High Sierra Topix

Hi Everyone!

Well, my second annual trip was planned and without a lot of time I booked a permit for Dinky Lakes to explore for the third time. However, with two weeks until my trip I am feeling underwhelmed and want to go somewhere new. Being close to Courtright (two hours) I was looking at my maps and saw Devil's Punchbowl and Hell for Sure Lake. After googling the pictures it looks beautiful! So now, I wanted your advice. I can be at the trail head at 12:00pm Sunday August 5th and have until Thursday at 4:00pm to get back to the trailhead. With this in mind, I think a loop is very doable to this area. I wanted your thoughts and criticism as I have never been up that way.

Idea 1:
Sunday Day 1: Acclimate and Camp at Courtright (or get a head start and camp somewhere on the trail a couple miles in)
Monday Day 2: Hike to and Camp at Devils Punchbowl - 14.5 Miles
Tuesday Day 3: Day Hike Around to all the Lakes (maybe go up to the pass) and Camp at Disappointment Lake - 6 Miles
Wednesday Day 4: Hike back to Trail head 10.6 Miles

Total Mileage: 31-34 Miles

About me:
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails
What is your main interest?
- Lakes
- Big Mountain scenery
- Photography

Have you hiked at elevation before? Any prior issues with Altitude Sickness?
I start feeling this on day 1 at around 8500 depending on sleep, hydration, etc. And need to take a break of about an hour at 9000. For whatever reason between 9000-10500 I am pretty solid (on two experiences). It's the first part that gets me.


Please let me know your thoughts on this.

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My suggestion is hiking to Post Corral the first day, to be at the bottom of that long climb up to the lake basin. Combining that long hill with 14.5 miles on the first day sounds like a death march.... Heaviest pack plus steep hill plus long miles.

Bring plenty of stove fuel if you catch fish to eat. No fires up there.

I would say the scenery up there is comparable to Dinkey, but it's a bigger hill to climb. My approach is usually going over Hell for Sure from the Goddard side, or going over the cross country pass from Bench Valley over one of the shoulders of Mount Hutton.

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Well, I will miss you by a couple days..we are doing a RMB to Bench to Blackcap to Woodchuck and out to Wishon starting on the 2nd. A couple things: First, definitely hike on Sunday. Either Hobler or Post Corral make easy first day acclimation hikes, and shave miles off the next day. Second, Disappointment Lk. isn't 10.6 miles from the trailhead...more like 15. If I was doing it:
Day 1: post corral
Day 2: either Disappointment or Dale (easy from either to go check out the southern end of the basin). Dale has some great campsites on the north end of the lake, and you can have a campfire there (only place in the basin I believe)
Day 3: loop around Blackrock up to Arctic to HFS up the pass and back. Gorgeous country.
Day 4: head home. If you want to reposition to Fleming and knock off a couple miles for the last day, that works too.

ts

This report will give you some suggestions of where to visit in this beautiful area: http://www.sierrahiker.com/RedMountainBasin/index.html

Thank you everyone for your awesome help! I am sorry I got something wrong in my first post, I have until Wednesday, not Thursday to get back to the trail head! Sorry! However, thank you all again! I have a revised itinerary too (based on TS's suggestions)!

Day 1: Hike and Camp and Post Corrall: 6.1 Miles
Day 2: Hike and Camp at Dale Lake: 6.5 Miles
Day 3: Explore the Basin and Camp at Disappointment Lake: 9 Miles
Day 4: Hike out: 14 Miles

Quick question TLSHarb, can you see the image below and let me know if this is the route you recommended on day 3?

sekihiker wrote:This report will give you some suggestions of where to visit in this beautiful area: http://www.sierrahiker.com/RedMountainBasin/index.html

Thank you! I will read this now with my coffee!

Full agreement with AT about camping at Post Corral the first night. You can also make a loop via the King's river, then up to Devil's Punchbowl from the South.

Note that the climb from Post Corral to Flemming Lake is tough. So is the climb from Kings River to Devil's Punchbowl. Once you are up in the basin, hiking is a lot easier.

My favorite lake of them all the Lower Indian, above Rae Lake. Nice fishing, too.

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