Sphinx Lakes to Lake Reflection

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DoyleWDonehoo
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Post by DoyleWDonehoo »

Aviprk wrote:I will keep those words in minds when I'm up there. In the Sierra-Trails it is mentioned that the so called trail is more like "fiction" and that the so called trail actually starts on the west (Left side) of sphinx creek. Which one is it?
The "trail" that starts at the high Sphinx Creek camp at Avalanche Meadow is on the West side of the creek and soon starts to fade away starting at the end of the meadow, goes up the first headwall and goes away completely at the next (if not before). Still, it is all easy (steep) travel.
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Post by langenbacher »

Last September, Shawn and I went from Road's end, up Sphinx Creek all the way to lake 10514 in about 9 hours. This was a beautiful place to camp. Unfortunately we didn't get very far the next day, and never made the peak. See http://langenbacher.org/Brewer. The cross country on upper Sphinx Creek could be a pain. We found a pretty good route up the south side of the creek on the way up, but on the way down we got on the north side near the bottom and got lost in the brush.

The campsite where the creek left the trail looked pretty nice, at 8600' .

Harry
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Post by giantbrookie »

My wife and I made it to the lower Sphinx Lake in something like 8 hours six or seven years ago and it was a pretty good grind. We still don't know where the optimal cross country route is up to the Lower Sphinx Lake, given that we initially (for a few hundred yards) followed a use trail on the north side and soon did combat with some moderately bad brush mixed with big boulders. However, it was mild enough that we figured we'd just gut it out on the way down without exploring the other side that sounds (from Doyle's description) to be the better way. I don't know if you fish, but if you do, the Sphinx Lakes (particularly the upper ones) are worth checking out; this is one of the main reasons my wife and I chose to push it into the lakes on day 1 rather than camp on the creek. Big Brewer is similar in fishing quantity and size to the upper Sphinxes. The rainbows in these lakes aren't huge, but they are fairly numerous, and their top end isn't bad (about 15"). On the other side, Reflection has small fish (but the mix includes some goldens and hybrids), East Lake is teeming with medium sized browns averaging 8-11" (arguably the easiest place to catch a brown in a lake in the High Sierra) with an occasional big rainbow thrown in (caught 18" rainbow there in 1994).

I think the E-W route (ie East Creek first) makes more sense in terms of a better day 1, as well as being the better approach to dealing with Bubbs Creek and Longley Pass. If indeed the trip cannot be stretched beyond 4 days (and it would be much less of a death march if it was) here is a 4 day alternative game plan using East Creek first. Day 1: to East Lake. Although longer in mileage than even the upper Sphinx Lakes, this is an easier hike owing to the much more moderate gradient and the fact that it is 100% trail rather than having a cross country segment hitting you at the end just when you get tired. In late season, this hike goes very fast (faster than the mileage would indicate-my dad once backpacked this in a phenomenal 4 hrs that included a 30 min lunch break--my dad was not an ordinary hiker, however), but in early season the hike to Jct. Meadow is slowed a bit by a large number of small creek crossings (these go dry later in the year). Day 2: Go to Lake Reflection then over Longley Pass. Drop pack and bag South Guard from Longley Pass. You have some options as to where to go after this; camping in Brewer Basin would be nice, given that South Guard Lake appeared fishless to us in 1999. While headed to Brewer Basin you will be closer to Brewer and its easiest route (south slope) than you will be at any other point in the trip. If you have lots of juice and time you might bag Brewer then, given that it will be closer at this junction (crossing the divide between Cunningham Creek (S. Guard Lake)) and Brewer Basin. Day 3. Move camp to Sphinx Lakes. Drop pack on way and climb Brewer if you haven't already done so. To do Brewer involves a bit of backtracking (with your daypack, of course), which is why the most efficient course is to have done it on day 2. One way or another, there should still be a fair amount of time to kick back at the Sphinxes at the end of day 3. Day 4. A bit more time to enjoy the Sphinxes before descending to camp. If your route leads you into brush while heading for the trail, at least you're probably going downhill when you hit it. Brush is easier going downhill, although some of the key brush we encountered was going sidehill which is a pain whichever way you're going.

One thing about this trip is that you will find is that one part is very popular with hikers whereas the other part is not. You'll see lots of hikers/campers in the Bubbs Creek corridor and at East Lake. You may not meet anyone in the Brewer Basin-Sphinx Lakes area. Both areas are beautiful, but the Sphinx, Brewer Basin areas certainly have more of a wild feel owing to the solitude which no doubt is because they are off trail.
Last edited by giantbrookie on Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Post by Shawn »

Sphinx Lakes is always a good topic of discussion.

While Harry and I did make good time to lake 10514, I am confident that Harry could have trimmed an hour or two off that time. Harry's athletic abilities are outstanding, mine are not. Consequently I bonked on the morning of day two. Harry being the ultimate team mate chose to forego his summit of Brewer as a matter of safety. Anyone that has been in the back country can appreciate how hard that must be to do given the circumstances. You can imagine how much respect I have for Harry as a result.

Anyway, having been up Sphinx Creek more than once, I would always advise taking the route west of the creek. I too have read many TR's which debate this side or that side, but from experience the west route is it for me (I hesitate to admit I'll likely do it again this year).

Here is my 'Season of Humility' TR for the trip Harry and I made.
http://www.theradioroom.org/Sphinx/Sphinx1.htm

Also, here is a topo showing the "approximate" route along Sphinx Creek:
http://www.theradioroom.org/BrewerRoute.JPG

I'll always feel bad for stalling Harry's summit of Brewer, but the good news is I've worked hard since then to get in better shape which has paid many dividends already.

Shawn

PS. Doyle- I re-read your Sphinx and Brewer TR's, enjoyed them almost more than the first time.
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Post by maverick »

Descending from Sphinx Lakes to the trail will be easier, but the
descent down the stairs for some people is a real pain in the knee
so if you have treking poles take them!
Ive made it to the first Sphinx Lake from Roads End in a little
over 5 hrs which including a short lunch break but my pack for 4 nights
weighs in at 17lbs and I train for backpacking year round.
The point made earlier by others about the E-W route makes alot of
sense.
I dont know what your level of fitness nor your tolerance of altittude
is, the last thing you want is to get altittude sickness by ascending
to fast the first day out, hopefully your experienced and know your
limits.
I have seen hikers getting sick at 9000 ft even though they stayed a
night at 8000 ft the night before.
Pay attention to each other when climbing Brewer for any signs of
altittude sickness since you will not have much time to acclumate
with plans of going to 13600 ft in such a short time.
If you've done this kind of thing before then disregard my rabbling
I just dont want to see another fatality on Brewer as we did last year!
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Post by maverick »

4 hrs to East Lake, thats my kind of hiking partner!
GB does your dad still do hiking trips to the Sierra ?
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Post by giantbrookie »

maverick wrote:4 hrs to East Lake, thats my kind of hiking partner!
GB does your dad still do hiking trips to the Sierra ?
Sadly he has not been of this world for seven years. He did the epic East Lake run in a "race" with others of the Loma Prieta Chapter peak bagging elite on a trip to Brewer in Sept (?) 1971(?)--he apparently won. He said he carried an 'exceptionally light' pack for him with no stove, and no tent (but light for him probably still meant 35-40 lbs, even though he weighed all of 137lbs or so). As late as July 1988 my dad was still capable of some high speed death marching although I had passed him in pace as of 1979--our "quadruple header" peak bagging trip to Meysan Lake that fall was the turning point. On his 60th birthday in 1988 we went from the Edison Rd. (didn't know Bear Diversion dam was passenger drivable) to Lou Beverly Lake in 5.5 hours as a part of a 3 day trip to climb Seven Gables, and this also included a very long lunch break. I took a shot at my dad's East Lake "record" in May 1979, which was a colossal mistake. That early in the year I must have had to cross 30 streams and there were several flooded portions of the trail. This really slowed things down in addition to the fact that I had a rather heavy pack that included tent, stove, fishing gear, with strapped on ice axe and crampons (probably~45 lbs, although compared to my dad I was a bigger guy--155lbs in those days). One mile into the trip I slipped on a stream crossing and my hip landed on a boulder; this resulted in knife sharp pain in the hip for the rest of the trip (and occasional recurring problems to this day). My poor hiking partner was a top level cyclist at the time, but cycling muscles and hiking muscles are a bit different (my off season training of running football stadium bleachers may have been more effective). I had to alternately wait, encourage and prod him (probably not as nicely as I should have) to keep "on pace". At about 9 miles I figured we were still on pace to beat 4 hours to East Lake (it took 2 hours to cover the first 9 miles or so), but my buddy really slowed down after that. I didn't leave him until somewhere after the Jct. Meadow crossing (ultra scary and unsafe) and I reached East Lake in a bit under 5.5 hours and started to set up camp before having conscience pangs and heading back down the trail to carry by friend's pack to camp--as it turned out he was nearing the outlet by the time I got back to him.

Come this fall I will be 5 years older (48) than my dad was when he did the notorious East Lake sprint. Would I be capable to doing East Lake in 4 hours with my usual 3-day pack then? I really don't know (I'd give myself no better than 50/50 odds). I like to believe I can, but even if I could do it, it would be at the very limit of my capability. My dad set the bar pretty darned high for me as a hiker, to be sure.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Post by maverick »

Sorry to hear that!
I hope to be as active in my sixties!
It sounds like he must have done alot of epic trips in the Sierra, was
he into backpacking in his teenage years too?
Did he introduce you to backpacking? If yes at what age?
What were his favorite areas in the Sierra?
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Post by giantbrookie »

maverick wrote:Sorry to hear that!
I hope to be as active in my sixties!
It sounds like he must have done alot of epic trips in the Sierra, was
he into backpacking in his teenage years too?
Did he introduce you to backpacking? If yes at what age?
What were his favorite areas in the Sierra?
Actually my dad didn't start hiking in the Sierras until he introduced his family to the mountains in the 60's. He was an awesome athlete: he ran a 2:58 marathon in his late (?) forties, as I recall. He introduced me and my family to the Sierras in about 1965 (I was 6). He took me on my first backpacking trip (to Pear Lake en route to bag Alta Peak on a Sierra Club trip) in the fall of 1967. Although we usually took at least one trip to the Sierra as a family (younger brother and mom, included), by 1969 there evolved a separate category of trip, which was a trip with me only (other two were not quite as physically capable or enthusiastic about peak bagging). I recall only two Sierran trips he did without me: the notorious Brewer trip in 1971 and a Matterhorn trip at about the same time (both with the Loma Prieta peak bagging crew). In 1972 we took the last of our major trips with the Sierra Club peak climbing crew (Matterhorn redux with me and my dad tacking on Virginia Peak on getaway day). After that it was just the two of us and we raised the degree of difficulty every year until our unforgettable climax trips of 1979 and 1980 (things stayed difficult after that but we could never top those two years). My dad didn't like taking days off so we usually crammed what would be normal 4-5 day trips into 2-3 days. I suppose I feel a little guilty for not going up with him more. Those were magical times then and they are magical in hindsight, too. From 1982 onward as my attention turned to my own social life and then my own marriage (my wife would take me into an era where I went to the Sierras 10x more than ever before with her as my ace hiking partner) we only did one trip a year, which became sort of my dad's birthday present. My mom always used to say to me how much that one trip meant to him. I do miss those trips, too.

I'm pretty sure his favorite area of the Sierra was the Saddlebag area in spite of the fact we had death marched all over the range. He would repeatedly return there with family trips and bring family friends or relatives there. It is for this reason that his ashes are scattered on the flanks of North Peak overlooking his favorite mountain paradise.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Post by maverick »

2:58 wow thats impressive and in his 40s!
Sounds like he loved the mountains and it was an intregal part of his
life from the 60's thru the 80's.
In hindsight I think alot of us would like to have spent more times
with our parents. My mom passed away 12 yrs ago and at the time
I had not seen her for 10 yrs since she lived in Europe, but I still
cherish all the good times we spent togheter.
I met a group near Sallie Keyes Lakes a few years back who where
bringing there fathers remains to the area to scatter his ashes back
toward Turret Lakes, he also was a mountaineer.
Its something I have planned having done, but hopefully not for a very
long time.
Off topic I'm down to 45 mins from the parking lot to the top of of
Mission Peak with a 20lb pack, thats my magic number letting me
know Im ready to hit the mountains!
Going to Yosemite for my warm up trip in the second week of May.
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