TR Vernon-Jack Main-Frog Creek 5/26-31 2021

[Wandering Daisy]

Vernon-Jack Main-Frog Creek-Laurel
May 26-31, 2021

This 5 night/6 day/48.6 mile route was basically an in-and-out with some inner loops. Unlike my Yosemite Valley rim trip a week ago, this trip was all about smaller scale scenery. The high point of the trip was Jack Main Canyon. The low point was mosquitoes and other difficulties at Laurel Lake (well, if you do not count getting totally skunked fishing). I saw more wildlife on this woodsy trip; four bears, one huge rattlesnake, several smaller snakes, frog serenades every night, tons of Mallard ducks, curious deer, and of course, the ever present lizards and birds of all kinds that I cannot identify.

5/26 Hetch Hetchy to Lake Vernon plus drive
9.6 miles, 3350 feet gain, 6.3 hours

I managed to leave town at 6AM and the drive was fast, so was on the trail at 10:30. My permit was for Laurel Lake the first night. I reached Beehive early afternoon in spite of considerable deadfall to climb over for a few miles. I decide to continue to Lake Vernon, arriving at 4:45PM. After setting up across the bridge, I fished a bit but could not entice the fish to come near shore. All the rises were well out of my casting range. It was a long day so I cooked dinner while two very curious deer came very near. I had to shoo them off!

5/27 Lake Vernon to mid-Jack Main Canyon
8.8 miles, 2075 feet gain, 6.3 hours

Dawn arrives early this time of year! I cooked breakfast, then wandered along the shore and fished a bit more, again with no luck. I packed up and left a bit before 8AM and backtracked to the Moraine Ridge trail junction. I was pleasantly surprised that Moraine Ridge Trail was in good shape, at least to the high point. The third of a mile, 300 foot drop was full of major detours around deadfall. The trail then descends a 400-foot slot canyon to where Falls Creek tumbles down to Vernon Lake valley. All of Jack Main Canyon has some classic rock steps on the trail. I wonder who built all them. The first miles up Jack Main are very brush-choked woodsy to two small lakes. I lost the trail at a deadfall detour near the two lakes, but it did not delay me too much. Then more rock steps over a hump and I dropped into a big dry grassy meadow. The upper end is at the crossing if you were to take the trail to Tilden Canyon Creek.

I arrived at 2:30 and spent too much time finding a campsite. Too many choices! I settled on the levee adjacent to Falls Creek where I would have a nice breeze and morning sun. It also had a few lingering snow patches which I thought would work perfect to store caught fish (wishful thinking). After setting up, I walked to what looked like a perfect pool for fish, upstream from the trail crossing, and fished without any luck. If I were a fish I would want to hang out here; obviously, I am not a fish. The nice breeze died down and mosquitoes were a bit pesky as I bathed and washed my shirt. Where the creek comes right up to the levee banks, it is 5-6 feet deep (looks, because the water is so clear). After dinner I fished up and down the banks of the levee. In the evening three curious deer wandered by. Frogs serenaded me all night with the waning moon. I awoke the next morning to frost on the meadow.

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[Wandering Daisy]

5/28 Day hike up Jack Main and move camp to 7760 (where you drop into Jack Main)
8.0 miles, 7.4 hours walking, 975 feet gain

With the poor luck fishing, I decided to simply day-hike up Jack Main Canyon with a side trip to Mahan Lake. Here is where you understand the name “Falls Creek”. Not large falls, but one after another! The first mile is away from the creek in a flat with large ponds and the trail runs under the cliffs of Point 8273, which separates Mahan Lake from Jack Main. I then found what could be a use-trail, more likely a game trail and followed it towards the east end Mahan Lake. I stayed out of the brushy drainage (also a place where one might run into a bear), instead walking on rock slabs to just above the outlet of the lake. After photographing, I returned to the trail. Mahan Lake was not what I had envisioned; it was pretty but deep green (algae?) and instead of sheer slabs it was fairly vegetated.

The continuing miles up to the PCT junction is Jack Main at its best. I see where it would be a good place to stream fish, but was running pretty fast. There were a few snow patches to cross before intersecting the PCT northwest of Wilma Lake (7946). Two PCT hikers were resting on a rock. The fellow said they started March 28 and walked clear through. They said the stream crossings this year were easy. They had just crossed Falls Creek, which continues up to Dorothy Lake; it was knee deep (tall fellow) but very cold. There also were a few mosquitoes.

Returning, I met a couple at the Jack Main-Tilden junction. They pointed out a very colorful bird and asked me a few questions about camping on Jack Main (there are plenty of choices). It took about an hour to pack up, rest and bathe.

At first I planned on stopping at a pool farther downstream where I thought would be good fishing. I did not find it, but instead ran into a rattlesnake, round as a beer can, coiled and blocking the entire trail, cliff on one the uphill side, steep slope into huge talus blocks on the downhill side. He hissed and rattled; I backed up. He did not move. I threw a small rock and he just hissed more. This usually works and the snake moves. Not this snake! The only other rock on the trail was a bigger one, about 5x5x3 inches. I waited, threw the rock hoping to just scare him this time. Well, I hit the bull’s eye- smack in the center of the coiled snake. The rock hit, he spread out as he uncoiled, really hissed and rattled but moved only slightly off the trail. After a few minutes I tapped the trail and he hissed and rattled, with no intention of going more than an inch away from the trail. So I backtracked, slid down the slope and clamored over the huge talus blocks to the creek’s edge, and gradually returned to the trail through a tangle of deadfall.

I now paid more attention to my surroundings. I ended up going up the steps in the slot canyon and camping at the top of the buttress with a great view of Falls Creek running down the steep slabs far below. It also was a windy location- great to keep mosquitoes down. As usual, just as I started to cook dinner, the wind died and the mosquitoes and black flies emerged from out of nowhere to pester me. I ate dinner walking in circles.

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[Wandering Daisy]

5/29 Camp on buttress to Frog Creek Lake 7385 by way of Bearup Lake
4.7 miles, 355 feet gain, 5.0 hours + 1 hour fishing

All night I had debated on just going out the Moraine Ridge trail and spend two nights at Laurel Lake, or two days to Laurel Lake; via Ardeth, Miwok and Bearup Lakes and then down Frog Creek. I compromised; I would go directly to Bearup, stay if fishing was good. Then descend Frog Creek only about 3 miles before cutting back to Moraine Ridge Trail.

I left at 8AM and went up the trail a short distance until I found a somewhat clear way through the deadfall littered forest. There is a little creek not shown on the map. I crossed it to the northeast side short of half mile down. I ran across a few cairns as I neared the lip of the slabs above Lake7385 down on Frog Creek. The cairns pointed to a short drop to avoid cliffs on the right, and then back up a bit. Well, that ended any pretense of a trail. I descended a steep gully due north to the unnamed lake about a half mile downstream of Bearup Lake. As I traversed rock benches above the northwest shore I ran into several established campsites. The half mile to Bearup Lake was like an obstacle course, avoiding brush, cliffs, a swamp and crossing the creek, ending up on the north shore of Bearup Lake at 10AM. I fished for an hour, mainly in the broad outlet. I saw fish and got a splash next to my fly, but caught no fish. I had about as much trouble going back that half mile.

I debated camping at the downstream lake because it looked enticing, but decided that it was early enough to go down to Lake 7385 which looked lovely when I gazed down on it on the way to Bearup Lake. This would give me a bit more leeway if I got into difficult travel down Frog Creek. But getting there was more than I expected. The map does not do justice to the cliffy nature of the terrain. Up and down, around, backtrack, and the most annoying was that I knew exactly where I needed to go, but the little slot canyons all went 90 degrees the wrong way! I had to drop nearly to the creek the wrong direction before I could correct course. So what should have been 1.5 miles was 2.5 mile with its share of bushwhacking and clamoring up rocks. I was not sure which of the two lakes I ran into, so spent some mileage assuring myself I was at the upper lake. All the while, clouds were building to the east.

I found a wonderful campsite on the south shore of Lake 7385, with a clean sandy tent site, a perfect bathing rock, good view and a pretty little lake full of Mallard ducks. Not a mosquito in sight! I spent a lazy afternoon watching the storm coming, with distance thunder. At 4PM rain started. One clap of thunder shook me a split second after the flash. That was close! It rained lightly but steadily for 45 minutes. It was only after the storm that I realized that my campsite also was well protected from the winds that howled through the tree tops. After dinner I walked to the lower lake and scouted a route downstream. The frogs serenaded me all night. Frog Creek is aptly named!

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[Wandering Daisy]

5/30 Lake 7385 to Laurel Lake
10.1 miles, 8.4 hours, 775 feet gain

I left camp at 7:10 AM and the route was surprisingly easy- a mix of walking on rock slabs and adjacent animal trails, southeast of Frog Creek. Just before my route ran into Frog Creek, I spotted fluffy reddish brown fur, what looked like a juvenile bear. He was right in my intended path across the rock slabs; instead I had to drop down to the edge and make a wide circle ending just as I hit Frog Creek where it makes a half-circle bend. From this point, crossing Frog Creek would be the easiest way, if one wanted to wade across a waist deep but low flow creek. I stayed to the southeast of the creek, and sadly left the creek at little falls and beautiful pools. Then it was an upward traverse, past a shallow large lake (shown as swamp on the map) and intersecting the Moraine Ridge Trail at 7300. The walk down to Beehive was quick and I met several people.

Shortly there are two trails to Laurel Lake, although the sign just says “1.0 mile” for one and “1.2miles” for the other. Assuming that the 1.2 mile (less used) trail headed to the north end of the lake, I started down it. I had to detour a huge fallen log just before Frog Creek, where I crossed on a log. Then I could not find the trail after zig-zagging up the hill through horrible stuff, I probably could have just gone cross country. To be safe I instead went back to where I crossed, returned to Beehive and started again, this time using the better used trail to the south side of the lake.

On the way I ran into a mother bear and two cubs near the south shore. I wanted distance from the bears so walked the poor condition shore trail to the north end. To my dismay, the one nice campsite was a “dude convention”. I doubt they wanted an old lady nearby, so I went back to mid-shore at an established campsite. As hot as it was, being in the shade was welcome as I started setting up camp at 3PM. As nice as the breeze was to keep bugs down, it made fishing difficult. I gave up and took a 1-mile hike (fighting brush and deadfall) to a pretty little lake to the north. It was shallow and part was covered with past-bloom water lilies. Then it was eating dinner walking in circles. I could not wait to dive into the tent. For a day that started so well it sure ended poorly. This should have been a 6-mile day, if not for the unexpected difficulties around Laurel Lake, of all places.

5/31 Laurel Lake to Trailhead
8 miles, 4.4 hours, 675 feet up, 3,000 feet down

I did not even make breakfast, instead drank coffee while taking down the tent and eating trail food. The nasty little mosquitoes were even out at 5AM! It was a very warm night. I left at 6:40. It was a hot and uneventful walk back. Being last day of Memorial Day weekend, the trail was crowded with backpackers doing the Vernon Lake Loop. It was HOT!! Looking on the NWS website when I got home, it was 93 degrees in Yosemite Valley at4PM. Surprisingly, the drive home was not crowded. There was a huge slowdown for those coming down from Sonora Pass; I was going the opposite direction. Hwy 49 was not bad at all.

Not the best trip, but I did get to spend some time in places I had on my to-do list. Some days were good, others not so. Without mosquitoes and holiday weekend crowds I suspect it would have been more enjoyable. It is too bad that so much of the trails are in such poor condition. Trail crews are sure going to be busy this summer.

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[Wandering Daisy]

Here is a map of the route. I could not get a permit to Rancheria Creek, otherwise it would have made a lot more sense to do the Vernon Lake loop counter clockwise with the add side trips to Jack Main and Frog Creek. The only permit I could get was in-and-out Beehive trailhead.

Route.JPG

[paula53]

Thank you for that trip report. You had an ordeal dealing with the downed trees and overgrowth. I do want to hike to Vernon and Laurel Lakes. I live on the eastern side of the Sierra, travel to that side would be an all day event for me. Sigh.

[SSSdave]

Enjoyed your photos. The 7120+ granite bedrock slab zone of Frog Creek is a great place to base camp where one is not likely to see any others. Both Frog and Falls Creek go dry in worst drought years that may kill trout.

At this time of year given the significant stream inflows, most rainbows in both Vernon and Bearup are likely in the upper parts of those lakes due to more food in the flow and especially the more oxygenated water. I haven't been back to Vernon in decades however the inlet stream early season used to look like a fish farm. As you found out, the outlet of Bearup was only moderately difficult to reach while the east half of that lake where Sierra lunkers range is difficult. The south side and north west sides cliff out. To climb around the northwest is a cliff with dense willows at the lake edge and requires a 500 foot effort and a steep descent on the east. One time I came in from Miwok and another from Edyth, both ugly as it is glaciated granite land forms with pockets of dense vegetation and brush. The inlet is a marshy swamp with a tedious route upstream. Ardeth IMO is the most scenic in that zone and Mahan Peak a good views, though given lack of spawning no longer has fish that once included lunkers.

[giantbrookie]

Thanks for the report. I was really looking forward to this, having been at Laurel and Vernon May 11-12, and the report and photos were worth waiting for. This entices me to get further upstream to Jack Main Cyn on some future trip. Sorry to hear that the mosquitoes were out in force, apparently having emerged after May 12. Perhaps if one is up there early enough the mosquitoes have not multiplied to the point where they are an issue. I was just up at Granite L. in Mokelumne on Wednesday (June 2) and the mosquitoes were a non-factor; there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground up there. Interesting note on the difficulty getting to/around Laurel via the northern trail. I split off the northern trail right after I crossed Frog Creek and then walked SW along the ridge (multiple moraine crests too low to resolve on the topo) to a point E of the outlet on the S shore. This looked super easy on the topo but there were some really bad patches of brush; I would have been better off sidehilling more along Frog Creek where I would have been in the shade of the big trees beneath which the undergrowth is minimal. The northern trail is certainly hard to follow, whereas the southern one is more of a highway; I took that way out to the Beehive on May 12. Neat wildlife encounters too, including the uncooperative rattlesnake. That reminds me of a huge rattlesnake I found where I wanted to camp at Edyth in May 1986. The big snake refused to budge in spite of my efforts to harass it, so we decided to camp somewhere else.

[dougieb]

Thanks for the report WD. We were camping in the GreenCreek area at the same time and heard some good claps of thunder to the west. It was nice to enjoy it from a safe distance.

[balzaccom]

Lovely report, as always, WD. Sorry about the fishing though. My experience is that the fish are often quite deep early in the year, and I usually have to dredge the bottom with nymphs, or settle for much smaller fish in the side pools. When we were in Jack Main the trout were not many, but large and very easily spooked.