TR: Sphinx Crest Loop 7/16 - 7/20 2012

[TehipiteTom]

Ugh...that's brutal. 5500' of gain + a couple of miles of non-trivial cross-country is a surefire recipe for pain.

[DoyleWDonehoo]

We went up to 10514 the first day from the TH.

Yikes! That is just cruel and unusual punishment!!
I just got back from a 3 day trip to 10 Lakes Basin with my noob friend, and I was pretty grumpy about that climb (2200+ feet, 6 Miles to the basin).

Thanks for the nice comments about my ST TR's! I should do more now that I have backed up a bunch more trips.

[TehipiteTom]

We went up to 10514 the first day from the TH.

Yikes! That is just cruel and unusual punishment!!
I just got back from a 3 day trip to 10 Lakes Basin with my noob friend, and I was pretty grumpy about that climb (2200+ feet, 6 Miles to the basin).

Thanks for the nice comments about my ST TR's! I should do more now that I have backed up a bunch more trips.

Looking forward to your trip reports!

[oldranger]

TT

You wrote

in truth, I had already made my decision back at Lake 9735. Once I left the lake I was out of the really interesting country, and without even noticing it was shifting to an end-of-trip frame of mind. Now, at Moraine Creek, there was nothing but trail between me and civilization, and nothing very exciting along the way.

Sorry to disagree. I wish you had told me your plans earlier this summer and I could have helped you find a fun trail from just nw of Little Brewer Lake to Moraine Creek, two Shorty Lovelace cabins, and several interesting (and bizzare) tree carvings.

Mike

[TehipiteTom]

Sorry to disagree. I wish you had told me your plans earlier this summer and I could have helped you find a fun trail from just nw of Little Brewer Lake to Moraine Creek, two Shorty Lovelace cabins, and several interesting (and bizzare) tree carvings.

Mike

Fair point. I did do a brief search for the carvings, but either I was looking in the wrong place or I wasn't patient enough. The Sphinx cabin was quite a ways off the trail (IIRC, you told me it was a mile or two up the side creek) and I was too wiped on my way in, and too hurried on my way out, to go looking for it.

But as I said, I had already shifted to end-of-trip mode at that point, which colored how interested in anything other than getting out.

[AlmostThere]

Thank you for posting this trip report, TT. I am using it as intel for a two day trip up to the lakes basin.

I just got back from doing a 5,500+ cumulative gain, 26+ mile round trip into the Tablelands area, with a good six miles of fun-packed cross country - we went from Pear Lake up the (depressingly dry) Kaweah to the crest of the ridge and around to Moose Lake, followed by knee-mangling downhill and traverse to Alta Meadow. I have high hopes that since I am not sore (not even my knees!), nor banged up, nor really all that exhausted, that I will make it up for some more alpenglow!