Ultimate Sierra Trip?

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
giantbrookie
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Posts: 3580
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:22 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by giantbrookie »

Wow, all those Edith posts and that photo sure bring back memories. Yes the brush is fierce. I did in fact encounter the worst brush I've ever battled while forcing the north side of Kendrick Creek to Edith in 1986. I also remember choking from the both pollen and simply pieces of leaves getting into my throat. There was one theatrical descent spot where I got stuck on top of a ten foot cliff and got off by this tarzan move, using some long supple branches to swing off, over, and down. On the other hand, going in from the south side is much mellower, although still an adventure. The upside is something else though: the gemlike deep blue lakes on the bench downstream of the lake, the lake itself with Nance Peak towering over it and the wonderful cascade inlet, and then the awesome waterfall upstream of that, and the fish aren't too bad, either. Edith was also the first really exploratory backpack I took with my wife and it opened the door for all of our epics that followed.
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;
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11822
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by maverick »

Hi Mike M.

Yes, Picket Lake is a beautiful little lake/watering hole with the perfect campsite
under the trees on the western side of it with great views of the Whitney region to
the east, wish I was there right now.
I personally prefer the area under Pyra Queen/Kaweah Pass region since the ridge
turns blood red and orange at sunrise, which makes for some great photo's of its
reflections in the small ponds at the foot of the ridge!
Also the view of the ridge containing Mt.Kaweah, Queen Kaweah, Black, and
Queen Kaweah is extremely impressive, I can easily sit for a hour looking at all the
features of the rock.
In the moonlight it turns eerie and takes on a completely different look, which is
just impressive!
Then there is Red Spur Lakes Basin, which has a lake, and views to die for.
User avatar
cgundersen
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1338
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:07 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by cgundersen »

Hi All,
OK, the photo from Tehipite Tom seals the deal. I may not want to drag my wife through the brush, but from all the fond memories of pollen, leaves, brambles and king-of-the-jungle routines, it sounds like a good place to test one's mettle.

Mike, I'm with you on being fond of Triple Divide Pass. It's our back-up route if Pants Pass looks too ugly (I'm pretty sure it won't, but ya never know). My wife & I camped at that little pond at the very apex of Cloud Canyon a few years ago (just before going over TD Pass) and were treated to some of the noisiest pica I've run across. From your comments on Picket Guard Lake, we may try to swing down there. Our tentative plan was to stay in the higher reaches of the basins on the north side of the Kaweahs, but we'll see how things look when we get back there (I just noticed that Maverick posted as I was writing this, and it sounds like we'll do fine either way). Your planned trip this summer almost perfectly follows the route I did back in 1980 (but, in reverse). Ionian basin is still pretty well undisturbed; the only part where I think you'll really hit a wall is climbing up to the Barrett Lakes. My mental note the two times I went down that thing was better down than up. Good luck!
CG
User avatar
Mike M.
Topix Expert
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 10:50 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by Mike M. »

Maverick:

The Red Spur Lakes Basin is an area I have often thought of visiting but have somehow missed because it's so far off the beaten path.

There's a nice camping spot on the east side of Milestone Pass, high up between Midway and Milestone, that offers the kind of vistas I imagine you would get from the Red Spur Basin. Awesome views of the Whitney group -- and a great front porch for watching afternoon thunderstorms.

Mike
User avatar
Mike M.
Topix Expert
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 10:50 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Portland, Oregon

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by Mike M. »

CG:

My journal notes from a 1986 swing through the Palisades area, going north to south from Thunderbolt Pass, say that Potluck "was harder than I remembered" and that I had to "do some acrobatic moves." There is a ramp just to the right of the summit of the pass that offers an easy way down, and I must have missed that.

I solo climbed Mt. Sill the next day, going up a chute on the face of Sill (directly opposite the Palemonium Glacier), which was much steeper than I found comfortable, with icy patches. Fortunately, going down was easier and safer than I expected and I was a mighty happy camper, glad to have climbed one of the nicest peaks in the Sierra.

The next day, I made my way up and over Cirque Pass. The ledges and cliffs were "arduous," but I was in camp above Upper Palisades Lake (where the stream from the basin below Southfork Pass intersects the JMT) in three hours.

I'm hoping the route finding going up will eliminate any need for Class 3 moves. Plus, we'll have light packs at that point and will (hopefully) be trail hardened as well.

Mike
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11822
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by maverick »

Hi CG

You can avoid the bad stuff by staying on the ridge to the east starting above
Laurel Lake all the way to the two cool lakes west of Richardson Peak, and
descend near the outlet creek down to Edith Lake.
This way you do not have to put your wife thru the torment of the bush down it
the canyon, though this is the lure of the place.

Mike M.
The Milestone Pass view is also very beautiful, but hiking out to the edge of Kern
Canyon at Red Spur Basin is quite a view.
User avatar
cgundersen
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1338
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:07 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by cgundersen »

Hi Mike & Maverick,
Frankly, Thunderbolt has always taken me longer than I expected it to take (there just never seems to be an obvious path through the talus on the Dusy side), but on my one time over Potluck, I did get it right and hit the granite ramp down. However, when I looked back at Potluck, my reaction was that it could definitely be a challenge if one missed the ramp, turning it into hardluck pass. Incidentally, have you ever gone over Southfork pass? I've been close on both sides, but have never done the whole thing (but, my feeling was that the rock jumble on the Big Pine side did not make for a nice entry, if one had a heavy load).
As for a low-pain entry to Edith, I'll log the notes for future reference. Thanks! And, just out of curiosity, have you accessed the Red Spur area from the Kaweah plateau, or from below? I'm thinking that we'll just stay on the plateau, given the eloquent praise, but if we get a hankering to explore further, can we get over high, or do we need to swing low?
Thanks,
CG
User avatar
TehipiteTom
Founding Member
Posts: 953
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:42 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by TehipiteTom »

maverick wrote:Hi CG

You can avoid the bad stuff by staying on the ridge to the east starting above
Laurel Lake all the way to the two cool lakes west of Richardson Peak, and
descend near the outlet creek down to Edith Lake.
This way you do not have to put your wife thru the torment of the bush down it
the canyon, though this is the lure of the place.
My buddy and I left Edyth by heading southwest up to the obvious saddle and into the Frog Creek drainage; that would be yet another relatively brush-free way in. We continued up to Moraine Ridge from Lake 7385, and caught the trail there...but heading in, I bet you could head up the Frog Creek drainage and get to the saddle over to Edyth more directly.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11822
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by maverick »

Hi CG

Heading down from Kaweah Basin you see on your map the lake with the
island in it.
Before reaching the lake start heading up towards the shoulder to about
11000 ft level, then once over the shoulder head for the large lake which is
really pretty, but continue on to the next larger lake due south which has
a great camping spot on its northern side.
The lakes higher to the west are worth visiting too. Have fun!
User avatar
copeg
Founding Member & Forums Administrator
Founding Member & Forums Administrator
Posts: 2109
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:25 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Contact:

Re: Ultimate Sierra Trip?

Post by copeg »

cgundersen wrote:And, just out of curiosity, have you accessed the Red Spur area from the Kaweah plateau, or from below? I'm thinking that we'll just stay on the plateau, given the eloquent praise, but if we get a hankering to explore further, can we get over high, or do we need to swing low?
CG
To add to Maverick's advice, the lake with the island is definitely worth the visit (great camping on the east end). There are several chutes (if you can even call them that) that ascend from the east side of the lake that I took up towards the Red Spur plateau - up the chutes then a traverse towards Red Spur - that area up there is just incredible.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 129 guests