Off-Trail Overnight Trips

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TehipiteTom
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by TehipiteTom »

My experience with Cherry Creek main fork is mostly in May (it's a good early-season trip), and I wouldn't even think about crossing. That time of year it impresses and terrifies with its sheer volume and power.
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rlown
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by rlown »

I was impressed. I'll leave it at that.
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BrianF
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by BrianF »

Last year I was in the same boat with only weekends available. In the middle of July I did an overnight to Tyee lakes in the Bishop creek area. I only saw a couple of dayhikers and one group backpacking out as I was hiking in. Had the 3rd lake to myself and no one was at the 4th lake either, both of which are beautiful. Took a great dayhike from there up to Table Mountain, which is a large plateau to wonder around with great views of the surrounding ranges. I was surpised to find it so empty given the popularity of the rest of the trailheads in that area.
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SSSdave
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by SSSdave »

BrianF wrote:Last year I was in the same boat with only weekends available. In the middle of July I did an overnight to Tyee lakes in the Bishop creek area. I only saw a couple of dayhikers and one group backpacking out as I was hiking in. Had the 3rd lake to myself and no one was at the 4th lake either, both of which are beautiful. Took a great dayhike from there up to Table Mountain, which is a large plateau to wonder around with great views of the surrounding ranges. I was surpised to find it so empty given the popularity of the rest of the trailheads in that area.
Tom as noted would be coming out of SF so anything beyond Tioga Pass not worth the long drives but for SoCal folks zipping up US395 a good choice. That noted, amused with your comment on Table Mountain. I'm one of the few that has backpacked up there which is mostly all quite high above 11k and have mentioned the area before on this board. Very pristine as no lakes, no fishing, thus very very few visitors haha. The southwest end of the plateau has spectacular sky high views of the crest with whimsical fairyland-like rounded eroded granite forms amongst granite sands one finds in the Peabody Bouldering area or Alabama Hills.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.19027,-118.58973&z=15&t=T
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mywildstove
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by mywildstove »

This is an awesome writeup, thanks!

Is it feasible to access Reymann Lake going XC off Rafferty Creek Trail before Tuolumne Pass? I've mostly seen people talking about getting to Reymann from Nelson.

Wandering Daisy wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:45 pm I thought the post was about off-trail overnight trips. The trips discussed have been on trails. So I guess you are up for either.

When I was a "weekend warrior" I was mainly climbing. Bagging a peak is a great way to do weekend trips. I would always leave ASAP after work and just drive as far as I could. Monitor Pass has good places to pull over and sleep (at 7000 feet too, so you get acclimated). That way I could still consider east side areas, as long as I did not have to go too far south. Twin Lakes trailhead (Hoover Wilderness) was always a good bet. Easy to get permits too. Go up to some of the small tarns near Matterhorn Peak. Blacksmith Canyon. Little Slide Canyon to Maltby Lake. Great trail loops too - Barney, Peeler, Rock Island Pass, Snow Lake, Crown Lake. From Peeler Lake you can to over to the lakes below Hawksbeak Peak in a long day. I think a long in-and-out is OK as long as the scenery is awesome from the start. From Buckeye trailhead take the Eagle Creek Trail to its end, and then you can climb Robinson Peak, Eagle Peak and Victoria Peak - great views up there.

Something off Tuolumne is a no-brainer. Best free campsite for Friday night is on Ackerman Creek (go up the hill after crossing the creek and turn left on a dirt road - many FS campsites along the creek.) The most challenging off-trail overnight trip I have done is descending Tenaya Canyon from Tenaya Lake, camped right at the "Jump Off". Need rock shoes to descend the slabs and then a few short rappels. This is a fall trip because you would drown if done at high water- must walk in the creek a lot. A good early season trip is to hike from Olmstead Point to camp on the top of the buttress half a mile east of Mt Watkins. There is a seasonal creek in the draw between. Great view - if full moon- fantastic view right down into Tenaya Canyon.

Kuna Crest - this is written up in Phil Arnot's guide "Range of Light". I did it - trail to Parker Pass, traverse to Helen Lake, haul water up to Pt 11812, bivy. Next day run the crest north and back to Tioga Pass. You can camp at Helen Lake, but I did a bivy on top because mosquitoes were horrible down low.

Good off trail lake - Mc Clure Lake - go on PCT up Lyell and leave trail at the bridge, follow the drainage up.

Or up Lyell to Donohue Pass, and x-country to Lost Lakes. I actually did this from east side - left the trail at Waugh Lake .

Rafferty Trail to Fletcher Lake and off-trail to Townsley Lake

From south end of Saddlebag Lake, take trail to north of Green Treble Lake, over the pass between White Mountain and Mt Conness and then traverse to Roosevelt Lake or Young Lakes. Or do not go over the pass, instead, go north on Roper's High Route, past Conness Lakes and camp at Cascade Lake. Or take the boat ferry across Saddlebag Lake, and to Upper McCabe Lake.

Green Lake trailhead out of Bridgeport - easy overnight trips with good fishing. East Lake and West Lake both nice, few people at West Lake - also little lakes above.

Early season - down to the top of Waterwheel Falls.

Mono Meadows - climb Mt Clark for a real off-trail adventure, or poke around Star King

Glacier Point - I am a big fan of Pohono Trail.

Lots in Desolation Wilderness too. But I think I have said enough.
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bobby49
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Re: Off-Trail Overnight Trips

Post by bobby49 »

Anecdote:
We had a large group of 16 backpackers, and that is too many for off-trail travel in Yosemite. So, we divided the large group into two groups of eight. The first leader took his group up the Rafferty Creek Trail, and then cut up over the ridge and down to Reymann Lake. As the second leader, I took my group up the trail toward Elizabeth Lake and Nelson Lake. Then, when we got up to the ridge, we dodged over along the ridge and came down the direct way to Reymann Lake. The first leader had told me that he and his group would be waiting for us at Reymann Lake, but somehow I got my group there first. Often the mosquitos are a bother if you camp at lake level. However, if you move 50 feet above the lake and 200 feet away, there is no bother.
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