High Sierra Topix

Thanks everyone. Lots of good information! Here is what I ended up with for a tentative plan:

1. drive to South Lake and walk into Saddlerock Lake
2. over Bishop Pass and down trails to the Palisade Creek/Middle Fork confluence (missing bridge)
3. down trail to Simpson Meadow, cross Middle Fork, and on to Kennedy Creek confluence (or thereabouts)
4. down to Crown Creek
5. return to Kennedy Creek or Simpson Meadow.
6. return to JMT, and up it a short distance
7. to Palisade Lake (easy day and contingency)
8. High Route to the lower Barrett Lakes via Cirque Pass and Potluck Pass
9. Day hike to Lake 11115 and over Knapsack Pass, to Dusy Basin Lake at 11430 (or if out of food I can bail out via Thunderbolt Pass)
10. Out over Bishop Pass and drive home

Still not sure of the timing. Perhaps mid-June. Definitely will bring fishing gear, head net, and wear gaiters for the brush. Now if I can talk some poor masochistic soul into going with me.

The common thing I always hear from people who go to Tehipite Valley is that they wish they had more time down there. No way to work in a rest day in TV? I'm going down in August for 5 rest days! Well, I'll be climbing so they're not really rest days and it'll give me plenty to do.

There is some contingency in the schedule. I have conservatively estimated traveling only 1 mph between Simpson Meadow to TV and may be able to get there earlier. If the bugs are bad, I am not that interested in hanging out. I have 1-2 days on the return that I can skip if I choose to stay longer in TV, by either returning on the same in-route or going out from Barrett Lakes via Thunderbolt Pass (one day out instead of two via Knapsack Pass). I usually can beat my planned travel times and am more commonly a day ahead of schedule instead of behind. So if the lure of Tehipite Valley is strong, I will stay longer!