Page 1 of 2

Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 8:53 am
by rrivera
Has anyone hiked from Piute Meadow to Leopold Lake? Any route suggestions or is the best way to just head up Piute Creek?

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 9:16 am
by TehipiteTom
rrivera wrote:Has anyone hiked from Piute Meadow to Leopold Lake? Any route suggestions or is the best way to just head up Piute Creek?
I don't have it in front of me, but I think Schifrin's guide (now out of print, apparently) has a route description for Tom's Canyon up to Leopold. I'll look it up when I get home from work.

(By the way, did you happen to go on a trip in the Monarch Divide in 2006?)

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 4:56 pm
by rrivera
Hi Tom - Yep that's me :) How are you doing? Well I hope...I am active with the SC LPS backpacking section now and will be leading a few trips this summer....Leopold however is not one of them. I forgot about the Schifrin book I actually have it and it does describe the route in reverse out of Gianelli. I've read a few reports coming out of Leopold through Tom's Canyon but never in from Crabtree...Schifrin's write up though is helpful...time to look at Topo again!

I have lots of good memories of that Monarch Trip...one of my favorites!

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 12:57 pm
by TehipiteTom
Nice to run into you here! I really enjoyed that Monarch Divide trip. "We few, we happy few..." ;) Glad to hear you're leading chapter trips--I'll bet you're great at it. I'm doing fine; planning a few solo/private trips this summer, but no Sierra Club trips on the horizon.

The reason that Tom's Canyon route stuck in my mind is that I planned to go through there once--Granite Lake (1st night) to Leopold Lake, then out via Piute Meadow. That was the trip with my son Max that has since come to be known as Death Trip 2000: on the second morning, it started snowing and continued to snow/sleet/drizzle all day and all night, and we ended up hightailing it outta there on the third day. So I have yet to visit Tom's Canyon, but I did read about it once...

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:40 pm
by boddingtons
I have done the reverse - Leopold down the canyon to Piute Meadow.

For that one we did:
1) Follow, along the west rim, the flat "deck" ridge top that Leopold sits in. At some point before getting to the end, we saw a good way down to the creek.

2) Hiked mostly along the creek on the west side (east side has steep walls - esp lower down).

3) All in all, pretty easy and obvious path. There were a few sections where you are on heavly slopes ending in the creek. Not super safe while wearing heavy packs. If I did it again, I would avoid those portions and try to go up and around (further west from the creek).

For your trip - coming up the canyon I would thus suggest a) following the creek for the most part b) keep an eye on the ridge to the right. Once you can see the "deck" I talked about, keep going a bit further an dthen start looking for a good way to get up to that bench.

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:32 pm
by rrivera
thanks for the advice.....we did this trip this past weekend. Heading out Piute Meadow we stayed west of the creek and followed it closely most of the way and then as suggested went further west and then headed across the creek and up to Leopold...once we crossed the creek it was very easy going...steep but easy navigation. We decided to head out a different way since one of our trip members had some difficulty on the way into Leopold. Our return route was Leopold to Toejam and then x-country to Y Meadow and then down the canyon to Bear Lake and out to Crabtree. There was a good amount of snow in the shady spots around 8500 but it didn't pose any problems for us. Leopold is by far one of the most beautiful lakes I've been to in Emigrant and we had it all to ourselves :) and a few hundred mosquitos. A really great spot.

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:48 am
by gochicagobears!
do any fishing while out??? heading there this weekend out of Gianelli, and am planning day hikes to Bear, Granite and Leopold...
Ugh :crybaby: on the mosquito report... Let's hope there's a bit of wind to kick them elsewhere!!!!

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:55 pm
by rrivera
I don't fish I just eat them :) we did see lots of folks on the trail with their rods headed into Bear Lake and we saw some fish jumping at Toejam Lake so I am sure you will catch some!

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:30 am
by gochicagobears!
thanks, rrivera.
oddly enough, sometimes the fish jump and hit everything BUT what i'm using.... :crybaby:

i'll post the results upon my return.

Re: Toms Canyon - Emigrant W.

Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:41 am
by rlown
gochicagobears! wrote:oddly enough, sometimes the fish jump and hit everything BUT what i'm using....
What tackle are you carrying on your adventure?