High Sierra Topix

I've been caught up in reading posts about some of my favorite areas, most of which I will never see again. If the report is well written and the photos well taken, it's almost as good as being there. Some of your reports are among those, John. I can't remember which trip it was even though I read about it yesterday, but I was awed by the number of fish you photographed and described. I really miss your fishing website although it's not to hard to figure out why it's no longer on line.

Hi Gents,
Yes, fun to see what folks were considering a dozen years ago! And, I still have not made it to Tunemah (frustrated by fire once and weather another time), but it's been great to read about and see photos of others' success getting there. In the meantime, I'd add the upper lakes of Amphitheater basin as a cherished spot. Amphitheater itself gets folks doing the High Route, but the upper reaches of that basin are largely untouched. And, though I got skunked trying to do Fair Trade pass a couple years ago, I want to check it out again in a low snow year. Cameron

In the meantime, I'd add the upper lakes of Amphitheater basin as a cherished spot. Amphitheater itself gets folks doing the High Route, but the upper reaches of that basin are largely untouched. And, though I got skunked trying to do Fair Trade pass a couple years ago, I want to check it out again in a low snow year. Cameron

The lowest, smaller lake, on the most southeastern fringe on the basin, is a pretty impressive lake Cameron, well worth visiting.

Ya this was a fun thread to see for the first time.

I like to find places that are way out of the way and don't look interesting on maps, and then go there. If it looks like a cool spot on maps then other people have thought the same thing and gone there.

For example, the tiny unnamed lake at the top of the unnamed creek on the north side of Slide Peak in SEKI. Better yet are headwaters in a drainage with no lakes.

It doesn't even have to be way in the backcountry. $100 says if you go to the small ponds at the top of Horse Creek out of Lodgepole you won't find any people or old campsites.

PS: Planning like this is more fun when you never check the spot on google earth.

It was long since suggested that the backcountry population decreases with the distance from the trailhead, the square of the elevation gain, and the cube of the degree of off-trailness.

I know places in Yosemite that fit that calculation perfectly. These are places where I can spend days and days and never see anybody.

Hi Mav,
OK, next time I head for upper Amp basin, I'll aim to do it when the snow is accommodating. When Joy & I were there in 2012, we did day hike up to the outlet of that lake (in part to see whether one could avoid Cataract creek col and nip into Dumbbell lakes from up there: it looked sketchy!), and there was still too much snow to camp. Ditto 2 years ago, but on that trip, the campsite we found by the upper big lake was sensational for the broad views it afforded. I'm still trying to get to another of your favs: Picket Guard lake. Came somewhat close last year, but afternoon rain kept pushing us into early camp stops. Cameron