High Sierra Topix

I have been doing some research for my summer trips and have a couple of trips planned for early summer on the west side. I need to make a choice between either the red mountain area or the woodchuck lake area. I fish, but that is not the defining factor. If you had a choice, which area would you choose. It seems as if its a coin flip, but thought I'd ask. Thanks for the help, Phil

Woodchuck for fishing. Red Mt. for scenery.

Mike

I don't know how long you're planning for, but why not both? come in from Wishon, go via woodchuck, Half moon, and Bench Valley just to make it incredible - then over to Big & Little Shot to Devils Punchbowl and into Red Mtn. Basin from there. Involves some cross-country sections that way.

Woodchuck is pretty but Red Mtn. Basin is spectacular.

I would start in Red Mtn and go on to Bench, Blackcap and onward! been there before and the biggest rainbows were in a small lake in Bench... brooks and goldens are out there too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies. Due to work, I can get quite a few 4 day weekends, but it's difficult to get much more time than that. I plan to do both of these areas but needed to pick one for this year. My goal is to begin exploring the west side this year with a week out of mineral king with my annual trip with my brother and then another long weekend up at Red mountain area. I'll still plan a few for the east side since it seems to be a lot easier to get to for me.

I've done both separately, also done trips that did both in one trip as suggested above. Caught a 14" Brookie and a nice Rainbow at Woodchuck Lake, nice Rainbows at Blackrock Lake too. That's where I camped when in the Red Mountain Basin. There's more to see in the Red Mountain Area, I visited all the lakes when there. Camping at Woodchuck is kinda exposed, not many trees for shade in camping areas (as I remember). There's also not much ground above to block the wind.

They both have nearby passes, but not much to see from the pass near Woodchuck (Crown). Very good views from Hell For Sure Pass, you can look 3,000 feet down the other side to the South Fork San Joaquin River. Most of a Woodchuck trip will feel like you're in the trees. On a Red Mountain Basin trip, once you pass Fleming Lake, you get that high mountain feel. There are trees to camp in at some of the lakes though, Black Rock, and Devils Punchbowl. Also, the Red Mountain Basin gives a nice Loop option. On the way back out I took the trail past Devils Punchbowl to the North Fork Kings River, it connects back up at Post Corral Creek.

Woodchuck has one outstanding viewpoint of Monarch Divide, Great Western Divide, and Sierra Crest. It is near the high point of the trail between Woodchuck and Crown lakes. Other than that the focus is on fishing. Mike

WOODCHUCK is fishing....