High Sierra Topix

I'm curious about those who've been over Blue Canyon, Mantle, and Reinstein Passes as well as to Davis Lakes thoughts on the two below cyan/orange trip options: (Starting next Thursday the 2nd).

The off trail passes and wild country on the orange bit really appeal to me, but Starr's route on Goddard has also been calling to me for a while.

I'm torn, and am turning to fellow Sierra-philes to help me get my butt off the fence.
Both people on this trip are comfortable with 20+ mile days on trail, strenuous off-trail, and know how to use ice axes. I've done the JMT twice, and the SHR as a thru.

I have also done the cyan version of this trip without the Davis Lakes/Goddard chunk in 2015 of a low snow year, but in a very hurried knee-mashing three days.

I have eight this time and really want to explore. All thoughts/suggestions welcome!

I'm heading out that way at the beginning of August for 7 or 8 days. I'm planning on hiking through Hell for Sure area, over to Bench Valley and then over to Blackcap Basin and back to Maxson. I've been to many areas of the Sierra but I have yet to see any of that zone. It might be a bit less rugged than the area further southeast that you're looking at but might be worth considering too. You could do the loop you've shown but go over Gunsight Pass (I think it's called) and down through Bench Valley on the way back to Maxson instead of going back through Blackcap area again.

dougieb wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 10:42 pm I'm heading out that way at the beginning of August for 7 or 8 days. I'm planning on hiking through Hell for Sure area, over to Bench Valley and then over to Blackcap Basin and back to Maxson. I've been to many areas of the Sierra but I have yet to see any of that zone. It might be a bit less rugged than the area further southeast that you're looking at but might be worth considering too. You could do the loop you've shown but go over Gunsight Pass (I think it's called) and down through Bench Valley on the way back to Maxson instead of going back through Blackcap area again.

Oh good call, I'd forgotten about Gunsight entirely.

Combining that with Crown -> Blue Canyon -> Reinstein Passes definitely gets me the most new territory on this trip. I'm likely going to go with that route, it's pretty much exactly the same mileage and elevation gain/loss as the other options.

Thanks for the idea on such a nebulous ask, this is exactly what I was looking for!

I have spent a lot of time in this area and have a number of trip reports at: www.sierrahiker.com

sekihiker wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:35 pm I have spent a lot of time in this area and have a number of trip reports at: www.sierrahiker.com

I have to say, Bill, your site was one my first Sierra inspirations back when I started exploring the range (living in Ohio at the time) in 2004! : ) Many thanks.

Trip went well, only ended up going over Finger Col, Reinstein, and Valor due to my hiking partner not liking Class 3 and snow as much as I thought he would.

Will post a trip report sometime soon once I've deleted all the crap photos from my iPhone.

MichaelRPetrick wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:04 pm

sekihiker wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2020 1:35 pm I have spent a lot of time in this area and have a number of trip reports at: www.sierrahiker.com

I have to say, Bill, your site was one my first Sierra inspirations back when I started exploring the range (living in Ohio at the time) in 2004! : ) Many thanks.

Trip went well, only ended up going over Finger Col, Reinstein, and Valor due to my hiking partner not liking Class 3 and snow as much as I thought he would.

Will post a trip report sometime soon once I've deleted all the crap photos from my iPhone.

Glad things went well. Looking forward to the report.

I have done both. Both take some long travel before you hit the "good stuff" and the "good stuff" is wonderful.

Personally if I were doing Blue, I would go in from Florence Lake. Then you can go from Davis Lake over to McGee Lakes or Evolution Lakes and have less repeat miles to come out. I also think Ionian Basin-Davis is worth a trip in itself and not combined with Red Mountain Basin.

I am quite confused about your return route details on the orange route. I have done the portion that is orange, exactly, except the opposite direction. I went in from Florence to Martha, a few days in Ionian then your orange route, back up Rainbow? Lake, dropped back to Goddard just down from Martha. A lot of repeat miles on that trip. That loop really would have been better from Courtright. . From Rinestine Pass I traversed high over to Ionian. It would have been better to go into Ionian via Goddard Pass- less repeat miles. Anyway, I think I wrote a trip report. It was a long time ago. Also went to Tunemah Lake, and explored the small lakes below it. The lakes north of Finger Peak were some of my favorite. Too many miles on that trip and I would definitely go slower if I were to do it again and not try to cover so much in one trip.

Your map is a bit confusing to me. Not sure what each route really involves on the return. Perhaps you can make two maps?

Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:05 pm Personally if I were doing Blue, I would go in from Florence Lake. Then you can go from Davis Lake over to McGee Lakes or Evolution Lakes and have less repeat miles to come out. I also think Ionian Basin-Davis is worth a trip in itself and not combined with Red Mountain Basin.

Yeah, I was looking at maps post-trip and I definitely think next time I'm in that region of the range I'll be doing a trip like that.