Favorite lake to camp at in Emigrant Wilderness?

[ngomaam]

x-post from r/norcalhiking

Emigrant is my go-to backpacking destination. I've camped at Relief Reservoir, Piute Lake, Gem Lake and Rosasco Lake.

With the exception of maybe Piute (camped there because we had a huge group that could not make it to Gem), all of these were good and have their own charm. I would only do Relief late season, so my group would usually have the place to ourselves, maybe a few others, which makes the place really special. I imagine it's not fun when crowded peak season. Gem Lake is popular for a reason, best stargazing in my experience due to the camp site not being under a canopy of trees. Rosasco was more wooded but nice in that it felt more isolated, maybe due to the hike in. We day hiked to Big Lake, which seemed nice but did not scout the area for future camping.

I'm going back in late September and all these are options. But I'm curious about other lakes that are within reasonable reach. Some that I've looked at are: Hyatt, Big, Pingree, Jewelry/Deer, Kennedy. There's just so many. My group this September is relatively large (6) so would need space for tents. I want to go some place new, like Hyatt, but would not want to make the relatively harder trek there only to find no suitable camp sites for the group.

Anyone feel confident predicting what crossing Cherry creek will be like late September this year?

[c9h13no3]

I'm going back in late September and all these are options. But I'm curious about other lakes that are within reasonable reach. Some that I've looked at are: Hyatt, Big, Pingree, Jewelry/Deer, Kennedy. There's just so many. My group this September is relatively large (6) so would need space for tents. I want to go some place new, like Hyatt, but would not want to make the relatively harder trek there only to find no suitable camp sites for the group.

Anyone feel confident predicting what crossing Cherry creek will be like late September this year?

Kennedy gets grazed by cattle after the snow melts. To me, it is best enjoyed as an early season destination due to the bridges and absence of cattle (if you get in there early enough).

This is a weird year, but it'd be a really weird year if you couldn't cross a creek in September.

The lakes north of Granite Dome (Ridge, Lewis, Iceland) should probably be on your list, as they're pretty easy to access.

[frozenintime]

hyatt and big (and the giant granite bowl between them) is fantastic country. you have to go at some point.
leopold lake is a nice enough lake but the selling point is the views from the west, south and east sides.
iceland lake is beautiful.
i haven't been yet, but letora is known as another winner.

cherry tends to be dangerous early season and then easily passable for most of the summer. i'd assume by september of this year it will be totally fine. but others have more experience than i do.

[kpeter]

Here are several of my trip reports for various parts of Emigrant, plenty of photos and observations about the lakes.

https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... t=emigrant
https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... nt#p172766
https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... nt#p136477
https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... 07#p108707

My favorite places so far:
1) Big Lake and the granite basin between it and Pingree.
2) Emigrant Lake
3) Buck Lakes
4) West Fork Cherry Creek cascades and falls between high trail and low trail.

While Rosaco did not impress me, the whole "trail-less" region that includes Rosaco, Pingree, Hyatt, Big, Yellowhammer, Five Acre, Leighton, and Karl's gives that wonderful sense of isolation. Surly one of the very best places to cross country in the world--simply walking across granite, for the most part.

[paul]

I prefer lakes that do not have a trail to them.