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Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:14 pm
by Gazelle
I think sorry Hobbes he is talking mono from rock creek and/or starting up pine creek to Italy pass to Gabbot Pass along SHR to laurel/Grinnell then go out McGee or maybe start by Humphreys? But I could be wrong!

Personally I went over cox/north col gabbott pass for SHR to mammoth loved it!

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 4:11 pm
by alpinemike
That whole area is great and my personal method of entry would likely be via Gabbot Pass from potentially either Pine Creek or Rock Creek like Gazelle mentions. Incorporating Humphrey's and Piute might be a bit much unless you are interested in making it a much longer trip.

Not sure if I'll be able to make this one. My schedule for the summer has changed radically because of my employment for my dad's company. Just like it happened to Rogue this summer I will no longer be able to go on multi month long trips for a while. A sad fate but one that I knew was coming.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 6:18 pm
by Hobbes
Yes, head up via the Mono pass TH from Rock creek and exit McGee. Which direction?

Or, go up Pine creek, then Italy, then Gabbot. Exit either Mono or McGee.

Any thoughts, opinions and/or suggestions?

Mike, that's why there's a back-country age split: either single or empty nesters. You & Rogue settle down with a family, and you won't be back out for 20 something years. So, you better hit those SPS peaks while you have the chance. LOL

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 9:25 pm
by Jimr
12 to 15 years, maybe.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 5:55 am
by Hobbes
Jimr wrote:12 to 15 years, maybe.
If you get lucky and have kids interested in the same things as you. But if experience is any guide, many/most teens think struggling through a forced march just to enjoy some (boring) scenery is the very definition of un-hip. To many youngsters, what we think of as rugged, strong & independent is creepy, old and dowdy.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:27 am
by Wandering Daisy
The only way you can decide which way is "best" is to do the math. Decide how many days you have, and then figure out both directions. Usually one direction comes out logistically easier and with better/more scenic campsites. Same with your choices of routes. SHR from Lake Italy to Mono Creek via Gabot pass is really scenic, but may take more time.

You generally carry a light pack, so going up the 3000 feet required on the first day of Pine Creek probably is not a bit issue with you. If you were considering a 8-10 day trip, then I would not go up Pine Creek.

If you want a complete loop, back to your car, consider Rock Creek to the pass north of Bear Creek Spire, drop to Lake Italy or traverse to Gabot Pass, down to Mono Creek, up to Grinnel Lake, over McGee Pass to Big McGee Lake, over the pass into Hopkins drainage and out via Mono Pass. Or the other direction. This may be more miles than you want to do.sSorry,I cannot remember the name of the passes. From Big McGee Lake it is one day to McGee TH and would be 2 days likely back to Rock Creek TH.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 7:44 am
by Hobbes
WD, thanx for the input. I don't think I'll try and do a loop; rather, I think I'll bite the bullet and pay for a ride between THs.

That being the case, I'm sort of leaning towards Pine creek, but could add a few more days and go out from Piute. Or, make it real short and just go over Mono pass from LLV/Rock creek, follow the SHR to McGee, then head out.

Between these four THs, which ones - completely subjective of course - would you prefer, and also, which direction would you go?

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 8:40 pm
by Wandering Daisy
SHR does not go to McGee Creek. From Laurel Lake it goes to Isaac Walton Lake, then to Virginia Lake and Duck Lake, cutting off-trail to Deer Creek Lakes. So I am not sure what you mean. If you go out McGee TH, you drop to Tully Lake and then intersect the McGee Pass trail, which is not a part of the HSR. Or from Grinnell Lake you can go to Red and White Lake (cannot remember name of that pass, but it is harder), drop down Fish Creek about 400 feet and then traverse to McGee Pass Trail. I think the McGee exit is exceptionally scenic. But the walk out is fairly long. McGee canyon is scenic but after Big McGee Lake there are few other lakes. If you like to see lakes, in Piute and out Pine Creek or in Rock Creek and out Pine Creek would have more lakes.

All your choices are very scenic. I would choose the route that covers more country you have not yet seen.

If you go in Piute, it is more scenic to go via Royce Lakes to Granite Park rather than over Pine Creek Pass and drop to Honeymoon Lake. Just the chance to go by Royce Lakes would in my opinion be worth the extra day(s). There are two passes from Royce to Granite Park, both scenic. You can also do a side-loop through Royce Lakes by going up to Pine Creek Pass and then traversing to Royce Lakes. Italy Pass will drop you near east end of Lake Italy, and the traverse around this end is full of horrible talus. Or you could follow the trail to the west end on the trail and then traverse the north side to get to Gabot Pass.

From Piute, you could also go Puppet Lake, Merrium Lake, Feather Pass, drop to Brown Bear, Italy Lake, Gabbot Pass, Second Recess (Mills Creek), Mono Creek, Laurel Lake. This is the HSR from Tomahawk Lake to Laurel Lake. This route drops you to the west end of Lake Italy so you do not have to deal with the difficult other end or back-track. Either route, you end up having to cross Mono Creek low where it can be quite difficult early season. It would have been difficult this year, but I doubt it will be much or a problem next year end of July.

If you were to do the shorter route via Mono Pass, you could do really nice side-trips to Pioneer Basin, Fourth Recess Lake and Third Recess Lake. With this route, you cross Mono Creek near its beginning and the crossing is no big deal, even early season of a high snow year.

Sorry but I cannot really give you a "best" route. I do not think you would be disappointed with any of those routes. As for direction of travel, I do not think it makes a big difference, other than a bit of less elevation gain if going from a higher TH to a lower one.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 8:59 pm
by Wandering Daisy
After reading my post, it is not that clear.

From Piute Pass TH, you intersect the SHR at Tomahawk Lake. It then reaches Bear Lakes via the Puppet Lakes area and Merrium Lake/ Feather Pass and then drops to Brown Bear Lake to reach Lake Italy. This follows the HSR.

You can diverge from the SHR at Puppet Lake, and go up to Pine Creek Pass. Or you can reach Pine Creek Pass from Pine Creek TH. Either way, you then traverse via Royce Lakes and drop to Granite Park. Or from Pine Creek TH, you can go directly to Granite Park and skip Royce Lakes. From Granite Park, you go up to Italy Pass, where you can either go over Dancing Bear Pass and then drop to Brown Bear Lake to reach the outlet of Lake Italy. Or you can continue down the Italy Pass Trail (hard to find) to the south inlet of Lake Italy, and then walk the outlet. I would not recommend going around the southeast shore of Lake Italy; it is very difficult.

From the outlet of Lake Italy both routes are the same to Grinnell Lake, and this route IS the SHR to Laurel Lake.

Re: Maverick's 2018 Annual Meet-up 7/26-7/27

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:18 am
by Hobbes
Thanx again for the detailed input. I've been on different sections of the SHR from Piute & Pine creek, but haven't really strung it all together. Where I haven't been at all is the Silver divide, so either McGee or Mono is my main focus.

My two primary thoughts are (a) do a longer SHR section hike from Piute to McGee (via Bighorn/Tully); or (b) treat Piute/Pine/Bear as a separate trip, and just focus on Mono/Laurel/Tully/McGee.

Narrowing a hike down to only Mono/McGee, IYO, would it be preferable to explore the various recesses via a loop from Mono, or take the long hike down McGee?

As an example of a hike I wouldn't recommend, I dislike the entire trail from Whitney creek to Cottonwood pass & Horseshoe meadow. It's got all the things I hate: trees, limited views, no water (except for Rock creek/Chicken spring), a long sandy trudge. If someone were to ask my advice about that area, I'd suggest going in/out Crabtree/Miter.

If McGee is a slog, then I'd much rather hike in Mono, explore around the recesses, say hi to everyone, and walk back out to LLV.