Gemini Lake Pass or Feather Pass
Posted: Thu May 07, 2015 3:05 pm
My first post to HST! I’ll be posting trip reports from this summer and from other areas in the coming month/year.
I've been backpacking since I was 14 years old (1994) and have become a Sierras junky since moving to the west coast in 2006. I'm a teacher so I get 1o weeks in the summer to backpack. I spent winter break doing the Kalalau trail with my brother and wife for the 3rd time and spring break doing Havasu Falls for the 2nd time.
The week before July 4th, 2013 I did a solo 7 day loop trip starting at Bear Creek Dam to Lake Italy, White Bear Lake, Vee Lake and back. Since then I've done additional cross-country including some random trips in Yosemite, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Kings Canyon and even cross country in Henry Coe State Park (when the poison oak permits). I spend about 28+ days a year backpacking due to the flexibility of my job.
My wife and I backpacked 3 separate week long trips in the summer of 2011 starting in June so we are very familiar with snow and even cross country snow travel.
This August we are planning back to back week long backpacking trips. The first trip will follow the Roper Route from Mono Creek Trail to Muir Ranch.
My questions is regarding Feather Pass vs Gemini Lake Pass. The 7 Gables Lakes are a point of interest and seems to be the shorter route to Piute Creek from the Bear Lakes Basin. However, Roper's route follows the Bear Lake Basin west and uses Feather pass which would make more sense if we were continuing south on the HR. Another option seems to be Strough Pass; like Gemini Lake Pass there seems to be limited information and trip reports. All of these passes are rate class 2 and I am wondering if anyone has input or experience with these passes. Our priority is the shortest and easiest cross-country route from Vee Lake to Puite Creek heading east to Muir Ranch.
Our 2nd week will be following a re-ration at Muir Ranch. We will follow the JMT through Evolution Lake area and cross-country to Goddard and loop back to Florence Lake via JMT after the Goddard/Evolution Junction.
Level 4- Comfortable with trail and/or x-country travel, all terrain
6 Nights, 7 Days
Day 1: Mono Creek Trail
Day 2: Upper Mills Creek Lake
Day 3: Lake Italy or White Bear Lake
Day 4: Vee Lake or 7 Gables Lakes
Day 5: Gemini Lake Pass Area (?)
Day 6: Muir Ranch Area via Puite Creek
I've been backpacking since I was 14 years old (1994) and have become a Sierras junky since moving to the west coast in 2006. I'm a teacher so I get 1o weeks in the summer to backpack. I spent winter break doing the Kalalau trail with my brother and wife for the 3rd time and spring break doing Havasu Falls for the 2nd time.
The week before July 4th, 2013 I did a solo 7 day loop trip starting at Bear Creek Dam to Lake Italy, White Bear Lake, Vee Lake and back. Since then I've done additional cross-country including some random trips in Yosemite, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Kings Canyon and even cross country in Henry Coe State Park (when the poison oak permits). I spend about 28+ days a year backpacking due to the flexibility of my job.
My wife and I backpacked 3 separate week long trips in the summer of 2011 starting in June so we are very familiar with snow and even cross country snow travel.
This August we are planning back to back week long backpacking trips. The first trip will follow the Roper Route from Mono Creek Trail to Muir Ranch.
My questions is regarding Feather Pass vs Gemini Lake Pass. The 7 Gables Lakes are a point of interest and seems to be the shorter route to Piute Creek from the Bear Lakes Basin. However, Roper's route follows the Bear Lake Basin west and uses Feather pass which would make more sense if we were continuing south on the HR. Another option seems to be Strough Pass; like Gemini Lake Pass there seems to be limited information and trip reports. All of these passes are rate class 2 and I am wondering if anyone has input or experience with these passes. Our priority is the shortest and easiest cross-country route from Vee Lake to Puite Creek heading east to Muir Ranch.
Our 2nd week will be following a re-ration at Muir Ranch. We will follow the JMT through Evolution Lake area and cross-country to Goddard and loop back to Florence Lake via JMT after the Goddard/Evolution Junction.
Level 4- Comfortable with trail and/or x-country travel, all terrain
6 Nights, 7 Days
Day 1: Mono Creek Trail
Day 2: Upper Mills Creek Lake
Day 3: Lake Italy or White Bear Lake
Day 4: Vee Lake or 7 Gables Lakes
Day 5: Gemini Lake Pass Area (?)
Day 6: Muir Ranch Area via Puite Creek