TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

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DoyleWDonehoo
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by DoyleWDonehoo »

Carne_DelMuerto wrote:...What struck me this time was the amount of volcanic material near the top of Granite Dome. The false summit we climbed was basically a big pile of pumice-like stone and sand and it was so fun to run down it.
Fun facts for the day: :nod:
The entire Sierra at one time was covered by a thick layer of volcanic material. The Sierra uplift and the onset of ice ages quarried most of that material off the rising granite plutons. In the highest places near the glacial trim-lines, the volcanic material was not so much quarried as weathered, and remains today. Pieces of the Sierra roof pendant can be found here and there, looking like dark dance floors suspended above the glaciated valleys below. A good example you can walk can be found on the PCT just south of Sonora Pass. The Three Sisters can be seen from Granite Dome and other places nearby, another remnant of the volcanic layer that once smothered the Sierra region. From Granite Dome, you can plainly see why the area is called "the land of fire and ice".
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sparky
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by sparky »

WOW! Beautiful area. It is a long way for me to get that far north. I will have to make the effort one of these days!
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by mediauras »

Carne_DelMuerto wrote:mediauras, mileage below:

Day 1: Kennedy Meadows to Summit Creek, 7.5 miles
Day 2: Summit Creek to Iceland Lake with summit of Granite Dome, 7.1 miles
Day 3: Iceland Lake to Relief Creek/Summit Creek confluence, 2.8 miles
Day 4: Confluence to Kennedy Meadows, 6.9 miles
Total: 24.3

Edit: Forgot my GPS died on day 4, amended mileage to compensate.
Excellent, thank you! I may give this a go over 3 days. I don't fish (they hate me) so I'm happy to just keep my boots on the ground. :)
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by mediauras »

I've been eyeing your topo and giving this trip some serious thought. I've spent quite a bit of time in other parts of Emigrant, but have never gone out of Kennedy Meadows. I know people complain about the pack use it sees, but how bad is it? From the TH, for how many miles are you walking in horseshit?
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by Carne_DelMuerto »

I should preface this by saying I have a pretty high tolerance for horse droppings as I've been around horses a lot. That said, you will probably encounter a good amount of it from the resort to the fork in the trail after Grouse Creek (one way leading to Lunch Meadow, the other to Relief Valley). I think we benefitted by going in late in the day this trip as the packers must have gone through early in the day, giving the droppings time to dry out. It really gets better the farther in one goes.

What bothered us more was how dusty the trail is after being pulverized by the hooves. Definitely have a good amount of water when you leave the resort...I think the next easy water access was Grouse Creek. You will want to take a dip after hiking that dusty trail.

Honestly, it's not terrible and the payoff is well worth it. Once you get off trail above Summit Creek, you'll be happy.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by mediauras »

Thanks. I actually have a fairly high tolerance too. I'm from Texas, you're born into the stuff there. :-)
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by Tom_H »

Carne, nice report, thanks! After you turn off of Summit Creek, everything is cross-country, not any non-maintained trails at all, correct?
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by Carne_DelMuerto »

Tom_H, welcome to HST! You are correct, once we left the trail and crossed Summit Creek, all of it was off trail until we reached Lower Relief Valley. I would find the occasional use trail around a lake, but nothing other than that.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by whrdafamI? »

Beautiful pics and great TR! Did I read that correctly that you are not going up Pine Creek in about a week? I was so hoping that you were going to have a TR for that one. We are leaving on Aug. 2nd for our loop trail from Pine Creek TH over Italy Pass, Selden Pass and then back over Pine Creek Pass.
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Re: TR: Emigrant Wilderness, June 29 - July 2, 2012

Post by Carne_DelMuerto »

Bill, sorry to disappoint, but I won't be making the trip to Bear Lakes Basin (via Italy Pass) this year. It was tough to accept after planning it for so long, but necessary as I am needed here. Have a great trip! I look forward to your TR and living vicariously.
Wonder is rock and water and the life that lives in-between.
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