Looking for a 4-day trip in August

[giantbrookie]

...My wife and I did Spire/Split et al. on a 2 day trip in August of 1997. The snow going over Peppermint was negligible (and '97 was a fairly heavy winter). ...We ended up going over the top stopping briefly at Spire (to fish, of course), then camping at Split (next one down) on the first day, then looping out via Morgan Pass on day 2.

If you went out via Morgan Pass without dropping way down to Bear Lake then you discovered the route. In the early 80s there were some nice golden in Spire Lake. For years I've considered an end of summer trip back there after a usual early cold front clears the air out well to the east as it is one of the best Sierra locales for sunrise alpen glow. ...David

On departing Split wedescended but cutover the spur ridge well above Bear and in fact passed a bit above Finch Lake to hit the notch above Finch Lake and head for the Morgan Lakes. This was a very clean route. Spire had some huge goldens as of 1997. Huge but uncooperative. We had several strikes and had several large fish on but lost them all. Split simply had medium sized brookies, but we ate well. It is a gorgeous pocket basin.

[giantbrookie]

[quote="TehipiteTom
What I had in mind was 2 days to Apollo, a short day over to Cirque, then a day out (basically dropping down to Bear Creek via Marcella). The big question mark is what the X-C droping to lower Bear Creek is like (could be ugly); on the other hand, one of the reasons I thought of this trip in the first place is that this year crossing Bear Creek should be no problem.[/quote]

OK, all this cross country daydreaming really gets my juices going. Here is the original 2007 game plan for that area (yes, this is a death march schedule, but that's why we call this my annual death march) that was superceded by the Blackcap trip. day 1: To Apollo/Orchid via Marcella, and Cirque. Yes, I've always wanted to do Cirque because I'm betting the fish are big there. And I also have held off on this because of that stream crossing--this is the year. day 2. To Three Island Lake and vicinity (with lots of time to hike around that area). day 3. Over the notch north of Gemini. Bag Gemini (climbed Seven Gables in 1988 but haven't done Gemini--it's a nice looking peak), then head into Bear Basin and do some more serious fishing. day 4. Bail to car.

Option 2 (not on original list)--shuttle trip Hooper Diversion Dam to Bear Diversion. Day 1: to Chamberlain Lake. Day 2 (couple of ways to do this, I suspect) over the divide either through notch or over unnamed peak then to Three Island Lake. day 3 bag Gemini (OK you don't have to do this) then head for Orchid. day 4 out via Apollo and Cirque etc.

Option 3 (also not on my original list). shuttle from Bear Diversion Dam to Florence. day 1 and 2 as per option 1. day 3 will go into the trailless area around Turret Lake. day 4 will descend to trail and get out to Florence.

Ah, you gotta love topo maps and some serious Belgian Ale.

[SSSdave]

giantbrookie, yeah sounds like you hit one spot I did on that step band above Finch Lake. Quite a bit less vertical going in and out on that route without needing to deal with possible snows at the higher pass.

Your aggressive BC itinerary is alot like mine used to be way back in the 70s when I didn't carry much and didn't know better when penciling out exciting topo ideas. My own strategy even before I began lugging extra photo gear was to reach a basin like any you've listed and then spend two or three layover days there really getting to enjoy such places in a more relaxing way.

When I backpacked into the big ponds at 8300 feet on Bear Creek in 1977 during the 76 thru 77 record Sierra drought years, one could jump across the creek at quite a few places. Possible routes down from Marcella are marked up on both my current 7.5 minute topos and the old 15 minute series plus I've taken a number of photos of that ridge. It is a puzzle with quite a lot of possible class 3 friction slabs to negotiate if one gets off the wise map route and or is confronted with the usual sub 40 foot step features that often surprise. Accordingly we usually bring a 5mm climbing rope to hoist down the packs before free climbing down if necessary. ...David

[oldranger]

If Roaring River is a desired destination you have a couple of options;
traverse all or a portion of the west side of the great western divide between Sphinx Lakes and Colby Lake or traverse all or part of the various routes from Cloud Canyon across Glacier Ridge, Deadman, the Fergusons, W and E forks of Sugarloaf Creek, Crescent lake. at the head of the East fork Sugarloaf there are some rock spires and a couple of really nice lakes (fishless) that are seldom seen or visited.

About 6 years ago in late july my son and I did this trip over 9 days with lay overs and fishing in Josephine (not worth visiting just for the fishining) and a few other spots on the route. We didn't see another person from the time we left Roaring River Ranger Station until we bailed out (due to too much rain and too little book) down the west fork of ferguson, past Ellis Meadown, and down the old cow trial that joins the maintained trail at the mouth of box canyon near Sugarloaf meadow. We finally saw our first person near Comanche Meadow--6 nights.

Anyhow the lower reaches of Sugarloaf and Roaring River are not very spectacular but the upper reaches are certainly worth a visit when you get the chance.

mike[/i]

[giantbrookie]

My own strategy even before I began lugging extra photo gear was to reach a basin like any you've listed and then spend two or three layover days there really getting to enjoy such places in a more relaxing way.

I too would prefer to kick back in some nice remote basin, rather than rush in and out. On the other hand, if one has but one 4 or 5 day trip to do in a year (as I do right now) I shift into death march mode simply to explore more new country.

Regarding the tricky slopes of Lower Bear Creek (such as those below Marcella), there is one wacky way that would be an alternative to going up from directly below Marcella. One could cross the diversion dam itself then simply ascend the spine of the ridge then transition to the long shelf/bench then go over that last spur to reach Marcella.

[TehipiteTom]

Here is the original 2007 game plan for that area (yes, this is a death march schedule, but that's why we call this my annual death march) that was superceded by the Blackcap trip. day 1: To Apollo/Orchid via Marcella, and Cirque. Yes, I've always wanted to do Cirque because I'm betting the fish are big there. And I also have held off on this because of that stream crossing--this is the year. day 2. To Three Island Lake and vicinity (with lots of time to hike around that area). day 3. Over the notch north of Gemini. Bag Gemini (climbed Seven Gables in 1988 but haven't done Gemini--it's a nice looking peak), then head into Bear Basin and do some more serious fishing. day 4. Bail to car.

Definitely more ambitious than I had in mind.

Ah, you gotta love topo maps and some serious Belgian Ale.

Ain't it the truth?

It is a puzzle with quite a lot of possible class 3 friction slabs to negotiate if one gets off the wise map route and or is confronted with the usual sub 40 foot step features that often surprise.

Yeah, Dave--that's the one thing giving me pause about that route. I think I could do it with some very careful navigation...but it'll be, um, interesting.

I too would prefer to kick back in some nice remote basin, rather than rush in and out. On the other hand, if one has but one 4 or 5 day trip to do in a year (as I do right now) I shift into death march mode simply to explore more new country.

Me three, and me too. Just trying to see some interesting territory in a limited time.

If Roaring River is a desired destination you have a couple of options;
traverse all or a portion of the west side of the great western divide between Sphinx Lakes and Colby Lake or traverse all or part of the various routes from Cloud Canyon across Glacier Ridge, Deadman, the Fergusons, W and E forks of Sugarloaf Creek, Crescent lake. at the head of the East fork Sugarloaf there are some rock spires and a couple of really nice lakes (fishless) that are seldom seen or visited.

Oldranger, I would love to get into that country--especially Cloud Canyon, Fergusun Canyon, and those lakes you mention sound great. As far as I can tell, it looks like I'd need well over 4 days to really get into the good stuff, though. But a future trip...

[giantbrookie]

If Roaring River is a desired destination you have a couple of options;
traverse all or a portion of the west side of the great western divide between Sphinx Lakes and Colby Lake or traverse all or part of the various routes from Cloud Canyon across Glacier Ridge, Deadman, the Fergusons, W and E forks of Sugarloaf Creek, Crescent lake. at the head of the East fork Sugarloaf there are some rock spires and a couple of really nice lakes (fishless) that are seldom seen or visited.

Oldranger, I would love to get into that country--especially Cloud Canyon, Fergusun Canyon, and those lakes you mention sound great. As far as I can tell, it looks like I'd need well over 4 days to really get into the good stuff, though. But a future trip...

There is one way to get into some very choice country (not to Josephine unless on extreme death march schedule) in that region on a 4 day trip. This is to go out of Wolverton, go past Pear Lake then up onto the Tableland. You can get to the Tableland (and into flanking pockets on the south or north side of it) easily on day 1 from Wolverton. There are several options from there, depending on what type of pace you want to do, and whether you want to loop or out and back, or whether you want to cover the deepest exploration with a full pack or on a dayhike from a camp. On our "Mordor I" trip in 2002 we reached unnamed fishless lakes on the west flank of Glacier Ridge on day 2. That was a big day 2 although it's difficult to gauge how bad it was given that I was sick with a fever, and had the most unbelievably mangled feet I've ever seen (boots too small after 3rd resole--will never do that again no matter how much I like the boots). In any case, the Wolverton entry allows one to get to some very seldom traveled trailless country without having to outright death march.