High Sierra Topix

My partner and I had plans for doing the Rae Lake loop over labor day (9/4 - 9/8) and it looks like the Rough Fire may put an end to that trip. We were considering heading up to Emigrant and hiking Kennedy Meadows --> Upper Relief Valley --> Emigrant Lake --> Mosquito Pass --> Kennedy Meadows.

Has anyone made this trip before or have any suggestions for this area. We are both about Level 3 hikers.

Specific Questions:
- What's the best place to park / camp the night before. Looks like trailhead campgrounds fill up.
- Any preference for clockwise or counter-clockwise?
- Current conditions?

Thanks!

I have hiked KM to Emigrant Meadow Lake and on eastward numerous times. I am getting pretty old and willing to give up some of my secret spots. This map shows some of them. There is a good camp site overlooking Relief Reservoir that's marked. Below Saucer Meadow is a very good camp overlooking the stream and the best swimming hole I've ever found is just a few feet upstream. It's in a canyon with high shear granite walls on both sides, The pool is perhaps 8' wide, 8' deep, 20' long, and has a shear waterfall of about 13' pouring into the upper end. Most years the water flow is a lot of power to deal with, but August in a drought year is magnificent. When you top out at the beginning of Lunch Meadow, there's a warm solar pool near the old sheep camp. It may be dry this year by now. Hidden Valley is one of my favorite secret places in the Sierra. The meadow is lush grass and amazing wildflowers in the spring, the stream crystal clear, still, and deep, and it used to have trout. There is a perfect camp site sheltered by granite walls on the NW corner of it. I haven't done the rest of this loop. Have a great time.

http://caltopo.com/m/3E0N

Tom_H wrote:I have hiked KM to Emigrant Meadow Lake and on eastward numerous times. I am getting pretty old and willing to give up some of my secret spots. This map shows some of them.

http://caltopo.com/m/3E0N

Thank you! This is wonderful advice! Will post a trip report if we take this route. Still holding out hope that Rough Fire might be contained.

Thanks to Tom_H for sharing your favorite spots. Does anyone happen to have a cached/downloaded/original copy of this map? I'm heading to Emigrant tomorrow (in lieu of smoky HST/JMT) and would like to visit some of these; but the caltopo link is giving me server errors.

Cannot access the link either Tom.

Still holding out hope that Rough Fire might be contained.

Even if they got things contained (25% as of today), the smoke will impact the area for quite some time.

Still holding out hope that Rough Fire might be contained.

Even if they got things contained (25% as of today), the smoke will impact the area for quite some time. [/quote]

The ranger I spoke to didn't seem to think the park would be open for quite some time and that the conditions would remain poor for the rest of the season. They wouldn't rebook for later in the year and told me to plan next year.