Mineral King Loop

[maverick]

IMO neither Cyclamen Lake Pass nor Bilko Pass, which is the pass just east of Peak
11,760 while Cyclamen Lake Pass is north of it, should not be attempted by someone
without any cross-country pass experience.
Both are very steep, and CLP has a lot talus, and nasty slabs, while Bilko is a bit easier.

[kpeter]

BTW, we had gear-eating deer at Spring Lk. Apparently, they like to munch on anything that has salt from your sweat on it - hiking pole handles, backpacks, sboots, you name it. One of our party was chasing them off all night. Me - I slept thru it all.

That reminds me so much of mountain goats, who are notorious salt cravers and have literally eaten my socks before in trips to the Olympics in Washington and the Seven Devils in Idaho. I don't think their range extends to the Sierras, though, or I might wonder how awake your friends were!

[mkosel]

Here's an alternate loop that I found. it is a day longer than I wanted ...does anyone have a shortcut?
Day 1) Mineral King -->Sawtooth --> Columbine Lake (6.8 miles)
Day 2) Lost Canyon --> Big/little five lakes -->big arroyo creek (11.6miles)
Day 3) High sierra trail --> Moraine Lake (8.1 miles)
Day 4) Funston creek--> Upper Funston Meadow -->Rattlesnake point --Forester Lake (16.5 miles)
Day 5) Franklin pass -->franklin lakes -->mineral King (10.9 miles)


Well I do hope you find an alternative, because the above is pretty insane. Moraine Lake to Forester Lake in a day?

Oops, you're right that was pretty insane.... i mistyped. Here is what I should have typed: ( I still think that day 4 is long but not super insane like before)

Day 4 Moraine lake -->rattlesnake point
Day 5 Rattlesname point --> forester lake
Day 6 Forrester lake -->Franklin Pass/lakes-->MK trail head

I may go back to the classic MK loop which is a bit less ambitious.
Day 1 MK Trail head--> timber gap -->pinto Lake (I've tried to avoid this in the past as I've heard it is not super pretty)
Day 2 Pinto lake --> blackrock pass --> little 5 lakes
Day 3 Little 5 -->big 5 -->lost canyon -->columbine lake
Day 4 columbine --> sawtooth -->MK trail head

Everyone in this forum has been great! I really appreciate your help.

[Cross Country]

I took my 9yo over Sawtooth pass from Monarch L. 2 times in 1991 and he found it easy and loved it. Maybe it's just that Mike was a special person.

As I alluded to, avoiding Timber Gap should save one day of slogging on a trail. This of course is coming from "Cross Country".

I apologize for using this photo multiple times, but it seems to me appropriate here. This is Mike, with Glacier Pass in the background. Both of us found this pass ,from the North side, interesting and fun (a nine year old and me!). Obviously with snow on the pass, I'm no expert.

tom