High Sierra Topix

Hi,

I’m looking for an easy two night backpacking trip to take a friend out on her first time backpacking. I’d like to crash at Parchers after the long drive so something out of the Bishop area is makes sense to me.

I’ve been looking at Treasure Lakes. Maybe we could pop over Hurd Col and return on the Bishop Pass trail, although I’m not sure that is allowed based on the wording of the permits. Maybe go in on a Bishop Pass permit, camping past Long Lake the first night and then popping over Hurd to Treasure Lakes?

I’d like the trip to be low mileage. We hike weekly in Phoenix and her max at low desert elevations is about six miles/day. She’s fine carrying a backpacking load and enthusiastic about going backpacking but has declared a hard limit of two nights for now.

I’d very much like some easy off-trail time on this trip.

Me: semi-experienced. Hiked the JMT in 2015 and have had lots of failed/bailed trips out of North Lake and Sabrina since due to my old hiking partner who struggled w/AMS symptoms or solo trips where I bailed because while I’m comfortable solo I just don’t like being alone. I’ve enjoyed off-trail wandering in Humphreys Basin quite a bit and would probably go there if she was willing to commit to another night or two out in the field.

Timing is flexible, we are open all of June and July. I’ll snag a couple mid-week permits now and release what we don’t use as it gets closer and the snow situation materializes.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I have appreciated all of the responses and shared experience I’ve received from this community.

A few thoughts:

1. Hiking off trail is slow work. If your wife maxes out at 6 miles on a trail, she'll max out at about three miles off-trail. That doesn't give you a lot of range

2. Hiking up over high passes in June and early July is often a major snow adventure. Add hours to the trip...and your wife will not like that kind of adventure.

3. There are frequently use trails over most of the easy off-trail adventures in the Sierra, but those won't be visible with snow on the ground.

All that to say that if I wanted to make sure my wife had a great time doing some off trail hiking, I would choose an easier route, and just stick to the adventures available in the South Lake Basin on this trip. Of course, Dusy basin offers easy off-trail hiking, but that's more than six miles on the first day, and a tough climb over the pass for someone maxxes out at six miles of hiking.

Read Malice's trip report viewtopic.php?t=23383
First night to blue lake (from Sabrina lake) then move to Moonlight lake environs. Then you have a longer than 6 mile hike out, but it's all down hill. Or just dayhike the Sabrina basin, on and off-trail.

I’ve hiked a bit in the Santa Catalina range north of Tucson, and the rocky terrain (combined with afternoon heat, even in late Fall season) can sap my endurance as much as (if not more than) many Sierra Nevada trails. If Phoenix-area hiking is similarly difficult, perhaps your friend might be good for a mile or two more in the Sierra than what she can do at home, as long as the elevation doesn’t slow her too much.

Anyway, one suggestion for you (especially since you’re already familiar with North Lake) is to take her to Lamarck Lakes. It’s an easy distance for her, and you can spend your second day exploring the Wonder Lakes - an easy cross-country stroll. If she enjoys it, you can bring her back to do something longer and more challenging.

Balzaccom, Your thinking makes sense but I’m not sure I understand what you are suggesting. Can you elaborate on your suggestion of where I should be looking when you say “ All that to say that if I wanted to make sure my [friend] had a great time doing some off trail hiking, I would choose an easier route, and just stick to the adventures available in the South Lake Basin on this trip”? I do agree that going over Bishop Pass is too much.

Thegib, Yeah Sabrina does make sense and I’ve been up there a couple of times before. I find the climb up and descent back down a bit boring although I do like it once I’ve gotten up to Dingleberry and Midnight. I haven’t seen Moonlight and Hungry Packer. I agree that the hike out out is easy, all downhill.

Grampy, I like the suggestion of Lamarck Lake. I haven’t gone that direction out of North Lake.

Thanks, everyone!

I second the suggestion of Lamark Lakes. I've only done some minimal off-trail exploring around there while my backpacking partners were fishing, so I am not familiar with the route to the Wonder Lakes. But, I can say that the Lamark Lakes are beautiful, and the terrain appears to lend itself to off-trail travel. If I remember correctly, the hike to Lower Lamark is entirely switchbacks through a forested hillside (at least that's all I remember of it), so you might consider it boring.

Shade while climbing is not a bad thing

The Lamarck trail (TH at about 9350’) wanders through the forest to 9800’ or so, then opens up more. Right after you start, there are a couple crossings over N Fork Bishop Creek (both with a bridge), but trail can be wet/muddy early season.
If headed to Upper Lamarck Lake, the trail crosses the outlet from Lower Lamarck. Early season, looks like most people cross on a log-jam “bridge” right at the lake’s outlet. If the log jam isn’t there, the crossing could be hazardous (in my opinion) with high water flow, based on what I saw last July 22. I did not cross, as I had grandkids with me.
The kids enjoyed fishing Lower Lamarck and the second Wonder Lake; I walked up to the third and fourth lakes but not beyond.

Since you had been looking at Treasure Lakes for two nights, maybe consider hiking to it and setting up camp. Then you two could do some easy off-trail from there knowing your basecamp isn't far behind. There are some amazing views hiking "off trail" along the ridge that runs south-south/west from Treasure Lakes. While enjoying the views you could have a look at Hurd Col as beta for your next trek. It's a beautiful hike.

"Balzaccom, Your thinking makes sense but I’m not sure I understand what you are suggesting. Can you elaborate on your suggestion of where I should be looking when you say “ All that to say that if I wanted to make sure my [friend] had a great time doing some off trail hiking, I would choose an easier route, and just stick to the adventures available in the South Lake Basin on this trip”? I do agree that going over Bishop Pass is too much."

What I meant is that in South Lake Basin you can explore a lot and find wonderful places, but they might not be off-trail. Save the off-trail work for another trip. Or, as others have suggested, just do short day hikes off trail.

My wife and I began our off-trail adventures each evening after we had set up camp and eaten dinner. We'd always try to find a nice place to watch the sunset, and that frequently included leaving the trail. Sometimes it was only a hundred yards, sometimes it might have been half a mile. Never anything too hard (t was after dinner, after all) but she got the idea we could leave the trail and find it again, and maybe see some nice things others might have missed. We now regularly travel off trail...