Hoover/Yosemite/Emigrant 8/29-9/6

[MountainMinstrel]

Ok I haven't post much in a while so let me start here. Taking a group of 5 on a trip into Hoover/Yosemite/Emigrant 8/29-9/6 from Leavitt Lake. Here's the rundown on the group. Three of us are level 3 backpackers with comfort in class 2. The fourth does not have much backpacking experience but dealt with the HST with us a couple of years ago with no problems. The fifth is a bit of an unknown but has done several long tough dayhikes with #four (she's his new wife). She is in great shape and can work circles around most men so I'm not worried too much about her.

Main interest would be spending time outdoors. Three of us love to swim so we like lakes, and who doesn't like big mountain scenery.

Here's the plan...

Day 1 upper/lower Long Lake. 8.5 miles +1000 -2000
Day2 Dorothy Lake via Cinko 7.5 explore the lady lakes
Day 3 Horse Meadow creek 7.3 or Black Bear Lake an additional 1.3 and 832” gain.
Day 4 a spot about 1 mile off trail between Mosquito Pass and Lunch Meadow (TomH's secret valley) 6.5-7
Day 5 High Emigrant Lake 7.1
Day 6 over Big Sam and out 9.4 or split it up and stop at one of the small lakes just past Big Sam.

Any thoughts would be helpful as I have never explored this part of Emigrant. Are we going to have water at those tarns past Big Sam? Have a left something out or included something not worth it?

[MountainMinstrel]

One more thing... are there bear boxes at the TH at Leavitt Lake?

[wildhiker]

The Long Lakes are very shallow - warm enough to swim, but not alpine. Thick forest around them with only distant peak views. Cinko Lake is a nice spot and off the beaten track (off the PCT) - has an impressive granite knob visible to the north. The lady lakes are great and easy cross-country - we camped at Helen Lake and liked it. Dorothy Lake is impressively large with alpine peaks to the east - but can be very windy. I haven't been to your Day 3 and 4 proposed campsites. High Emigrant Lake is in a completely treeless bowl - maybe not the best for camping, depending on the weather. The hike over Big Sam Mtn has impressive views first of the great gash of Kennedy Creek and then of the whole area from on top. There is good camping at the very headwaters of Kennedy Creek just before the trail down from Big Sam reaches the PCT. There is a meadow with a spring and open whitebark pine forest nearby.

If you want more big mountain scenery, I would suggest starting at Sonora Pass rather than Leavitt Lake. Also makes the drive a lot easier to skip that rough road into Leavitt Lakes. The PCT south from Sonora Pass winds it way up to the ridge crest and then runs at about 11,000 feet practically on the crest for about 5 miles. Truly exhilarating, top of the world feeling and views. Of course, if you do that, you will have to shorten some other section of your trip. We did a 5 day trip from Sonora Pass camping 1st night at headwaters of Kennedy Creek (spot mentioned above), then continued on PCT to the lady lakes and headed off cross-country to camp at Helen Lake 2nd night (skipped Cinko Lake on that trip). Third day we had a shorter distance over to Snow Lake, which has an outstanding camp on the southwest corner, and took a dayhike over to Bigelow Lake. Fourth day we hiked up and over Big Sam Mtn and camped at that headwaters spot of Kennedy Creek again. Fifth day back out to Sonora Pass.

-Phil

[Wandering Daisy]

With a group of 5, if you have two cars, Wildhikers plan is great, ending instead at Kennedy Meadows rather than go out the same route. The car shuttle between Sonora Pass and Kennedy Meadows is quick. Even with one car, someone could easily hitch back and bring down your car. This is a standard PCT stop and lots of folks hitch hike between Kennedy Meadows and Sonora Pass. Or go in Sonora Pass, then Big Sam to Emigrant Lakes, then Lady Lakes and out the Walker RIver to Levitte Meadows. Personally I would not want to walk the Sonora Pass to Upper Kenedy Canyon part twice. It was fabuolusly scenic but rough tread and VERY windy - not the most pleasant hiking conditions. WIth one car only, your Levitte Lake trailhead plan is probably the most efficient.

If you are fishing, Middle Emigrant Lake is not only pretty but has good fishing. Upper Emigrant Lake is pretty bleak. If you entier via the PCT from Sonora to Lady Lakes then go over Bond Pass to the Emigrant Lakes headwaters, you can exit either Brown Bear Pass, Mosquito Pass or go over Big Sam and descend on a use-trail down to Kennedy Lake and out. If you go out Mosquito Pass, Emigrant Lake inlet area is very nice. You could then do a day-hike to the inlet - very scenic. Cattle are grazed at Kennedy Lake, so if you do not like the idea of sharing with cows, then do not go down Kennedy Creek. Ciniko Lake is preferrable to Long Lakes, but if you have time to reach Cinko, you could likely make it to the lower Lady Lakes with more time to explore here where it is more scenic. Snow Lake is worthy of a short side-trip if you have time.

I did a trip very similar last fall and did a trip report 8/25-29. Last year was odd with lingering steep hard snow on Big Sam so I could not go that route. Doubt there will be a problem this year. Last year there were still swarms of mosquitoes at Emigrant Meadow Lake at the end of August (on the other hand, wildflowers were at peak). This area is very swampy and mosquitos can be a problem well into the late summer. Thankfully, it is usually windy, so hiking by in the day is not bad, but I would hesitate to camp there when the wind dies down in the evening.

[balzaccom]

You've got some great advice here from WD and Wildhiker. I can only agree with what they've said. We loved Cinko Lake, love to cross country to the Lady Lakes, Like fishing in Middle Emigrant and found Upper Emigrant pretty desolate. Should be a great trip!

[Wandering Daisy]

I have done the route via Snow Lake, Bigalow and Black Bear (actually on my way to Twin Lakes), and I thought Snow Lake was the most scenic, and the other two not quite worth the effort, although they would provide solitude. I did this trip second week September and everything was really dried out, so perhaps that's why I did not really like it all that much. I did not find Horse Meadow that great either. But I can see it would be quite pretty when green. I personally prefer the high route via Grizzly Meadow and Middle Emigrant Lake to get to Emigrant Lake. I think Wildhikers suggestion of going the longer route from Sonora Pass would provide more bang for the buck than time spent on Black Bear Lake. I also had zero luck fishing Black Bear or Bigalow. Smoke also plagued my trip, so my opinion is probably skewed a bit.

[Tom_H]

I agree with Wandering Daisy re. going out at Kennedy Mdw. if you can. I hope my little favorite place still has water by that time. If you go out at Kennedy, I will give you the location of my secret swimming hole, as well as the location of a great camp site at Relief Reservoir.

Regarding your person #4, I have seen people who were exceptional athletes still be hobbled on their first backpacking experience by several things. The first is blisters. The rest of the body can be strong, but carrying a pack on a rugged trail in boots (especially new ones) can bring blisters on within an hour. Make sure she has wool or modern synthetic backpacking socks, check for hotspots regularly, and have moleskin, molefoam, tape, and little scissors ready. Make sure her feet stay dry. The second is altitude sickness. I took a group of college football players who had never been above 1000' elevation in their lives on a trip in CO where we started above 10k'. They just were not acclimated. They were tough and dealt with the pain, but it took them over a week for their lungs to adjust. The third is bruises on the hips. Even experienced day hikers can get bruises on the hip points if they carry a heavy pack on their first backpacking trip. Make sure she has a good hip pad and be ready to carry a little of her weight if this should happen.

[Wandering Daisy]

Tom's preference for going out to Kennedy Meadows remined me of anther good reason; this route out is do-able in all sorts of weather, whereas, returning via Sonora Pass is not.

I too have had good athletes do poorly on their first backpack. At higher altitudes you actually have to slow athletes down because they are so used to pushing it. A slow steady pace is much better for higher altitudes. Going in from Sonora Pass is not that high altitude, but you do stay up there for a long time on the first day. There actually are a few places to camp along that route (water being the main issue) if you run into trouble, but it is not like you can easily stop and camp.

As for blisters, trail runners or light hiking shoes are better than boots. I would encourage your new person to avoid boots and use a trail running shoe that she has already broken in. Also, no reason for your newbie to carry a heavy pack. You want to make her first backpack experience a good one so she wants to continue in the future.

[mschnaidt]

There are no bear boxes at Leavitt Lake. The road in was pretty rough last September. A high clearance 4wd shouldn't have an issue if the road is in the same condition as last year.

Leavitt is a pretty lake...

20170913_092833 (Medium).jpg

[balzaccom]

If not, you can certainly drive the first mile (we saw a minivan parked near the creek crossing) and that would still cut a mile off your hike. Or you could just hike from the area near the road. It only saves you two miles to drive all the way to the lake.