High Sierra Topix

Am headed to Devils postpile this weekend and am planning on doing a short loop to mineret lake and then over to either Altha or Garnet lakes. I am planning on either going over the ridge at Nydiver lakes and drop down into the backside of garnet or cross country past Laura Lake to Altha. My brother is looking for Photos, and I like to fish. If you had to choose, which would you pick?

Whitebark Pass from Nydiver Lakes is pretty straight forward, the smaller cluster of lakes west of Garnet are quite pretty and the area gives you a bit more solitude than the main campsites along the shores of Garnet Lake. Which route are you planning to use to get from Minaret to Garnet?

Fishing info on Altha and Laura Lakes: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8149&hilit=laura+altha+lake

I would add (to the report that Maverick already cited) that there is just about ONE campsite at Altha--at least if you approach it from the Garnet Lake use trail. That campsite is lovely, hanging out over the canyon to the east of the lake. But if there is someone camped there, I think you may have a hard time finding somewhere else that would be comfortable without impinging on the existing site. There are cliffs on the both the east and west sides that would be a challenge to get past.

Here's the cliff on the East: https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipN ... -pqHPJKpku


And you can see the same problem on the other side here:
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipN ... Su2myUUDAv

But if there is someone camped there, I think you may have a hard time finding somewhere else that would be comfortable without impinging on the existing site.

True but highly unlikely that someone will be there, especially this time of the year.

I caught a pretty big fish at inlet end of Garnet Lake, about this time of year, a few years ago. I think the north shoreline of Garnet Lake has some fantastic photo overlooks.