High Sierra Topix

I am reasonably experienced, but prefer to stay on trail. I carry about 50lb and can handle about 10 miles /2000-3000 feet a day. I carry a good camera and love to take pictures. I am 50+ years old and will likely travel with 2 or 3 friends of similar ability and experience.

I have been out on quite a few week long hikes and am looking for new ideas. In no particular order, these are my longer trips to date:

Horseshoe Meadow out over Whitney
Kearsarge pass->Foresters->Guitar Lake->out over Whitney
Rae Lakes Loop with side trips to Baxter and Charlotte Lakes
Benson Lake loop out of Twin Lakes. Through Matterhorn canyon.
Out on High Sierra Trail->Precipice Lake->Big Five Lakes->Black Rock pass
Mono Parker Pass->Koip Peak Pass->Gem Lake->Thousand Is->back down Lyell Canyon
South Lake->North Lake through Evolution Valley
Edison->Mott Lake->Silver divide->Fish Creek->Olive Lake->Graveyard->Edison

I would be very grateful for any suggestions along these lines.

Thanks,

Charlie

How about Rock Creek-Mono Pass (the other Mono Pass)-JMT to Red's Meadow. You'd have to shuttle a car between Mammoth and Rock Creek, but with 2-3 people, it may be possible.

Hello Charlie

Welcome to HST.
You have done some of the best trailed hikes in the Sierra already.
Since you have not mentioned the Minarets area, I would highly recommend
this area out of Mammoth, especially since you mentioned photography.
Minaret Lakes, Lake Ediza, Thousand Is Lake, and the High Trail is a photographers
dream come true, not to be missed!
If you can, go when thunderstorms are rolling thru the area so you can capture some
of great colors, and drama presented to you at the golden hours.
Kennedy Lakes, Volcanic Lakes, and Granite Lake out of Roads End is an off the beaten
path hike, but you will need to have two cars, or hitch a ride, though with 3 people
in your group that may be hard.
Up and over Red Peak Pass, and back down the Merced corridor is beautiful loop hike
with some great lakes, and scenery for a photographer, and backpacker alike.

Thanks for those ideas. Rock Creek is really beautiful. I have considered a long loop up to Edison, but can't quite get all the pieces together.
I am now looking into Ediza Lake and Minarets. Trying to see how to make a longish trip in the area. I will check out the permit situation tomorrow.

A trip I have done before is to enter over Kearsage Pass, and exit over Taboose, with stops at Rae Lakes, Bench Lake, and other areas. I think an exit over Sawmill Pass, taking in Woods Creek, and Woods Basin, is just as good, if you love solitude. The exits are long and steep, and you need to shuttle a car, but a big downhill on the last day always seems easier than going up one of these east side monsters on the first day out. Great fishing and photography.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been over Keasarge, the best entry point from the eastern side, I would say. Up to 12000' in a flash. The Rae Lakes are amazing, I agree. I would love to see them with more snow than they had the only time I got there. I would be tempted to visit the 60 Lakes Basin if I did go back. Not super keen on Woods Creek. But I will scope out your suggestion on a map.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Charlie

I notice you did a Crescent Meadow to Mineral King. I want to do the reverse this summer. How'd you do the shuttle. I'm interested in a local with a van or a rental van or something to pick us up at CM and drop us off at MK. Any suggestions?

Sierra Maclure wrote:I notice you did a Crescent Meadow to Mineral King. I want to do the reverse this summer. How'd you do the shuttle. I'm interested in a local with a van or a rental van or something to pick us up at CM and drop us off at MK. Any suggestions?

You might consider a longer loop trip. I did Crescent Meadow to Kaweah Gap, down to Kern Canyon, up the canyon to Kern Hot Spring, retraced my steps to Rattlesnake Creek , over Franklin Pass, through Mineral King Valley and over Timber Gap, down through Redwood Meadow, up to Bearpaw Meadow and back to Crescent Meadow. Or any a number of variations on the theme :-)

It wasn't a shuttle. I returned to Crescent Meadow. I do recommend the loop. Out past Bearpaw, Hamilton and Precipice lakes, over Kaweah Gap, Black Rock Pass, Readwood Meadow, back up to Bearpaw.

Really great country.

Here are a couple of other ideas. Go out of Mineral King, over Franklin Pass, by Little Claire Lake, and return over Sawtooth Pass. You can make the loop longer a few different ways by going down towards Kern Canyon via Rattlesnake Cree and/or Big Arroyo, depending on how many miles you feel like going. If you look at the map, you can see a lot of possible ways to go.

Another trip is going out of North Lake over Piute Pass, down to Hutchinson Meadow, up French Canyon over Pine Creek Pass and out at Pine Creek. There is the potential for interesting side trips to Merriam Lake (the trail is pretty obvious and easy to follow even if it isn't on the map), Moon Lake, and lower Granite Park above Honeymoon Lake. And if you want to venture a little off trail, there's no easier place then Humphrey's Basin. You would need to shuttle between Pine Creek and North Lake.