Doyle - Graveyard Lakes Pass?

[krudler]

Well, we are fishermen, but perhaps we'll just stick to the trail route. Less iffy.
Thanks for the input guys!

[Take-a-Hike]

Krudler:
My wife and I took that very same pass last year, inspired by Doyle's article mentioned above. We did it on a less than desirable day in early August. We're both over 50, wife was recovering from a partially torn ACL and was a bit on the slow side, but we had very little problems. The side that is pictured in the article above is a piece of cake, and mind you, it was our very first attempt at anything cross country.
We had spent the nite before at one of the Graveyard Lakes and then a bit of weather moved in. We had gone up to the upper lake to check out the way the previous afternoon and then that evening 5 guys came clomping down the trail and it was obvious they'd come over the top, so I asked how it was. They said coming down was easy, (the south side), but they had a bit of a problem on the north side finding the right spot to get over. Actually, 2 had gone one way, 3 another, the 2 had picked a harder way. So, anyway, next morning we took off despite a cloudy, drizzly morning. It's very obvious to see the route as you reach the upper Graveyard Lake, pass it on the left, going up, and then just pick your path going up. Once in a while you'll come across a duck, but, for the most part, it's a no brainer...just head for the trees. The only difficult thing about the whole trip is coming down on the Peter Panda side of the pass. There's a talus field up there, the big, stable stuff of jagged proportions. For most folks of good footing and stable balance it should take maybe 30 minutes to traverse the stuff and be on your way. But since my wife had problems bending one knee all the way and had a 30 lb pack on, it was one slow painful step after another. I think it took us darn near 2 hours to get across, diagonally, that thing. But once we got across, the rest was easy cross country around the small lake that's there to the trail that leads down to Peter Panda. When we got on top, the wind was pretty brisk, the drizzle got harder, and it was a bit slippery in spots, but not bad. We made it to PP about 1:00 and set up camp, just in time, as the drizzle turned into an all afternoon downpour. Went away about 6 and then was a nice Sierra evening.
A couple of days later when we left, we went down the trail way, and for the record, we would NEVER have made it up from Graveyard Lakes to Peter Panda Lake in one day going up over Goodale Pass via the trail. The Silver FOx, Graveyard Lakes Pass or whatever it's called is a definate short cut, I'd say of about 5-7 hours of hiking. There actually is a broken wooden sign, not too old, that pays tribute to someone at the top. Evidently it was someone who passed away at a too early of an age who was fond of that area.
We really liked that area and will probably end up there again someday. If you have the time, there's a couple of lakes up behind PP that are nice and our goal someday is to go around and try to get down to Olive lake from that way rather than the trail depicted on the maps.
This trip made us realize we could do cross country stuff with out my wife nagging all the way about getting lost, and it also made us aware of the need to carry adequate light weight clothing good for all types of weather. If we'd delayed a couple of hours and had to go over that pass in the rain that showed up later in the day, things might have not been so peachy.
We had sent Doyle a message last summer thanking him for his report and story..I had printed it out and used it as a guide most of the way. So, thanks again, Doyle, and for anyone who visits that area, it's a most desireable area.
Perry

[Take-a-Hike]

Krudler,...I re-read and saw you're asking about N - S direction. That's opposite what we did, but from what the 5 guys in my story told me, it's easier going up that talus then they thought it would be going down....and since we went down, I'd have to agree w/them. Other than one spot that I can remember on the south side going up, for us, it's easy going down. But, for someone younger than us and 2 good legs, the one spot I'm thinking about would be a mere 30 second hitch in the getalong. My wife had to take off her pack and I pulled it up while she got better footing, but it was really nothing. I zipped right up, and it would be ok coming down too. Going up the North side, I'd say go right up the talus, it's stable, to the snow field that I'm sure may still be there, partially. It was there last year. It's only 30 - 40 yds worth and put you in the right spot to get to the top. The guys who had problems went way left of that thinking it would be easier but they said they'd goofed in that judgment.
Good luck.

[DoyleWDonehoo]

I'm also hoping to do the short part of the High Route from Laurel Lake to Izaak Walton Lake (Roper's "parkland") via I think it's "Bighorn" and then Shout-of-Relief passes, above Mott and Rosy Finch lakes. I know in your Silver Divide story from 2001 you had mentioned wanting to do that, I was curious if you had the chance yet.

Oh yeah. Nope, have not had a chance to do those HSR passes, though I would like to: maybe a great way to visit the McGee Pass area. From all I have talked to, not a particularly hard route and from those who have done the Roper Route, most mention Snow Tongue as being the worst pass. Few others were worth mention...

[krudler]

Wow Take-a-Hike, thanks for that - that's all great info and just what I was hoping to hear! Sounds like it should be no real problem and a good one to try for my first real x-c pass. Anything to cut out the extra hiking!

And, I concur - thanks for all the info and pics Doyle!

[mountaineer]

That is my favorite destination-the Graveyard Area. Tons of exploring to be done. Last July I traversed the basin ridge, starting up the ridge from the Lower Lake and going up to Graveyard Peak and then continuing east. I tell you, the summit view from the peak to the NE of the big Upper Lake is nothing short of fabulous. You feel like you could just reach out and touch the backsides of Mt. Tom and Basin Mtn. from there.

[cmon4day]

Did the same route about 10 years ago. Also climbed Graveyard Peak. There is an old register up there with entries from the 30's. Anne Lake was beautiful place to layover.

Vic

[mountaineer]

I was up on Graveyard 5 years ago and didn't see a register. Didn't look for it when I was up there last year.

[TehipiteTom]

Hi Doyle -

I'd be very interested to hear your opinion on the "Graveyard Lakes Pass" (aka "Silver Fox Pass") from Graveyard Lakes to the Anne Lake/Peter Pande Lake area. I'm planning a trip to this area in late August and am very interested in using that shortcut. I've done x-c travel before but nothing quite like a "class 2" Sierra pass yet and I'm hoping it will be possible. I'd be going from Anne/Peter over to Graveyard (north->south direction).

Take-a-hike's description is a good one. It's easy on the south side, steep but stable talus on the north.

I'm also hoping to do the short part of the High Route from Laurel Lake to Izaak Walton Lake (Roper's "parkland") via I think it's "Bighorn" and then Shout-of-Relief passes, above Mott and Rosy Finch lakes....I'd like to be able to pull that one off to as I really really really want to see Hortense Lake and that would the perfect route as I am going from Devil's Postpile to VVR (via PeterPande/Graveyard) and back on the 2-week trip in August. If the x-c passes are sketchy it's going to add some significant mileage to my trip if I intend to get to all these destinations.

Thanks for any input!!!

I've done Shout-of-Relief and Rohn (the next pass west, due north of Bighorn Lake) passes; both are steep talus on the north side. Seems to be a theme. Hortense is well worth a visit--just a gorgeous lake. The route from Fish Creek headwaters to Hortense is a great one, with some interesting routefinding challenges (but pretty easy if you can find the right route).