High Sierra Topix

Hey everyone,
I am looking for a 4 Day - 3 Night backpacking trip starting at Agnew Meadows and ending at Devils Postpile. I know the area fairly well, as I have fished the river for well over 12 years now. I was hoping to hit Ediza Lake the first day and work my way to Devils Postpile in the remaining time. Any help would be appreciated. Also looking to hit as many lakes as possible to try some fishing. The trip is tentatively planned for August 5-8.

You could do the loop from Ediza up to Iceburg, over Cecile and down to Minaret Lake. The fishing is so-so along this route with the best being Minaret Lake and the streams below it are teaming with hybrids. There will be snow and the traverse above iceburg may be sketchy.

The scenery along the route described by Flux is spectacular. I highly recommend it. The only caution is that traverse above Iceberg to Cecile is a bit treacherous. (I think it was discussed in the snow travel thread.) We did it in a September and it was a bit dicey. This year it will be a very long haul through the snow. Poles at a minimum, ice ax preferred, and crampons would be nice, too.

Good call on the axe etc. It's pretty much a given that the route up to Cecile will be steep and snow covered.
Ediza


You kind of have to see it in person

Hi Xshift28x,

Twelve of us (2 families with three kids and one couple) did the Devils Postpile hike to Rainbow Falls. I could be wrong , but i heard the bridge between the two was gone. I'm not familier with the area and I could be wrong. Call the Ranger Station for the update. The river was rageing when we were there and still will be for awhile.

Thanks for the responses. The Ediza loop sounds good however most of our group are inexperienced backpackers and the traverse sounds a bit dicey. Any other suggestions for a good 3-4 day trek that is good for novices and incorporates the scenery/fishing I mentioned before. I don't necessarily have to exit at the Postpile, we could also do a loop back to Agnew.

Check into the Garnet and Thousand Island Lakes then. Plenty of scenery and no sketchy traverses. Trail is pretty mellow too. You could loop back through Shadow Lake if you wanted to, but it's an unnecessary rise and fall. Fishing should be decent on those lakes and plenty of dayhikes. Might suit you better that way.

I was thinking of setting out Friday morning and stopping for lunch and some fishing at Shadow Lake then continuing on to Lake Ediza and camping there Friday night so from there I could head towards Thousand Island Lake and Garnet, and I guess trek back to be out early Monday morning. Is there any other lakes and any other way to get to Minaret Lake? Or is there anything good off of the JMT that would be good for a 4 Day - 3 Night trip?

Hi Xshift28x

Since your group is inexperienced would advise to take it easy, use the
Shadow to Ediza trail, then go visit Garnet, and 1000 Is Lake (all have good fishing).
Since starting from Agnew, go back via the High Trail, the views of the Minarets
is outstanding, and the meadows of wild flowers will have you thinking of the movie
"Sound of Music".
There are no short cut to Minarets Lake that is easy, either the lakes route described
earlier (Iceberg, Cecile), which is definitely not a route to take any inexperienced
hikers, and the other is Volcanic Pass that is a gnarly class 2, quite steep on the
northern side, so that leaves you only one avenue to the lake, the trail, which from
Ediza is 16.5 miles one-way, so you will probably have to leave this lake for another
time.
Minaret Lake is at 9793ft, and right at the base of the ridge, so it will be interesting
to see what conditions will be like in early August, since Lake Ediza was still snowed
in at 9265ft, and 1000 Is Lake at 9833ft was just starting to thaw at the outlet back
on the last report on 7/17.
Also watch reports on mosquito conditions in this area, and go prepared, because
nothing turns off new backpackers from backpacking than swarms of mini vampires!
If you need more info on this hike use the search function at the top of the backpacking
section, also use the fishing hole's search feature for info about possible lakes with
good fishing.

From Ediza there is a good trail up to the small tarn below Mt Ritter. From there you can go easy off-trail to Nydiver Lakes. At 10,100 feet they may still be frozen but I saw small fish in them last summer. This is a good day-hike. However, a day hike up to Iceberg Lake would be the #1 priority for scenery. White Bark Pass north of the upper Nydiver Lake would have very steep snow on the north side so not good for your group.