High Sierra Topix

The plant in the picture may be a rhododendron... ???

That was a great trip report! Excellent photos. The perfect Sierra experience. Thanks!

Great trip report and excellent photos!
The Jeffrey Pines you posted with Bear Claws should actually be Ponderosa Pines (which look almost identical) if you found them in Tehipite Valley, as they grow at lower elevations.
The plant with the shiny leaf is Yerba Santa. It is the original flavor of bubble gum and has excellent medicinal properties as well. I will often put a leaf of it in my mouth for desert hikes and it helps stave off dehydration.

Hi JJ,

Welcome to HST! Thanks for the info on the Pines.
If you find some time, please give an intro : viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9329

OK, a question for those who have done Tehipite. Is it stupid to go down it late next week? Looks like temperatures in 90's mid day, but cool (45F) at night. Cooling from current hot trend by end of next week. I would guess we would have to wear head nets, to protect from bugs of one sort or another. And long sleeve shirts and long pants. Looks like cool enough from 5AM to 10AM, then gets hot. Cools back down by 9PM. Checked CDEC flows for the King River and the volume is decreasing, but not sure if the crossing at Simpson Meadows would still be pretty high. Not freezing at night up high, so I suspect higher flows would continue throughout the day and night. I would hope the heat would keep mosquitoes down, but then one could get the worst of both evils- mosquitoes and 100 degree heat. We would be accessing in and out from South Lake. Temperatures at elevations greater than 7000 feet look fine. Some indication of a breeze (10-11 mph) picking up at the end of the week. I am really sitting on the edge of "go, do not go" on this one.

I hiked down to Tehipite in mid-June of a similar weather year (1977), coming down the trail from Simpson Meadow (I entered at Bishop Pass). Judging from my trail entries, I ran into some poor weather, which I am guessing was caused by a tropical disturbance. It was humid and warm and rained several nights on the approach hike. The creeks and the river were easily fordable. I hiked the 12 miles down to Tehipite from Simpson Meadow on June 22, 1977. It was hot, the undergrowth full of dew. The trail is poor and requires care to follow. It's not a gentle, steady path -- there are lots of up and down sections. The views looking up to the Gorge of Despair from the trail are awesome. The valley itself was hot and inhospitable -- mosquitoes and other insects everywhere and virtually no open views. I retreated to a gravel island in the middle of the river to get away from the bugs (the island was strangely free of insects and was markedly cooler). Once back on shore and away from my island sanctuary, the heat persisted. I postponed dinner and leisurely explored the area, walking to the Crown Valley junction and signing the register in the patrol cabin there. I ate dinner much later than normal, again retreating to the island with my dinner to get away from the bugs. Back at camp, I built a fire to ward off mosquitoes even though the air temperature was still in the 80's. It didn't cool down until late that night, but a warm breeze kicked up at about 9:00, helping to keep the skeeters at bay. I finally retreated to my cowboy camp just shy of 11:00 PM, bedding down with my sleeping bag completely open. It was too warm for a restful night of sleep.

I decided that night not to layover in Tehipite, as I had planned. Instead, I hightailed it up the canyon to the comforts of virtually mosquito-free Simpson Meadow.

Looking forward to hearing your report, Wandering Daisy!

After reading more trip reports on the internet, I decided to postpone this trip until Fall, or next year. I am a bit of a masochist, but not that much! Thanks for your input- it confirms my thoughts. Had this year's hot season started at a normal date, it would have been OK. With the early heat, I obviously missed the window of cooler Spring weather. With the recent snows up on Bishop Pass and recent poor weather, by the time all that cleared, it immediately went into the 100-degree temperatures in Tehipitie. This just was not the year to do this trip early season.

Interesting trip reports on the internet. Believe it or not, canyoneering people actually descended one of the creeks from the rim to Tehipite Valley! The photos show rappelling through waterfalls!

I was just down in Tehipite Valley for a day a couple of weekends ago (trip report with pictures coming soon). It was pretty warm during the day, but nice by the river. Crown Creek was crossable, but the main river would have required care to find a suitable spot to cross (in Tehipite Valley, I did not go through Simpson Meadow). I can't wait to go back someday!

Matt