High Sierra Topix

sekihiker wrote:What's the catch?

Make the meet-up location less dangerous to reach and more accessible to members? Is it possible to go over the col to Red/White, or is its difficulty the reason why the SHR heads up to Laurel and goes over Bighorn & Shout-of-Relief to reach McGee creek?

I like the location because you can either knock it out quickly via Mono (in/out), or create a nice little SHR section hike from Mammoth, McGee, Pine or Piute.

PS Mav, what park of the lake are you thinking? It would be easier to reach/camp/leave (especially via the SHR) the mini-peninsula right where the L in lake is located.

There is a good trail from Mono Creek to Laurel Lake. From here it is easier to go north to the bench with the small lake and then turn east, drop a bit, and reach the lake about at the "n" . I have never directly gone up Laurel Creek but it did not look bad either. I have walked the shoreline south- not hard at all. Directly east of Laurel Lake up to the lake are steep slabs, which I have descended, but this route is more technical and trickier than going north from Laurel Lake. Perhaps I did not find the best route, but the slabs got quite steep. I had to do a lot of zig-zag. I recall that it was very windy when I was up there walking along the lake. Very stunning scenery. Laurel Lake has tons of stunted fish. Pretty easy to get to Rosy Finch Lake too which is very scenic and I recall seeing a fish or two.

Another nice and relatively easy and short route is to go up towards Silver Lake Pass and then turn up the trail to Mott Lake. X-C to outlet of Bighorn Lake, then climb up a bit on the NE rib at the outlet and traverse to Rosy Finch. Rosy Finch to Laurel Lake is part of the High Route. This is a good loop for going in or out combined with the trail from Mono Creek to Laurel Lake.

Make the meet-up location less dangerous to reach and more accessible to members?

Nope, just a beautiful location in the central part of the Sierra, and it is on the long list of places for each year.

Is it possible to go over the col to Red/White, or is its difficulty the reason why the SHR heads up to Laurel and goes over Bighorn & Shout-of-Relief to reach McGee creek?

You also have the option to go over Pace Col (class 2) to Red & White Lake to access McGee Pass Trail, or go over Grinnell Col (class 3) to Hopkins Lakes and then over Hopkins Pass (easy class 2) to the Big McGee Lake area.

PS Mav, what park of the lake are you thinking? It would be easier to reach/camp/leave (especially via the SHR) the mini-peninsula right where the L in lake is located.

Yes, there are sites all along the western side and the small lake north (above) Laurel Lake has some sites too.

Blah wont be able to make it up for 2018. Well, there's always 2019 right? Gotta save my vacation time for August. Taking the family to Northern Spain for two weeks. Going to sneak away with my friend and do an overnight in the Picos de Europa so it's not all bad..

Cool Mav, I marked it in the calendar. I will try to make this 1 plus I want to climb Isaak Walton anyway.

Cool Mav, I marked it in the calendar. I will try to make this 1 plus I want to climb Isaak Walton anyway.

Great.

Blah wont be able to make it up for 2018. Well, there's always 2019 right?

To bad, and yes there will be one in 2019!

Looks great to me and many peaks I want also!

Looks great to me and many peaks I want also!

Great, it is a climbers paradise.

Daisy, since you've been all through this area, including the SHR, I have a multi-part question for you:

- While some/many like to plan longer trips for the meet-up, I tend to do quick(er) 3 night hikes. That being the case, would you suggest Mono-to-McGee using the SHR + trails? If so, which direction would you take?

- IYO, would it be worth while to perhaps extend the hike by a day by going up Pine creek and then Gabbot following the SHR? If so, would you continue to McGee or backtrack and exit Mono?

- Same question as above, except adding Piute & Humphreys to the SHR. Worth it, or better as a separate trip?

What do you mean by "Mono"? The eastern trailhad at Rock Creek or the western trailhead at Edison Lake?

Not sure what you mean by your reference to Gabot and Pine Creek. Perhaps draw those routes on a map so I know exactly what you mean.