High Sierra Topix

I'm more bummed I'm not going considering the location. I have nothing but bad memories from that area. Cracked tail bone, finger sliced open to the bone. It was a very painful hike through there. Would have been nice to make better memories of the area!

You can reshuffle scheduling Rogue, nothing is set in stone, will there is a will, there's a way.

I'll be crossing Muir Pass around then. That's pretty far South.

I'm entering from one of the Sierra National Forest trailheads.

Here's a tip for others planning the same: When you receive your confirmation letter in the mail, check the very bottom of the page, where it says "Park Travel Y/N". Be sure the "Y" is circled. Park Travel refers to your right to enter Yosemite NP as part of your trip. (According to the Sierra NF website, if it's marked "N" you are not permitted to enter Yosemite.)

Mine was marked "N". I called the Bass Lake Ranger District and had it set right.

My guess is that whoever issued the permit was not aware that certain obscure off-trail destinations such as Lyell Fork and Harriet Lake are located within the Yosemite boundary and require me to have the right to enter Yosemite.

- Oleander

Howdy all,
I'm a fairly new member and will be joining peaksandpotatoes for the hike in and out.

-G

Looking forward to meeting you out there Gio.

Peaksandpotatoes I too plan to do those peaks probably Electra and Rodgers on Thursday and Forester/Ansel on my way out on Friday, it would be nice to have company!

Kristine

Here are my plans. If anyone is planning the same/similar route and want a companion, please let me know.

Sunday July 24 - Agnew Meadows River Trail to Thousand Island Lake
25 - Twin Island Lakes
26 - Blue Lake
27 - Hutchings Creek Basin
28 - Meetup
29 - Meetup (Electra? Hutchings Creek if I skipped it?)
30 - Over Rodgers Pass to Marie, Davis, or Island Pass area
31 - Agnew Meadows

Another option in mind is to spend an extra day in Bench Canyon instead of going to Hutchings Creek the day before the meetup (maybe a SE approach to Electra and back to Bench Canyon?)

Hobbes, I believe you are also coming in over North Glacier Pass, though 2 days after me. Did you decide which route you were going to take from Lake Catherine to Twin Island Lakes? This is your image from another thread. I added in the blue line, which seems to be the one most take. But as you've noticed, many others have reported to have taken the red line path.

RR, I think the blue line path actually follows the drainage, then cuts straight across around the 2900 marker aiming for the low saddle at the middle of the upper twin lake. Back in Dec, I sent a PM to 'paul' - with the red line path attached - asking him about the route he took through this section; this was his reply:

paul wrote:The bottom part looks right, but I think we started higher, up between the two ponds along the Catherine outlet. But there's lots of ways to go.

Perhaps Daisy, Oleander (gotta dig the flower names), or some others can help add their insight & recommendations. Unless conditions look different or dictate otherwise, I think I will follow the red line as drawn. That way, it will follow the "standard" path to the point where I can decide to either cut-across or descend.

Thanks Hobbes. It seems both paths might work. I think Roper (can't verify - don't have the book with me now) and others reference that group of trees at the low point of my blue line. And Google Earth shows a ledge from that point to Twin Island Lakes that might make a good route, without having to follow the drainage all the way down.

Hi Rockyroad,

You can use either route (blue/red) or you can even go a little higher (have done all of these and they all work fine), just don't drop down into the canyon, that's it. The area is not extremely technical, just a little convoluted, something like the area above Tamarack Lake, ledges and cliffs that needs a little time to negotiate, just take your time finding the safest/easiest route and you will have no issues.