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Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:31 pm
by mediauras
Hi. A friend and I want to do a 2 night trip to the Hoover area next weekend. Neither of us have hiked the area before so we're wondering if there are any suggestions for a loop that is scenic with lakes and low on people. Itd be nice to camp at a lake each night. We'd arrive Saturday, not sure what time, so that could be a lower mileage day. But we could try to get up there earlier and get more miles in if that gets us to a better first night spot. Also, we have a 4wd so Leavitt Lake TH an option.

There's a lot of possibilities and we've looked at TR's here, but to me, it seems kind of a toss-up. If anything it seems going out of Twin Lakes TH is the favored route. Any and all suggestions welcome and appreciated. As is any recent trip info on the area. Thanks!

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 8:07 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Are you limited to Hoover Wilderness for any reason? Or can you also go into Yosemite? (no if you have a dog). Are you able to go off-trail?

The parking fee at Twin Lake if very annoying. But it is the best trailhead.

If willing to go off-trail, you can do a loop from Green Lakes trailhead, go as far as Soldier Lake if you have the time on the first day. I have done Green Lakes TH-Green Lake-Virginia Pass (x-country)- Soldier Lake- Summit Lake-Hoover Lake-East Lake-Green Lake-TH in a 2-day trip. Skip Soldier Lake if short on time.

I also like Buckeye trailhead. No parking fees! Buckeye Canyon (The Roughs) is nice but no lakes. Eagle Creek is very interesting. There is a beautiful meadow with ponds south of Victoria Peak- you camp right on the edge and get a great view of Sawtooth Ridge.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:32 pm
by PatrickQuin
I can't speak to Hoover as a whole since i have little experience, but I will second WD's suggestion out of Green Lakes TH. I did that same hike, but in reverse and camped close to Return lake, not Soldier. It was a great hike, one of my favorites. I really liked the climb thru volcanics that open up to the granite of Yosemite, and vice versa on the way back. There are plenty of options to stop early at different lakes if you have a late start as well.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:52 am
by mediauras
Thanks for the suggestions, really appreciate it.

We're thinking of going out of Leavitt Lake TH and spending the first night at one of the Long Lakes, and then 2nd night at High Emigrant Lake (or maybe do that in reverse). Or, something involving Cinko Lake, which looks really nice. I just wonder if at some of the high points on the route there could still be decent amounts of snow. Any words of wisdom on this loop? Seems like with this choice there's less chance of seeing folks.

Second option is Twin Lakes TH - Peeler Lake - Snow Lake or Crown Lake out. We might have a third person joining us next week, and while he's an experienced bp'er, he's out of shape right now, so the lower mileage of this route might be the deciding factor.

I guess Yosemite is an option, but Hoover is an area two of us have long wanted to check out. And its an easy permitting process! :)

Thx again.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 11:15 am
by Wandering Daisy
The loop from Twin Lakes is a lot nicer than the Levitt Meadows loop. Cinko Lake is really nice buy it is a long trudge to get there - a long ways before you get into good scenery (at least mountain scenery - the river is pretty but you are in thick forest a lot). The trail has been beat to death by horses and there are places where it is like walking on dry beach sand. Very tedious. High Emigrant Lake is pretty bleak, but interesting if you like that kind of habitat.

The scenery from Twin Lakes is great from the first hour! Barney Lake is very pretty. Crown Lake is really nice. Mosquitoes can be bad, but I saw a tent once, on top of one huge rock at the far end of the lake - assume they camped up there to get a breeze. Peeler Lake is also very nice. From Crown Lake you can take a pass into upper Slide Creek (sorry forgot the name of the pass) and then day-hike to Maltby Lake. You can come down from Maltby Lake directly to Twin Lakes, but the route is tricky off-trail and the crossing of the creek is difficult early season. Better just to go back the way you came.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:13 pm
by mediauras
Thanks Wandering Daisy, think we'll probably just follow your advice this go-round (or all the time, I'm consistently impressed at your suggestions!). I do wish there was a bit more mileage but I think it'll suit the group dynamic fine.

Just FYI, we were thinking of going out of Leavitt Lake, and not Leavitt Meadows.

Thanks again!

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:24 pm
by mediauras
Wandering Daisy, what's the x-ctry route from Malthby? I'm sitting here looking at the map -- do you follow the drainage all the way down basically?

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 2:28 pm
by Wandering Daisy
First you have to get right of Maltby, and go down the drainage next to the Incredible Hulk. You basically first go to Ice Lakes. You can then drop to Maltby but have to come back up and move the next drainage to the southwest. There is a use-trail down. It is used by climbers. The Incredible Hulk is not climbed that much, so it is really a faint trail. Lots of talus in the upper part. Then you come to a small bench on top of a cliff. I have camped here (little bump on the 10,400 foot contour). You have to do one scramble down a chimney. Then main thing is to find the trail once into the willows. You stay on the east side of Little Slide Creek. It is pretty easy to follow once you find it. I thought crossing Robinson Creek was the worst. It was late August and still waist deep on me. I think the route is also described in several climbing guides. It is not technical in that you do not need gear, but I had to lower my pack down the little chimney.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 2:31 pm
by Wandering Daisy
I found a cairned route from Ice Lakes - very cliffy. That was years ago and I do not know if the cairns are still up there. I recall I was above Ice Lakes, on the buttress to the northwest, descending the northeast nose of the buttress.

Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 6:01 pm
by Wandering Daisy
The route is also described in Peter Croft's "The Good, The Great and the Awesome" p. 218. He suggests to cross Little Slide Creek to the west side "about 1 1/2 mile up the drainage". I think this crosses just below the steep little chimney and goes up very steep talus, although this is less than 2.5 miles. It is all pretty vague, but there definitely is a climbers use-trail so try to find this and stick with it. Although not technical, it is not a route for beginners. You have to be very good at talus walking, route finding and trail sleuthing.

The pass from Crown Lake to Slide Canyon is Mule Pass.

If you want to really put in the miles, loop via Peeler Lake, down Kerrick Creek, over Seavey Pass on PCT to Matterhorn Canyon, Burrow Pass to upper Slide Creek, Mule Pass to Crown Lake /Robinson Lake and back to Twin Lakes Trailhead.