossing at the trail. But last month, it required hiking 1-2 miles north to find a suitable spot to ford. That potentially extra mileage (both ways) should be factored into your trip plan.

hey
thanks so much for the info.

i was indeed factoring that bushwack into our plans, but surprisingly came across this at the NPS trail conditions page yesterday:

"8/15 - The south fork of The Kings River can be crossed on PCT at 10,000ft now, it is no longer considered hazardous. Please, stick to the trail."

From a reliable source I heard the road to Taboose Pass TH is washed-out a half mile from the TH.

This is the camping spot at the 1st crossing, not really big enough for two unless you are super friendly

Yep, have used that site before, when coming in late at night, just a heads up, there was a hornets nest in those bushes one year.

Rich and I fit easily on that spot the night of 7/26 without tents and without bugs, just a mouse or two. Three could fit into the space OK without tents. 4 would be very cozy. I'd say the space is problematic for setting up and fitting tents. But you won't need them unless it rains.

The water level was not noticeably any higher or lower in the morning vs. the evening.

The road wasn't washed out as of the end of July, just bumpy. SUV recommended.