High Sierra Topix

Hello Friends,

I am looking for advise on a xcountry route from peeler lake area to the Thompson canyon area. Has anyone cut thru this area? The goal is to explore the Thompson and possibly Stubblefield canyon with out having to go down to the PCT to cut in. Has any one gone from the north end of Stubblefield to the north end of Thompson canyon?

Thanks for your help.

Kathy.

PS Thanks for the boards advise and trip reports I have seen some great areas of evolution valley, the McGee lake chains via the lamark col and explored slide canyon to doe lake to Tallulah lake.

Hi Kathy,

Go all the way to the end of Stubblefield Canyon, there is a lake there, head from its northern shore up up and over the park boundary, work you way down and around to the small lakes (there is also a Falls there), southwest of Hawksbeak Peak, follow the creek, go up and over the Mono/Tuolumne Co. line indicated on the map, which then puts you at the head of Thompson Canyon.

PS Thanks for the boards advise and trip reports I have seen some great areas of evolution valley, the McGee lake chains via the lamark col and explored slide canyon to doe lake to Tallulah lake.

Will you be posting a TR, and maybe some pictures Kathy, of these fun adventures? Maybe a intro too: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9329

I have done this route several times. The terrain is rocky - not difficult but you do have to go around several obstacles. Do not drop down too early to Thompson - traverse high and aim for the head of the canyon. Here is a map. The line drawn is not an exact route but generally the direction.

[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... ompson.jpg[/rimg]]

I have done the same route that WanderingDaisy drew. It has no technical difficulty, but it is a strenuous hike up and down the saddle west of Peeler. Be aware that pesky bears from Yosemite Valley are relocated to the Thompson and Stubblefield area. We encountered one in the big meadow of upper Thompson Canyon. There is a nice little table at the upper end of that meadow and on the west side of the stream that is a great camp site. Also, those ponds at the end of WD's drawing (which are just below the source of the West Walker River) are shallow, marshy mosquito breeding grounds. I had a horrid night camping there. The XC route that sidehills from there (following the contour gently uphill) to Tower Lake is a nice exercise in orienteering.

BTW. we did this route from west to east (Kennedy Mdw to Twin Lakes). Leaving the Thompson Canyon meadow, we backtracked the short distance up the canyon until we were perpendicular to the pass, then went straight uphill then straight downhill toward Peeler. Going the other direction, WD sidehilled from the saddle NW to a higher spot in Thompson Canyon.

This area is covered in Emigrant Wilderness and Northwestern Yosemite by Ben Schifrin, Wilderness Press.