TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

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mediauras
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TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by mediauras »

Hi. Just wanted to post a quick trip report to help any others with upcoming trips to Emigrant.

On later afternoon Friday 5/17 we headed out of Crabtree (just opened a few days earlier!) and started out for the Piute Creek crossing where we planned to spend the night. We thought we were the first ones out that year but found one set of footprints ahead of us. It was chilly that day and some precip was expected but we were spared any rain or snow. We camped at the creek that night, saving the icy crossing for the next morning.

The next day our plan was to head to Buck Lakes, but after Jewelry Lake we found ourselves trudging through more and more snow, slowing our progress. When we got to Deer Lake, still half covered in icy slush, we decided to head down to Buck Lake and do some exploring and camp there for the night. There was quite of snow surrounding the lake, except for the granite shelf on the north west corner of the lake. My water bottle half froze that night, it got chilly. But no mosquitoes! The following morning we decided to avoid crossing the absolutely raging drainage out of Buck Lake and x-countryed it to where the trail meets back up a couple of miles down. This granite scramble was probably the highlight of the trip. Certainly more fun than all the icy crossings!

We headed back out via the burnout out Pine Tree area, which really, was not much fun. It was a swampy fevered mosquito mess. We were in their house then. Then back up to Crabtree and out. Fun early season stuff.

Sorry for lack of pictures, I only had one or two anyway, but I can't figure out how to embed an image. Does one have to use a hosting service and then embed a link? UPload attachment function doesn't seem to do anything.
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maverick
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by maverick »

Thanks Mediauras for the TR. Here is the link on how to uploads photo's:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=103" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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mediauras
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by mediauras »

Ah, my file size was too big for the attachment function. Thanks for the link Maverick (I don't use a photo hosting service).

Deer Lake!
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by kpeter »

Thanks so much for this trip report. Now that I am finishing the school year, I am thinking of following your footsteps next week for an early season trip.

Questions:
1) Did you take the trail in via Camp Lake (crossing Piute Creek at Piute meadow) or in via Grouse Lake (crossing Piute Creek at Groundhog meadow)?

2) How bad were the stream crossings--Piute Creek, West Fork Cherry Creek, any others? The ranger in Pinecrest says W. Fork Cherry Creek is 3 feet deep and very cold, and that sounds like more than I would wade, if accurate.

Thanks!
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by tomba »

Thanks for this trip report. It helped us plan a trip to this area last weekend.

kpeter: On our trip we crossed Piute Creek near Toejam Lake (it's quite small so far up), and then south from Studhorse Meadow (about a knee deep). The description of West Fork Cherry Creek crossing seems accurate. Our route didn't cross it but we saw and heard others crossing it at the trail between Piute Lake and Gem Lake ("So cold!", upper-thigh high).
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by no2haven »

I crossed W Fork Cherry between Piute and Gem lake last year about this time and it was upper thigh high (though I'm on the shorter end, 5'6''), swift, and reasonably wide. Fortunately there's a large meadow/swamp in that area so the creek spreads out and the crossing was easily manageable with trekking poles for stabilization. We just took off our socks and crossed in boots.

Definitely cold. Makes a good wake up in the morning or cool down in the evening :)
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by kpeter »

Thank you so much for the intel. I leave tomorrow and will post a report when I get back. I'm quite conservative, especially when I'm solo, so it is reassuring for me to know what I may be getting into. Sounds like W. Fork Cherry Creek is similar to the meadow crossing of Evolution Creek in Evolution Valley.
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by mediauras »

Sorry I missed the conversation. I'm glad my brief TR was helpful. Let us know how the creek crossings went, the water is probably running at about Peak right now. We found everything to be fairly navigable except the crossings involving Groundhog Creek (? - drainage out of Wood Lake). That water was deep, fast, and booming, too unsafe to easily cross in my opinion. I bet Cherry Creek running through Louise Canyon is similar if not worse. Can't wait to get back out...
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Re: TR - Emigrant/ Wood Lake 5/17-5/19

Post by justm »

I was there last weekend, hiking the west side. Hardly saw anyone. The woods creek trail down to Louse canyon was a bit tough, lots of snow to walk on top of and to sink down to your crotch in.I had to help dig my friends foot out, he was so badly stuck. There's a few logs a ways down Louse canyon to cross Cherry creek. We also crossed it at ground hog meadow where it flattens out into3 or four branches; pretty easy, but damn cold in the morning !!! There's still a lot of snow on the shady side of Woods lake
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