Help me plan!

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DavePloessel
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Help me plan!

Post by DavePloessel »

Little bit of drizzly day daydreaming: I'm looking to do a 9 day walk in late august. I've got a few areas I'd like to see. Anyone care to help me plan a rout that links them all with minimal overlap (loop is ideal)

First off:

Backpacking experience: level 4
Terrain: I'm pretty much comfortable with everything, but I'd like to avoid anything technical on this trip as I will have a less experienced climber - so I'd like to limit stuff to class 3/easy 4 at most. 100% comfy with X-country travel
Main interests: Beautiful places - I'm more of a "treeline and above" type of guy, but meadows and forest are pretty awesome. I could stare at Big Wet meadow for days. A little fishing would be nice too. Bagging a peak or two along the way would be a bonus (side trip up williamson or tyndall?)

Beyond that: Hitting the trail on Saturday, returning the following sunday. Open to an east or westside approach. The pup will be staying at home. Capable of doing big miles, but it's not required. Layoverdays are fun too.

So, all that being out of the way, I'd like to figure a fun loop that would allow me to hit the following places:

Cloud Canyon
Lake Reflection
Big Brewer/cunningham creek drainage
Upper Kern Basin
Bighorn plateau


There are a bunch of other areas in that general vivinity I'd like to hit too, but I'm looking to make the above the main focus of the trip as my hiking partner hasn't been there yet.

Any suggestions?
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oldranger
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by oldranger »

Try this.

Start at roads end 2 days in to Cement table meadow, 1 day layover for Cloud Canyon excursion, up cunningham creek and over Longley then work your way to Thunder Col and into Kern (figure out which lakes have fish and hit them) then take one of the passes that will get you to reflection and down to Bubbs creek and return.

Or if staying high and fishing are more important avoid Cloud Canyon and head up sphinx Creek (fishing in Lakes) instead of going over Avalanche Pass. Then over into Brewer Drainage (fishing in Lakes) Over Cinder Col or Pass (whatever) to Longley Pass then the rest of the previous trip.

Mike

Oh you could start at Onion valley. Too many variations!
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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sekihiker
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by sekihiker »

DavePloessel wrote: 9 day walk in late august
X-country travel
Beautiful places
A little fishing
Bagging a peak or two
loop that would allow me to hit the following places:
Cloud Canyon
Lake Reflection
Big Brewer/cunningham creek drainage
Upper Kern Basin
Bighorn plateau
Here you go, Dave, and believe me, it was truly my pleasure.

http://sierrahiker.home.comcast.net/~si ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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oldranger
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by oldranger »

Bill,

Don't you think that day 8 is a bit optimistic? Even in your prime?

Mike
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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sekihiker
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by sekihiker »

oldranger wrote:Bill,

Don't you think that day 8 is a bit optimistic? Even in your prime?

Mike
Good point, Mike.
I guess you wouldn't be doing much more than hiking on Day 8. Then Day 9, a very long day, would not feel too good after a hike like Day 8.
The plans for those two days are probably too ambitious.
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maverick
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by maverick »

Hi Dave,

Is this supposed to be race or do you want to experience the flavor of a specific
area? Throwing Cloud Canyon/Cunningham Creek into the mix really prohibits
getting to the areas to the east, especially if one wants layover days/peak bagging
mixed in. As does including Williamson/Tyndall and Wallace Lakes Basin area which
deserves at least 2 days as does the Upper Kern Plateau.
If you come in via Shepherd Pass and head into Williamson Bowl from where you
can bag Williamson and Tyndall and then head over Tyndall Col into the Wright
Lakes/Wallace Lakes Basin.
This alone is at least 3-4 day trip depending on how you deal with the elevation.
Then going over to enjoy the Bighorn and Upper Kern area you should spend at least
another 2-3 days. Go down Harrison Pass and over to Lake Reflection. Then either
go to East Lake, climb Mt. Brewer and head down to Bubbs, or climb Deerhorn Saddle
and go visit Vidette Lakes/Vidette Meadow, then over Forester back out Shepherd,
or as an alternate go up into Center Basin, over Junction Pass a down to The Pothole
instead of using Shepherd Pass again. Even this route is pushing it with your time
schedule, and Mt Brewer can be left out if time is short.
Leaving another car in Onion Valley is a good alternative instead of exiting Shepherd
again.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

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DavePloessel
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by DavePloessel »

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions! Please, keep them coming!

Bill - that's a great itinerary! Very much appreciated and thankyou for building the whole thing with the map!! I've already forwarded it to my gorlfriend and she is stoked!!! Days 8 and 9 look hard but doable.

Maverick - I'm not looking for this to be a speed hike, but I do want to pack as much into it as possible. I've been to some of these places myself, and reallly want to give my lady a nice taste of some of my favorite places in the high sierras. I went up Shepherds pass for the first time this february, and while it was kind of sucky in winter, I'm assuming it will be a bit easier during the summer since I won't be postholing up in waist deep powder. I had at first considered going up via shepherd on day one, bagging tyndall and/or williamson on day 2 and then camping on the bighorn plateau, then heading down to the upper kern basin on day 3...

The only thing about that schedule was that it did add a lot of elevation all at once, so i was thinking about a west side approach instead, which is why the one Bill put up is so appealing..

I like where this thread is going :)
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ndwoods
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by ndwoods »

You're asking Bill if that's an optimistic route? Have you looked at some of the stuff he's done? Legendary!:)
http://ndeewoods.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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SSSdave
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by SSSdave »

DP >>>"...I've been to some of these places myself, and reallly want to give my lady a nice taste of some of my favorite places in the high sierras. "

Are you kidding? That has to be one of most impossible "I'd like to visit" High Sierra itinerary's I've ever seen posted especially if a prime intent is showing a wife or gal friend that seems to read like she hasn't done that kind of thing. Way too ambitious unless you are both endurance atheletes, strong peak baggers, and backpackers.
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sekihiker
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Re: Help me plan!

Post by sekihiker »

SSSdave wrote: Way too ambitious unless you are both endurance atheletes, strong peak baggers, and backpackers.
I wrote the itinerary for hikers as described in the above quote, i.e., I assumed that they are endurance athletes.
The trip can easily be scaled back on the fly if things get too difficult. Days 5 an 6 are optional since they were NOT mentioned as places DavePloessel wanted to visit. That means there are two layover days built in if they decide they want to spend more time in one spot and not visit Wallace/Wales/Tulainyo.
The itinerary does not require any peak bagging or fishing, either. It does suggest places where I have found decent fishing and peaks that are rated Class 2 or easy Class 3, most of which I have bagged. Fishing and peak bagging are options if there is any spare time.
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