Hiking NE from Edison reservoir next week -

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Telkwa
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Hiking NE from Edison reservoir next week -

Post by Telkwa »

Headed towards the Indian Lakes, with the intent of crossing over to Hortense from Warrior. Don't know if the "crossing to Hortense" part is wishful thinking...
Got a couple of questions for the group.
First off, looks like a heat wave goin on in the area. Fresno 10-day sez 100+ degrees every day. Roughly what will that translate to in the mountains? 80 degrees or more? Gotta love those south-facing switchbacks in the middle of the afternoon...
I'm sure we'll miss the morning ferry across the reservoir. Has anyone had any luck waving money around and hiring a tourist to run them down to the far end?
The Sierra NFS gal i talked with last week said the lake's down so far that the dock isn't accessible by boat. Does that mean private boats will be off the lake?
She said the ferry's still running.

Thanks!
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Post by mountaineer »

Telkwa, I just returned from there Thursday. Lows at 9200' were 48-55 and the highs were 77-80. I saw no boats at all on the lake, but that isn't to say they weren't there somewhere. It was roughly 1/2 mile from the Vermillion resort down to the waters edge...looked like a 4x4 might have been driving back and forth so they are probably taking people to the ferry that way. Absolutely nobody in the mountains. Six cars at the trailhead when we started hiking Monday night.

Have fun!

By the way, have you ever been up there? If not, the drive in is worse than any of the hikes. One lane road that is very rough for miles. Power company employees think they own the road and we had a couple of near head-ons with the bozos flying around blind curves. You are better off going up at night so you can see the headlights coming.
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Post by Telkwa »

Hi, mountaineer!
Thanks very much for the reply. We're on dial-up. I was laboriously poking around for 10-Day weather forecasts in Glacier or Eagle Cap or Cascades, someplace closer to our location (Western Washington) and maybe not so darned hot. Thought I'd drop in on Hi-Topix and found your post. Funny how forums can be much more effective than talking to the flustered rangers on the phone or whatever. Temps in the high 70's-low 80's don't sound bad. After the switchbacks have been dealt with anyways.
We've got the permit for the planned trip. Getting new permits now for some other place might be a sonofagun. Still gotta think this over, but your post helps.
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Post by mountaineer »

I didn't mean to sound too negative about the road. It probably isn't as bad as I made it sound. Must not be, I've been up it a million times! The drive is definitely worth it.

The plus side to the area is the isolation. I have never seen it so empty and I have been going up there since about 1974.

I wouldn't worry about the permit thing...the station was closed when we went by and we never saw a ranger in the backcountry. If your itinerary changes it shouldn't be a big deal.

Go to this link...it is for Huntington Lake. You will see two big lakes NE of Huntington, the one further north is Edison...click on that to get a weather report for that area. You can then click on points all along your basic route and it will give coordinates, elevation, and weather report seven days out for that spot on the map. Not super precise but close enough.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapCli ... 2=-119.235
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Post by Telkwa »

Thanks for the weather link!
I'd seen the NOAA website but didn't realize the little map is interactive. It's bookmarked now. Your comments about less people...do you have any thoughts on why? High gas prices, the heat, or maybe a longer term trend like kids would rather be playing with their Wii than getting outdoors?

Have never been to Edison but many years ago (1973 or thereabouts) some high school buddies and I did a hike from Florence. I don't remember much of anything about the drive.
As far as the permit thing you mentioned, I seem to run into rangers at inopportune moments. Patti still laughs her a** off when she recollects the time I was wearing nothing but my boots and the armed Yosemite ranger walked into our campsite.
Here's the so-called plan - we arrange to have the Prather station leave the permit out for us overnite. I'm thinking 13 - 14 hours of drive time from home to Madera, get a hotel room, early start, pick up permit, and hopefully get to Edison in time for 0900 ferry ride.
How long would you say it takes to drive from Madera to Edison?
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Post by mountaineer »

I would say 2 1/2 hours from Madera to Edison. I didn't even think about the Prather station for a permit...we stopped by the station near Kaiser Pass. Anyway, I get a permit when it is convenient and when it isn't, I don't worry about it. I have no idea what the fine is if you get cited for not having one. I have never even seen a ranger in the backcountry except for in National Parks, which is why I try not to go into national parks if possible. Mineral King in Sequoia is about the only NP I'll backpack in. By the way, if you don't have ID, who are they going to cite? You could be Mickey Mouse for all they know. :)

As for the lack of people when I was there last week...I think it had to do with the smoke from the Zaca fire. The east side was totally socked in and people just assumed the west would be also. It was clear as a bell the whole time. As for the heat...not too bad, the valleys were actually cooler than the higher, more exposed elevations in the AM. Nothing wrong with timing the barren switchbacks to hike them at night also.

You'll have a blast...beautiful area, no skeeters...

By the way, if you miss the ferry, there is nothing wrong with the Silver Divide-Goodale Pass area...Graveyard Lakes, Peter Pande Lake, etc. Here is a good report about that area. Permit is for the same trailhead I believe.

http://www.accesscom.com/~ddonehoo/sliv ... rv1n11.htm
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Post by Telkwa »

Thanks, mountaineer, appreciate all the feedback I can get. While staring at the maps, we spotted the Graveyard/Goodale Pass trail and figured on taking that if we missed the ferry. It might be a little bit longer to get to Warrior but looks like nice country on the map.
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Driving time

Post by oldranger »

Telkwa

I don't know if this will help you out but driving time from Bend to Fresno is usually about 10 hours, then about 45 minutes to Prather. and another 45 minutes or so to Huntington Lake for my last steak before my hike. It seems to me it took over an hour to get to Florence and I assume about the same or a little more to Edison. Going over Kaiser Pass at sunset and getting an incredible view of the sierra is a benefit of doing the trip in one day but I assume you have about 3 more hours drive than I did.

Have a good trip. By the way I'm heading to the Eaglecap after work on wednesday for an extended laborday weekend, if the weather holds.

Have a good trip.
mike
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Re: Hiking NE from Edison reservoir next week -

Post by giantbrookie »

Telkwa wrote:First off, looks like a heat wave goin on in the area. Fresno 10-day sez 100+ degrees every day.
In Fresno, we don't call that a "heat wave", we call it "normal summer temperatures". I agree that 100 usually translates to 80's in the lower to parts of the route you plan to hike. The highest parts are probably going to be in the 70's, though. The NOAA weather site that mountaineer sent you is indeed very helpful in predicting what you'll encounter--I've found it to be pretty reliable in the past. You will notice that your temps will decrease the higher the elevation the point you click on is.

As for the driving time, 2.5 hours from Madera may be a bit quick. It may be more like 3. From just short of Kaiser Pass the road is narrow and slow. From north Fresno I get to Edison in just a shade under 2.5 hours. Madera would tack on additional distance and driving time. I am not certain whether it is faster to go all the way "around the horn" southward to 180 east and hence to the 168 freeway or cutover from Madera on 145-road 206-Millerton Rd-Auberry road to join 168 at Prather. I would probably take 145 if it were me, but this is a somewhat more complicated route. Do not be tempted to take Herndon Road from 99 to 168 as a "short cut". There are loads of traffic lights and ongoing construction.
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 mountaineer »

Upper Graveyard Meadow near the Goodale Pass/Graveyard Lakes trail junction:
Image
Last edited by mountaineer on Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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