TR: Virgina Lakes to Smedberg Lake and Volunteer Peak 08/25/23 to 08/29/23.

[KathyW]

I'm heading in on 08/26/23 from Virgina Lakes (Hoover Wilderness) to Summit Lake, over Benson Pass, on to Smedberg and Rodgers Lakes and then Volunteer and Pettit Peaks before retracing my steps back out.

I see on the satellite images there isn't much snow but I am wondering if there are any tricky water crossings or if any of the few patches of snow are tricky.

Anyone been in via Virgina Lakes or been at Rodgers Lake recently that can report on conditions?

Edit to add trip report now and that I am back:

The trip was really nice. No problems going over Summit Pass or Benson Pass. Water crossings were easy, flowers were beautiful, and mosquitoes were not too bad overall. Photos and map: https://kathywing.smugmug.com/Californi ... -Yosemite/

[balzaccom]

As I recall, the trickiest part of anything in that area is the north side of Mule Pass, which can still have snow quite late in the season...but pleaty of talus around if you want to test your knees and avoid the snow.

[KathyW]

As I recall, the trickiest part of anything in that area is the north side of Mule Pass, which can still have snow quite late in the season...but pleaty of talus around if you want to test your knees and avoid the snow.

Thanks. I won't be going over Mule Pass. I will just go over the pass (not named as far as I know) between Virginia Lakes and Summit Lake (looks like some snow to deal with as it is the high point of the trip) and Benson Pass.

[c9h13no3]

Not snagging Piute as well on the same trip? How'd you decide on Virginia Lakes as the start point?

[KathyW]

Not snagging Piute as well on the same trip? How'd you decide on Virginia Lakes as the start point?

I am far too slow to include Piute in a 5 day trip and 5 days is long enough for me. I did semi-loop starting at Robinson years ago and just stuck to the main trail. This trip gives me about 15 new miles out of the 27 or so (one-way). They will be old miles on the way out but everything looks different when you reverse direction.

[KathyW]

Summit Pass - I think that is what they call the pass before Summit Lake. No name on the map.

[Gazelle]

you have seen dylan kirbys sps facebook post 8/18 I think the area I believe you are questioning is in this picture. red around it, it is quite steep there.

[giantbrookie]

Really cool trip to a destination we don't often hear about--I somehow missed this post when it came out. Those views are really not ones you usually see (from summit of Volunteer Peak) so they're especially neat. I had originally planned the "big annual trip" with my daughter to this part of the Sierra. I had hoped to do a 9-day trip that including the usual fishing plus climbs of Volunteer, Petit, and possibly Twin Peaks, but this was back in mid July and there was no some of the target lakes would have been thawed and there were multiple stream crossings that would not have been a good idea in mid July. As a result we opted for lower elevations out of Hetch Hetchy. It's really neat see photos of the Volunteer-Smedberg area. I will certainly plan to get there someday.