High Sierra Topix

Hi all,

I am sorry if this is not in the right spot, but I looked around and could not find a better place to put this.

I am heading out this weekend over Whitney and heading North on the JMT, Looking at my Garmin Base camp software I found a nice loop that heads West on Bubbs creek trail and then South along East creek past Lake Reflection, over Harrison pass and reconnecting to the Upper Kern Loop Trail at Lake South America. My plan was to loop this back to the JMT and eventually arrive back at the Whitney Portal where my car will be parked.

Now looking at my Tom Harrison Mt Whitney High Country Map, this connection does not exist??

I see the Cut off from Bubbs Creek Trail but it looks to peter out at East lake. I also see a short extension from the UKLT to Lake South America.

I am a class 3 hiker per HST with a little XC experience, but I do not have a lot time to get off course this weekend's 4 day trip. Can anyone tell me if this connector exists, or is this an XC route that is showing up on Garmin Base Camp?

Thank you in advance

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Harrison Pass is a class 2 xc pass, and the trail ends at East Lake with a faint use
trail leading up part of the way to Reflection Lake. The only trailed route would
be up over Avalanche Pass>Cement Meadow>Colby Pass>Junction Meadow
but this route is further west from the East Lake corridor.

Thank you Maverick for the heads up. Back to the maps I go!!

Jeff

Harrison Pass is very steep, and if it has snow (could be this early) you would want an ice axe. Even without snow it is loose fine sand/rock. I did it in August of a high snow year and it was mostly clear of snow but still used my ice axe simply to stab into the wet slope so that I could get up each step. It is tedious, physical, hard work, but not technical (except for snow). This time of year, if there is snow, it should be soft enough to kick steps as long as you do it in the afternoon. The trail from East Lake has been mostly obliterated by rock fall and dead timber (appears that an avalanche came through the area). I did not find it difficult to follow, but a bit tedious.