Feedback on Hockett Lakes itinerary for early Sept.
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:39 am
I am planning my first trip to Sequoia National Park from Sept. 5 - 8.
Because I'm asking for advice, here are the vitals:
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails
What terrain are you comfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
I've gone off-trail, but generally on terrain that was not much different from being on trail. Taking this as the definition of Class 2: "More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree," I'm probably somewhere around 1.5. I'm okay with a not-so-great trail or occasional scrambling, but I'd stay far away from a scree slope. Or maybe the definition means a scree, um, flat? I've never encountered that, but maybe they're common in the Sierras, and that would be fine.
What is your main interest?
In this order:
1. Not seeing other people
2. Seeing wildlife
3. Finding a lake to swim in
4. Avoiding mosquitos
Not interested in: peak bagging, racking up miles; I want to experience a place and like to meander and explore.
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead?
Reach trailhead around 2pm Thursday, leave by 6pm Sunday
How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
No more than 10 miles in a whole day, 5 in a half-day. I would prefer to spend more than one night in a good place to explore.
Did you prefer a loop or out and back trip?
I prefer a loop, but it's not at all a strong preference.
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that you're most interested in(Yosemite, SEKI
western sierra start or eastern start etc.)?
Not really. I'm interested in the west side since I have limited time to reach the trailhead and am coming from the Los Angeles area. I also don't want to go over 10,000 feet since I don't acclimate very quickly. Having said that, seeing Sequoias would be a fantastic bonus on top of meeting these criteria.
Will you be hiking with a dog?
No.
-------------------
Here is the itinerary I've worked out so far, and my questions and concerns about it (I am hiking with one other person who is flying in from Colorado and is a more experienced backpacker than I am, but I'm in charge of planning this particular trip):
Thurs 2pm
Hike from South Fork TH to Garfield Grove. Camp near there.
1. I drive a Prius, and the last 3 miles to the South Fork TH are dirt road. How hard on my car will that road be?
2. It's my understanding that that hike is steep and hot. We will be tackling it mid-day due to my friend's flight schedule. We're in pretty good shape and are comfortable going slow and stopping frequently, and my thinking is that we will be fresh on our first day, but is this just a foolish idea for anyone under the level of super-athlete?
3. Would we be better off hiking Atwell to Hockett to South Fork (we'd like to see Garfield Grove rather than do an out-and-back from Atwell)? The concern there would be how we would shuttle between THs and how long that would take, assuming it's best to park at South Fork and shuttle to Atwell to begin the hike. I've read people mentioning "arranging" for a shuttle between THs, but looking at the in-park shuttle map, it doesn't seem like this particular route is covered. Is there a way to arrange for a custom shuttle?
4. Assuming a South Fork TH start, are there campsites near Garfield Grove? There is a thread on here that mentions going off trail in GG and how it would be nice to camp under the trees. I'm okay with primitive camping: I'm bringing a bear canister, I don't need a fire ring or pit toilet, but it's unclear to me how common or sanctioned dispersed camping is. The rule seems to be 100ft from trail or water, but how many people actually do that, and is it okay in a Sequoia grove? And if it isn't, are there any established sites in that area?
Friday - Sunday
Hike to Hockett Lakes or Meadow. Set up camp for the next two nights. Take day trips to Evelyn Lake, Cahoon Rock, any other interesting areas. Swim in a lake.
1. Is it better to camp near the meadow or lakes in that area?
2. Are there any security concerns in leaving a base camp set up? We would take valuables like wallets and electronics with us on day hikes, but of course in the backcountry, all gear is pretty freakin valuable. I'm more concerned about theft than damage from wildlife.
3. The book I have says Hockett Lakes are 5' - 8' deep, but are they still viable in September, or have they been reduced to mudholes?
4. We have an MSR ceramic water filter. We like to filter from sources that are at least 6" deep, but given where we hike in Colorado, that usually means a river or a sizable lake. Is there any running water of any size in that area in September? Is there a reason to treat water in that area more aggressively than just using that type of filter? We've had a lot of success with that filter, but we've also had pretty high-quality water sources to start with.
Sunday
Hike out from Hockett Lakes to South Fork TH. Leave park by 6pm.
1. Our plan is to stay in a hotel in Bakersfield. Google Maps says that's a 2 hour drive. Is there any reason to believe that Sunday night traffic, or any other cause, would make that drive longer?
Wow. That's a lot of reading you just did. Thanks for your time. And thanks for any advice you can give. This is such a fantastic community. It's already been so helpful in my planning thus far.
If it'd be better for me to talk to a ranger about these things, having read some threads about the sometimes uneven nature of information there, I'd very much appreciate recommendations on which park personnel to talk to.
Again, thanks!
PE
Because I'm asking for advice, here are the vitals:
What level of backpacking experience do you have?
Level 2- Some backpacking trips, using trails
What terrain are you comfortable with?
- Class 1 terrain/trail hiking
I've gone off-trail, but generally on terrain that was not much different from being on trail. Taking this as the definition of Class 2: "More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree," I'm probably somewhere around 1.5. I'm okay with a not-so-great trail or occasional scrambling, but I'd stay far away from a scree slope. Or maybe the definition means a scree, um, flat? I've never encountered that, but maybe they're common in the Sierras, and that would be fine.
What is your main interest?
In this order:
1. Not seeing other people
2. Seeing wildlife
3. Finding a lake to swim in
4. Avoiding mosquitos
Not interested in: peak bagging, racking up miles; I want to experience a place and like to meander and explore.
How many days/nights is your trip, not including travel to trailhead?
Reach trailhead around 2pm Thursday, leave by 6pm Sunday
How many miles did you want to do a day, any layovers?
No more than 10 miles in a whole day, 5 in a half-day. I would prefer to spend more than one night in a good place to explore.
Did you prefer a loop or out and back trip?
I prefer a loop, but it's not at all a strong preference.
Is there a particular area in the Sierra that you're most interested in(Yosemite, SEKI
western sierra start or eastern start etc.)?
Not really. I'm interested in the west side since I have limited time to reach the trailhead and am coming from the Los Angeles area. I also don't want to go over 10,000 feet since I don't acclimate very quickly. Having said that, seeing Sequoias would be a fantastic bonus on top of meeting these criteria.
Will you be hiking with a dog?
No.
-------------------
Here is the itinerary I've worked out so far, and my questions and concerns about it (I am hiking with one other person who is flying in from Colorado and is a more experienced backpacker than I am, but I'm in charge of planning this particular trip):
Thurs 2pm
Hike from South Fork TH to Garfield Grove. Camp near there.
1. I drive a Prius, and the last 3 miles to the South Fork TH are dirt road. How hard on my car will that road be?
2. It's my understanding that that hike is steep and hot. We will be tackling it mid-day due to my friend's flight schedule. We're in pretty good shape and are comfortable going slow and stopping frequently, and my thinking is that we will be fresh on our first day, but is this just a foolish idea for anyone under the level of super-athlete?
3. Would we be better off hiking Atwell to Hockett to South Fork (we'd like to see Garfield Grove rather than do an out-and-back from Atwell)? The concern there would be how we would shuttle between THs and how long that would take, assuming it's best to park at South Fork and shuttle to Atwell to begin the hike. I've read people mentioning "arranging" for a shuttle between THs, but looking at the in-park shuttle map, it doesn't seem like this particular route is covered. Is there a way to arrange for a custom shuttle?
4. Assuming a South Fork TH start, are there campsites near Garfield Grove? There is a thread on here that mentions going off trail in GG and how it would be nice to camp under the trees. I'm okay with primitive camping: I'm bringing a bear canister, I don't need a fire ring or pit toilet, but it's unclear to me how common or sanctioned dispersed camping is. The rule seems to be 100ft from trail or water, but how many people actually do that, and is it okay in a Sequoia grove? And if it isn't, are there any established sites in that area?
Friday - Sunday
Hike to Hockett Lakes or Meadow. Set up camp for the next two nights. Take day trips to Evelyn Lake, Cahoon Rock, any other interesting areas. Swim in a lake.
1. Is it better to camp near the meadow or lakes in that area?
2. Are there any security concerns in leaving a base camp set up? We would take valuables like wallets and electronics with us on day hikes, but of course in the backcountry, all gear is pretty freakin valuable. I'm more concerned about theft than damage from wildlife.
3. The book I have says Hockett Lakes are 5' - 8' deep, but are they still viable in September, or have they been reduced to mudholes?
4. We have an MSR ceramic water filter. We like to filter from sources that are at least 6" deep, but given where we hike in Colorado, that usually means a river or a sizable lake. Is there any running water of any size in that area in September? Is there a reason to treat water in that area more aggressively than just using that type of filter? We've had a lot of success with that filter, but we've also had pretty high-quality water sources to start with.
Sunday
Hike out from Hockett Lakes to South Fork TH. Leave park by 6pm.
1. Our plan is to stay in a hotel in Bakersfield. Google Maps says that's a 2 hour drive. Is there any reason to believe that Sunday night traffic, or any other cause, would make that drive longer?
Wow. That's a lot of reading you just did. Thanks for your time. And thanks for any advice you can give. This is such a fantastic community. It's already been so helpful in my planning thus far.
If it'd be better for me to talk to a ranger about these things, having read some threads about the sometimes uneven nature of information there, I'd very much appreciate recommendations on which park personnel to talk to.
Again, thanks!
PE