High Sierra Topix

I just got back from an 8 day trip, attempting to replicate most of the route CGunderson took in June. He was kind enough to provide me with detailed information and photos on two passes and, ingrate that I am, I ended up taking neither of them.

[Note: for some reasons the pictures were getting cut off on the right side, but I think I fixed it. You can (hopefully) view them in full on Photobucket, although they are in completely jumbled order, so they should call it Slopbucket: ]

I'd always avoided the Taboose Creek trail, assuming it was just miserable. It is somewhat miserable, since half of it is covered in rubble, but it also travels up a stunning canyon, with terrain on both sides of the pass unlike anything I've seen in the Sierra. Even the "desert" part of the trail is pretty attractive:



But things really take off near the top of the trail:





West of the pass resembles a beautiful velvety meadow, even though it's late season in a dry year:



Day 2 was on the JMT. Here was the first detour. I had been considering taking CG's suggested route of Upper Basin Crossing (UBC), to get into Amphitheater Lakes basin, but the weather looked very iffy. I also had hoped to climb Split Mountain, but also passed on that because of the weather. Exploring later in my trip, I found out this is what I missed out on, on the west side of UBC:



Uh...maybe next time (maybe not!).

I realized it had been at least 15 years since I had been on the JMT through Upper Basin and Mather Pass, so it was nice to revisit. The view north from Mather Pass (North Pal, middle, Middle Pal on right):



On day 3, the hike up Cataract Creek into Amp Basin is a grunt, especially since I followed Secor's ever-unreliable advice to start going up on the west side of the creek. It was steep, crumbly and miserable. The east side of the creek (which I eventually crossed over to) looked much better. Amphitheater Lake is nice, but the real magic is in upper Amp Basin:







The next day, the hike over Cataract Creek Pass wasn't bad at all. From the pass, it's only 800 feet to the top of Observation Peak, which has to have the best view of any 12,000 foot peak in the Sierra. Judging from the register, not many people climb it, although I did see Rogue Photonic's signature back from July. This is looking west, with Devils Crags in the middle:



All of the lakes in Dumbbell Basin are gems:





On day 5, I began the trek to Dumbbell Pass with trepidation:



I had run into a guy on the Taboose trail who had just done it, and he seemed thoroughly traumatized by the experience. However, keeping to the right (west) shoulder of the main chute rendered the climb quite harmless. There was very little loose rock, so it was a straight-forward if somewhat strenuous class 2 climb.

Lake Basin deserves all the accolades it gets:







But then came my first disappointment -- the vastly overrated Marion Lake. It's rather a chore to get to, and then quite ordinary, and rather overrun with hardened campsites. My theory is that people tell themselves it's incredibly beautiful to justify the effort it took to get there (aka "cognitive dissonance"). But no matter how much they tell themselves it's worth the effort, it isn't.

Upper Lake Basin is even nicer, but my camera (actually iPhone, since my point & shoots keep breaking) battery was getting low so I don't have many photos. Anyway, on day 6 my plan was to go out over Vennacher Col. Unfortunately, the western ridge of Lake Basin is rather convoluted and confusing, so I ended up going up something that looked right and was tolerable class 2 - 3, featuring a nice notch at the top. However, I peered over to the other side, and I did not like what I saw. I know I'm not heading to heaven, but I wasn't exactly expecting this:




(Gosh, you can even see the bloodstains on the rocks below.)

Something told me that this wasn't really Vennacher Col after all. I later did find VC, but I was already pretty tuckered out from climbing the Horn of H*ll, and got discouraged by the mile of talus in front of VC. So I took the easy way out (I thought), and did Cartridge Pass instead. It actually looks awfully steep from a distance, but turns out, miraculously, to have a class 1 trail snaking the whole way up.



In fact, it was an almost Zen-like experience winding my way up -- the most pleasant pass (on or off-trail) I think I've ever been over; I was actually disappointed when I got to the top. To make up for its previous direct steepness, the trail then becomes comically meandering -- I mean, to the point of absurdity. And the wandering trail features some of the most elaborate ducks I have ever seen. If the structures were any larger, they could rent them out for the summer. But that is simply to prepare you for the dust-plunge down to the South Fork Kings River that follows. I found it thoroughly miserable and I was going down. I simply cannot imagine going up that trail (which used to be the JMT, unbelievably). And then you have to fight your way through the Kings River valley, enjoying talus fields, fallen trees and mule s**t to get back to the JMT. I now understand why people risk their lives on Frozen Lake Pass instead.

[to be continued]

Great teaser! I just did a trip up Taboose as well and didn't find it to be as miserable as everyone says it is, though if you were to ask me while I was slipping on uneven boulders or trudging up the endless steep inclines I'll bet I'd sing a different tune. Our minds are great at blocking out the more painful stuff.

Great report thus far. Thanks for taking me with you into an area I've wanted to visit for some time now.

Marion Lake was not at it's peak this year. My theory of it's more blue then the sky water is due to a bright white mineral that runs into the lake. When one of the inlets is dry it looks like snow. I believe this mineral coats the bottom and reflects more light then normal resulting in it's blue. But because the snow year was so low that inlet was almost dry in July and the other inlets do not contain this mineral so it was not as blue. I have seen the same mineral in the inlet of Marjorie Lake which is also very blue.

But I certainly consider Marion to still be my favorite lake in the Sierra which is saying allot.

quentinc >>>"But then came my first disappointment -- the vastly overrated Marion Lake"

From the perspective of this old landscape photographer, a number of the more historically reknowned Sierra lakes are not exceptionally aesthetic. The same applies to other non-lake places like Evolution Valley. But then the reason those locations are loved often has more to do with other reasons like being large, deep and thus deeper blue, nice campsites with big trees, pretty turfy shorelines with wildflowers in season, good fishing etc. In this case Marion is down in a deep hole much like another reknowned body Reflection Lake in Kings Canyon NP that I also yawned at.

I have never backpacked into those basins you visited, as they are rather remote, and at least for me there are other areas in the same zone that hold more photographic potential. One of the spots that impressed you was the upper section of Taboose Canyon and you are the first person I've read that had anything of note to mention about it. In other words most people just hike right past it slogging up to the pass usually in one epic day. Much like drivers blasting up SR120 from Mono Lake to Tioga Pass mostly oblivious to the fact Lee Vining Canyon is exceptionally visually impressive. However I've been fascinated about Taboose Pass canyon for decades since seeing old images and noticing the rusty metamorphic geology in that zone and the impressive topo map features of that canyon wall. Your fine image shows that to be true.

This summer of 2012 I had planned a 10-day backpack over Taboose Pass but not in the usual one day marathon since I'm an old guy carrying a huge load. I removed that plan for this year along with another trip simply because the droughty conditions were not likely to provide good aesthetic conditions. So maybe 2013? Of course the mindset of most people is that the good stuff is on the other side of the Taboose Pass so the eastside is just to be endured moving through. Instead I would rather leisurely evening hike on arrival from the low trailhead just moving up about 1300 feet to 2050 meters. Then the first full day would only go up to 2750 meters or up 2300 feet. And on the second day would reach the pass at 3480 meters up another 2400 feet. In other words I would set myself up to camp below the cliffs you shot so on the second day would be there in early morning when they are likely to be most impressive. On the other side of the pass, I have an elaborately planned photography mission often rather strenuous, hour by hour over several areas sometimes climbing up to ridgeline views, and expect it will be one of the most productive large format trips I've yet made. And much of what I hope to capture are landscapes others just whiz by from often limited visuals on nearby trails. S

Great TR, quentic! Wonderful, beautiful pix, and welcome personal remarks about your experiences. Can't wait for more. Thanx!

Rogue, well thanks for explaining the mystery of Marion Lake. Even if it were bluer though, it was just that there were so many spectacular lakes in those basins, whereas the surroundings of Marion were comparatively humdrum. I think SSSDave hits the nail on the head about the friendly aspect of Marion, with its comforting trees and campsites. East Lake and the Sallie Keyes lakes are some others that people seem to love (for that reason) and I don't.

SSSDave -- yes, I think the east side of the top of the pass is worth some time for a serious photographer. I caught those cliffs early-mid morning but I'd bet they were even better at sunrise. Also, south of the trail, the views of Goodale mountain and the shoulder of Striped would have been quite spectacular in early evening. I got there as most of the area was already in shadow. Travel in that area, though, is very tedious because of all the rock. I'm not sure where it comes from -- it's not the loose rock that you see at the bottom of moraines, but embedded rock everywhere. Not something I recall seeing elsewhere.

It's the color. Big Pine Lakes have their own thing going on, but Marion has that Crater Lake like blue.

quentin,
Great report and I'd second your comments about Upper Amphitheater basin and Observation Peak. For me, the former rivals Kaweah basin for the views and solitude, and in terms of scenic bang for the buck, it's hard to think of any other 12Kers that match Observation.
So, did you loop south (left) around the lake to reach the base of Dumbell Pass or did you go the quick route (right). I suspect the guy you ran into might have gone right where it's easy to achieve some ticklish exposures on rounded granite faces. Adrenaline moments when you least need 'em!
Finally, I thought Maverick did a great report on the stark beauty of upper Taboose last year and your report confirmed the scenic rewards of perservering up that cranky trail. Still, I'm keen to see if Birch Lake offers an easier way in to the Amphitheater area, as I'm very keen to get back to that alpine basin. I may have convinced a buddy to try it out next year. We'll see!
cg

Thanks CG. Yes, I went right (west) around the main Dumbbell Lake. There was one spot with a bit of class 3, and the slick polished granite did make one think for a moment. But the guy I encountered was freaked out about the chute itself -- I didn't see why.