TR: Ring around the Brewer

[John Dittli]

Too funny, I guess we were all just there; we just returned from 10 days in that area! Didn't see a soul but saw a lot of tracks, guess I know who's they were!

Look familiar?

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[John Dittli]

(not as bad as king col tho.)

Not to stray too far off topic here, but I was just over King Col a few weeks ago. I stumbled upon a well constructed (albeit very old) trail, that was built thru all the talus. Takes one from near the middle lake, right up to the base of the chute! Pretty interesting. I figured it to be of the same vintage of the "trail" that works it's way thru the talus toward the Gardner/60 Lakes pass. Anyone know anything about these?

[lostcoyote]

does SEKI have any old maps online that would show this old route?
i did this "pass"back in the mid 80's and remember some remnants but had both snow and talus. i don't remember much but xc and the top sucked for me, going down.
does the route go along the north side of the highest (and biggest) gardiner lake thru that rubble field? i don't remember seeing any resemblances of old paths there at all....
while in contrast, north side of gardiner pass is great as is the north side of cartridge.
would love to have access to some old sierra club bulletins from the early 1900's.

ps, i think rogue did this pass a few years back.he had similar comments regarding the "chute" & ........,,,,,,,,nice shot of genevra John.

[Shawn]

You can find old maps of the area (i.e. 1905) here:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/california/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Since the park was named differently then, have a look at the index map first, I think Brewer shows up on the Mount Whitney map.

[freestone]

A very interesting site Shawn, thanks for sharing.

[John Dittli]

x2 on the link Shawn. Invaluable and I LOVE old maps. Thanks much!

LC: The chute off King Col is still steep hard dirt (borderline desperate). The trail starts just below and left of the chute and keeps working left via switchbacks on descent. You lose it here and there under more recent talus movement. It peters out as it leaves the talus a few hundred feet above the lake.

Likewise Gardner. It's been 20 years since I was there but the trail was intermittent but followable all the way from Charlotte Cabin. It got harder to follow up in the slickrock of Gardner Basin but then showed up again in the talus. I'm not sure it was ever finished as it just ended in the middle of that vast talus field before gaining the pass.

[Trailguru]

Okay

You folks are killing me here
I'm much too new to the Sierras to know all these places. I know you were at East Lake and Lake Reflection but then you said you went over a class III pass. Was that Harrison? Lucy's foot? or Longley Pass down to Brewer Lake?

[lostcoyote]

none of the above.
(her name was milly)

i enjoyed the nameless places shown on the trip report.

[maverick]

This is the pass Trailguru: HST Map

[Trailguru]

Did OP go over Milly's Foot Pass from Lake Reflection to Kern Headwaters basin and then BACK UP MFP? I know for a fact you must have gone up Longley's Pass since I tried to do so back in 2006 but only made it up as far as Sphinx Lakes (the highest one)