High Sierra Topix

I'm getting some plans together for a hike over labor day and am thinking of going over Lamarck and spending a day fishing around the Darwin lakes. Instead of hiking back over Lamarck, I was thinking of looping around to Piute Pass via Alpine Col. I did a day hike loop over Knapsack and back over thunder bolt passes last year while camped at upper Dusy and also did Puppet Pass last year. The boulders at Thunderbolt were pretty easy but tedious and took some time coming down to Dusy. The posts I have read about Alpine col. sound very similar (large boulders and tedious), how would you compare TB to Alpine Col. Any lakes in the Darwin basin that cant be missed for fishing? Phil

I'd say Alpine Col is more difficult because it's steeper and has large boulders for longer distances.

Yes, Alpine Col is harder than Thunderbolt. First, both sides have rocks. The south side is smaller rocks. On the north side I had to literally jump from one truck sized rock to the other. And once down, you have to hop rocks all the way to the outlet. I did Alpine Col with a light pack (last day of my entire High Route) and was obviously in good shape by then. Not sure I would have liked to jump across a 4-foot void with a heavy pack. I have carried a heavy load of technical climbing gear up Thunderbolt, and even then, it was not that bad.

I never tried fishing in the Darwin bench. I also have never seen fish jump. There were lots of little fish in Evolution Lake.

Here is a post from 2009 reporting on the Goldens in the Darwins:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4443&p=26605&hilit=darwin#p26605

Thanks for all the input. After reading about slogging over these passes, I'm thinking take the easy way out and switch my trips around a little so I and get some good fishing in at Woodchuck in late June and then hit Red mountain basin in early Sept instead of Lamarck. Ill wait to do Lamarck when I have more time to make a bigger loop. I have a long one planned with my brother in Aug out of Mineral King and one more to Vidette area in late Sept.