TR: Hetch Hetchy to Lake Vernon June 6-9

[dustybottoms21]

Thanks I’ll check it out. Quite a bit more to look at in this region vs what I’m used to which is the Utah deserts and east coast mountains.

We’re considering swapping this one out for the Ostrander Lake TH on Glacier Point. Base camp from the lake a few days and do some day hikes from there. Hart Lakes and Windy Lake and a few others look reachable but they’re around 9000’. Not a ton of miles but no water hazards at least.

[c9h13no3]

OK so we will bank on NOT getting the opportunity to complete the loop due to dangerous crossings and potential closures of bridges, etc.

An alternative itinerary:

Day 1: Start at Hetch Hetchy and TRY to get to Laurel Lake to set up camp. Let's assume Frog's Creek will be impassable, so we'll stay near the creek this first night.
Day 2: Take the short hike up to Lake Vernon and explore, camp, fish the lake. Head up for a day hike following falls creek north like Kpeter did. Set up camp that night somewhere on the south, west, or NW of the lake since I am assuming Falls Creek will be impassable.
Day 3: Short hike back near Laurel Lake and set up camp somewhere likely near falls creek if we can't access Laurel Lake.
Day 4: Return to TH

Not what we had in mind for this trip considering we're plan C or D right now but mother nature can be a B**** sometimes.

You should hike to Wapama either way. If you can cross, great. If you can't, you'll see a waterfall so large it's going over the bridge it's designed to go under, which still sounds pretty phenomenal.

[kozz]

We’re considering swapping this one out for the Ostrander Lake TH on Glacier Point. Base camp from the lake a few days and do some day hikes from there. Hart Lakes and Windy Lake and a few others look reachable but they’re around 9000’. Not a ton of miles but no water hazards at least.

I took a crew of Scouts out Ostrander TH this past weekend. Lots of deadfall and mud through to the final junction before you head up to Horizon Ridge. There's only minor patches of snow all the way to up to the top of the ridge, but we met several parties returning from the lake that reported a) the lake is completely frozen over still and b) from the top of the ridge down into the Ostrander basin is a solid snowfield with at least 2-3 feet of snow.

By Thursday, that might have melted out a bit more, with some patches of ground accessible, but be prepared for snow, especially if you're headed out over to Hart Lakes, etc.