Looking for something new in Emigrant

[frozenintime]

we hiked out of gianelli for the first time last fall (to iceland and leopold lakes) and thought it was a pretty great option.

the less used crabtree trail leading to chewing gum is also a good, underused entry point.

[balzaccom]

See this post: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22676&p=176656#p176656

Interesting that you didn't hike out of Gianelli at all. Since it gives you an extra few hundred feet of elevation at the start, it has its appeal.

Always felt Crabtree got you into the heart of the backcountry and to lakes faster. Just added Gianelli TH, just for you.

Each trailhead has its pros and cons. i do like the trip from Gianelli to Y Meadow, Leopold and the Wire Lakes.

[kpeter]

we hiked out of gianelli for the first time last fall (to iceland and leopold lakes) and thought it was a pretty great option.

the less used crabtree trail leading to chewing gum is also a good, underused entry point.

I've been by that trail half a dozen times and never taken it. How easy is it to follow? What is its advantage, given that it starts from 1500 feet lower than Gianelli?

I'm thinking of trying some alternate routes into Emigrant next summer. Haven't taken either Gianelli or the Chewing Gum trail in.

[frozenintime]

it’s easy enough to follow, maybe a little iffy as you get closer to chewing gum?

it’s mostly useful because you can make different, fun loops from crabtree with it.

it’s also going to be open way earlier than gianelli, especially in a snow year like this one.

oh and gianelli does start high, but there are a series of medium sized ups and downs before you get much of anywhere. it might not add up to major vert, but it’s not nothing

[Wandering Daisy]

I like Cherry Lake/ Kibby Lake TH to get into Lord Meadow. It is an in-and-out instead of loop trailhead to Lord Meadow, but from there you can do many different loops. Several of us here on the forum have done trips- including Boundary Lake area that is actually in Yosemite. Do a search for old trip reports. There also is an old guidebook to Emigrant. It is a bit outdate but goes over most of the trailheads.

I think starting "high" is over-rated. In the big picture of a several-day trip, a thousand feet or so is nothing. It IS significant if you are considering an east side pass like Shepherd Pass vs Onion Valley. There just is not that much elevation difference in Emigrant. You do have to consider stream crossings and snow early season, so those factors need more consideration. By August it is not a big issue.

I have gone in Gianelli early- just when it opens. There are not any big river crossings and you can then drop down to trails that you also access from Crabtree that have river crossing problems. Personally, I feel the main trail itself is less scenic than most Emigrant trails.

The PCT from Sonora Pass is very spectacular. The snow can be treacherous early season, so August or September is better than June or July.