Route Advice- Hoover Wilderness Leavitt Meadows Loop

[DJG]

Hello and thanks to everyone for all the helpful insights and inspirations over the years! I'm asking about an upcoming trip into the Hoover Wilderness, an area my friend and I are not familiar with.

About us: in our 60's, fit and in good health, Level 3 experience, comfortable with Class 2, not looking to push any boundaries this time around. Main interests are the lakes, mountain scenery and fishing along with the simple enjoyment of being out and away. We're both okay with being at elevation, and plan to spend 2 nights near the trailhead to acclimate (coming from sea level). Planning to travel together and take 1 vehicle. We've been officially told we can self-permit at the kiosk at Leavitt, so we've got room to move route-wise if conditions change or warrant it.

My friend is a very experienced backpacker with much wilderness training, she will be leading a group next year into this area but from Sonora Pass and out Kennedy Meadows. She is most interested in scouting out Cinko and Dorothy Lakes for her trip next year (for a planned food resupply at Cinko via pack train). I'm curious if there are any better recommendations for our route or side trips, and understand this area can be buggy along with perhaps sketchy creek crossings in early season.

This will be a 7 night/8 day trip starting this June 18th from Leavitt Meadows, just over 36 miles. We are both "smell the roses" type, comfortable with doing about 7 miles a day. We plan 2 layover days when we'd like to do some day hiking, fishing and lounging. Our current plan with estimated mileage:

Day 1 Leavitt Meadows TH to Hidden Lake or beyond to Red Top 6.5 miles
Day 2 Hidden/Red Top Lake to Cinko Lake 7.7 miles
Day 3 Cinko Lake layover day, thinking of day hiking up to Emigrant Pass, maybe to Grizzly Meadows, maybe hit Grizzly Lake on the way back down.
Day 4 Cinko Lake to Lake Ruth (or maybe Lake Helen?) 4.6 miles
Day 5 Lake Ruth layover day, day hike to Dorothy Lake, maybe the un-named lake south of it
Day 6 Lake Ruth offtrail to Tower Lake to Lower Piute Meadows 7.8 miles
Day 7 Lower Piute Meadows to Hidden Lake or beyond to Red Top Lake 3.3 miles
Day 8 Hidden/Red Top Lake back to Leavitt Meadows TH 6.5 miles

One alternate thought was on Day 6, to leave Lake Ruth via Cascade Creek trail to Lower Piute Meadows but the route to Tower Lake then down Tower Canyon sounded like it might add a little spice to the return route. We won't know till we go.

Thank you for any consideration and helpful comments.
Dan

[c9h13no3]

Upper & Lower Piute meadows had some of the worst mosquitoes I've experienced. I would definitely look for a higher camp away from water on those days. Could also consider bumping up on the high part of the PCT along the Sierra crest. Will definitely be less buggy.

The $ scenery in the Tower trail section is definitely from Upper Piute to Tower Lake. Lower than that, you're sorta down in the West Walker river canyon, which is nice, but no big views.

[Wandering Daisy]

Cinko Lake is not worth a layover day. The "lady" lakes, Bonnie, Ruth, Dorothy etc. have so much more to offer for day hikes.

I have done the Ruth-Helen-Tower off trail route, but the other direction. I do not recall anything particularly difficult, unless the steep section north of the pass between Helen and Tower has snow. Then you may need micro-spikes if you go over it in the morning. Tower Peak is a very nice climb. You may consider adding that. It is class 3.

One of the most beautiful places nearby is what is called "Rainbow Valley", just west of Hawksbeak Peak. I have gone cross country from Tower Lake to Rainbow Valley- it is quite tricky route finding. There is a use-trail that takes off from the trail up Kirkwood Creek.