High Sierra Topix

Just wondering who is still considering going now that it is getting closer? I am planning on it as long as I can get the week off and someone to take care of all my animals. Going in mineral king july 18th and bagging as many peaks as possible on the way, looks like I will go in over Queen-Pyra Col and out kaweah pass back to mineral king leaving july 25th/26th.

Just wondering who is still considering going now that it is getting closer?

Jimr, Hobbes, Bluewater, Wandering Daisy, Oleander, Electra, FeetFirst, RockyRoad, Richlong8, iHartMK, kkcy(lurker), Yuberiver, and myself, that is 13 members.

my friend John (I think he is registered as sierraguy (lurker)) and his friend Randy are coming along with me. 14 members.

my friend John (I think he is registered as sierraguy (lurker)) and his friend Randy are coming along with me. 14 members.

Cool.

I'm looking forward to an extended trip in the backcountry and meeting so many of the people here on HST. I plan on doing a loop out of Lodgepole starting Sat 07/18 through Sun 07/26 and accessing KB via Picket Guard Pass and out via PQC.


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Looks like we will have a traffic jam on PQC on the 26th.

I'm going up Shepherd on Tues 7/21. I will be cutting across Tyndall and dropping down Wallace crk on my way to the Kern river in order to rendezvous with Jim and his buddy John & friend Randy. All four of us will be heading to "3-bay lake" in the Kern basin on Friday 7/24 after the Thurs meet-up. We will all be exiting Shepherd on Sat, 7/25.

Is there anybody else coming/going in the general direction I should keep an eye out for?

I am definitely going, with a permit for Thursday, 7/16 for Cottonwood Pass. The intent was to go into Miter Basin, over Crabtree Pass, then down and over to Kaweah, and back to same trailhead by Sunday, July 26. I am slightly considering a change to a west side entry, if I can get the permit, because I have heard the water levels in Rock Creek are very low, but one way or the other, I will be there. Looking forward to the meetup.

I wouldn't let the water levels in Rock creek deter you. I've been back in Miter basin a few times, and to be honest, never thought about the creek. Rather, the focus was on the lakes (no, this isn't SBL):



As an aside, I have a special dislike for CW pass & (lower) Soldier lake. IMO, hot, dry, sandy & boring; much prefer the Army passes. There's a nice backdoor entry from either one down the lower shoulder of Langley to get to upper Soldier, and then through the keyhole to Miter. Jim & Schmalz did it last year on their way over Crabtree pass to the meet-up. Jim has a detailed route map that I'm sure he'd be happy to share with you or post up on this thread.

Rather than exit out the same way, you might consider exiting Whitney or Shepherd. The cost of a shuttle would be around $60-100 - cheap considering an epic hike of this nature.

Schmalz has our route and description on Calitrails. I wouldn't let low water deter me from Miter either. while the outlet waterfall from Sky Blue Lk, would be nothing to look at as opposed to higher water years, the lakes are spectacular. I was very impressed with the lakes above SBL. And the awesome sandy beach on middle Crabtree Lk.

When we went over Crabtree Pass, we had expert route advice by both the Rock Creek and Crabtree Meadow rangers. I originally researched this route as a camp at SBL, then a long dayhike to Whitney and back, therefore, I had the right side of the pass outlined, but the Rangers pointed us down the left side of the slope. It looked death defying, but it turned out to be an easy stairstep descent to the upper lake.