Rocky Basin Lakes TR - 5/27/12
Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 9:23 pm
Planned an overnighter from Horseshoe Meadows to Rocky Basin Lakes (RBL). Delayed a day due to a late season storm that saw temps reportedly in the teens on night of 5/26/12.
Left the trailhead at about 9am on 5/27/12. Hiked over Cottonwood Pass, down to Big Whitney Meadows (BWM), then on to RBL. Trail was 100% clear. Very few snow patches in sight. Relatively dry conditions across the meadows already. What a contrast from last year! I can't imagine what late summer will be like.
Trail beyond BWM to RBL is washed away for a significant distance. I ended up losing the trail both going and coming back and spent a bit of time wandering around before I found it. I saw only one set of indistinct tracks and no people past BWM. It doesn't appear that many people go this way (read on).
Despite the late spring storm and low temps (lows in the 20's and reported down to teens), the mosquito population is very healthy at RBL. Maybe due in part to the lack of fish? (The lakes are reportedly cleared of fish - I certainly saw none.) I stopped at the trail crest above RBL and was swarmed. It got worse as I neared the lakes, so I decided to backtrack rather than spend the night at RBL.
Like a horse to water, I ended up hiking all the way back to Horseshoe Meadows by about 8pm. Nice, but long day.
BTW - this was my first day out with a new Osprey Exos 58 pack. It was very comfortable. I was packing about 25 lb load, and this seemed to work very well.
Left the trailhead at about 9am on 5/27/12. Hiked over Cottonwood Pass, down to Big Whitney Meadows (BWM), then on to RBL. Trail was 100% clear. Very few snow patches in sight. Relatively dry conditions across the meadows already. What a contrast from last year! I can't imagine what late summer will be like.
Trail beyond BWM to RBL is washed away for a significant distance. I ended up losing the trail both going and coming back and spent a bit of time wandering around before I found it. I saw only one set of indistinct tracks and no people past BWM. It doesn't appear that many people go this way (read on).
Despite the late spring storm and low temps (lows in the 20's and reported down to teens), the mosquito population is very healthy at RBL. Maybe due in part to the lack of fish? (The lakes are reportedly cleared of fish - I certainly saw none.) I stopped at the trail crest above RBL and was swarmed. It got worse as I neared the lakes, so I decided to backtrack rather than spend the night at RBL.
Like a horse to water, I ended up hiking all the way back to Horseshoe Meadows by about 8pm. Nice, but long day.
BTW - this was my first day out with a new Osprey Exos 58 pack. It was very comfortable. I was packing about 25 lb load, and this seemed to work very well.