Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

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mediauras
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by mediauras »

Fantastic, thank you! I'll generate some topos and take a close look. Really appreciate the details tho.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by TehipiteTom »

I went up Little Slide Canyon in 2009, and at that point the use trail was pretty distinct for most of the way--some faint stretches, but overall not hard to follow. It does cross the creek below that knob at 9400', avoiding the cliffs on the east side, then crosses back below the cliffs.
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mediauras
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by mediauras »

I just talked to a ranger at the bridgeport station and he fully endorsed the route through Little Slide Canyon. Said its a "little himalayas" up there. He also gave me some specific markers to look for in locating the use trail on the way to Barney lake. Think we're gonna go for it, sounds too good to pass up.

He also told me Hoover now requires a bear canister -- as of last year. I didn't know this.

Thx again for the suggestions.
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TehipiteTom
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by TehipiteTom »

mediauras wrote:I just talked to a ranger at the bridgeport station and he fully endorsed the route through Little Slide Canyon. Said its a "little himalayas" up there. He also gave me some specific markers to look for in locating the use trail on the way to Barney lake. Think we're gonna go for it, sounds too good to pass up.

He also told me Hoover now requires a bear canister -- as of last year. I didn't know this.

Thx again for the suggestions.
If you're heading up Little Slide Canyon rather than doing it in the other direction, this report might be helpful. FWIW, when I did it Robinson Creek was an easy crossing on snags; no guarantee they're still there.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by Tom_H »

I know this is kind of late, Fri. evening, but you said you might not be getting there until later Sat.

If you do need a short day Sat., you could enter at Leavitt Mdw. and go to Roosevelt Lake for the first night. Day 2, hike up the West Walker to Lower Piute Meadow and turn west to Lower Long Lake for night 2. Last day, return via Chain of Lakes and Freemont, then back down to W. Walker and exit at origin.

It's really hard to do a 2 day loop out of Leavitt Lake. If you could haul or tow a dirt bike to Kennedy Meadow and get permission to chain it to a tree, then enter at Leavitt Lake. Do 1st night at High Emigrant Lake or Emigrant Meadow Lake and night 2 at Relief Reservoir. Exit to Kennedy Mdw. Take the bike back to Leavitt Lake, reattach to the 4wd, go back and get the packs and other person. Not an ideal plan, but again, if you want to start at Leavitt Lake, a 2 night loop is a challenge. You could do a tiny loop by entering at Leavitt Lake and spending night 1 at High Emigrant Lake. Day 2 is looping to Emigrant Lake, Lunch Meadow, Brown Bear Pass and camp at Emigrant Meadow Lake. Day 3 is back to Leavitt Lake. The haul from Leavitt Lake to High Emigrant/Emigrant Mdw. is substantial however.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by mediauras »

Thanks for the link TehipiteTom. I noted some of the information, I'm sure it will come in useful.

Tom_H, thanks for the suggestions, and I think I agree with you. Someday I'll do something out of Leavitt Lake (and the hide-a-bike idea was something I was kicking around as well!), but this time we're going out of Twin Lakes, up Little Slide Canyon, then rejoin the trail and work our way back via Peeler Lake. I'm really looking forward to it -- and there's enough whisky in my bag to predict a great trip. :) I'll let you guys know how it went.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by Tom_H »

mediauras wrote: there's enough whisky in my bag to predict a great trip. :) .
I so hope you're kidding about that. The "Al" twins, altitude and alcohol, when combined with exercise, are killers. Going to altitude already decreases the external atmospheric pressure on your body and the alveoli of your lungs. The internal pressure of your blood, interstitial fluid, and other fluids in your body (even the cytoplasm in individual cells against the cell walls) are greater than the external pressure and you therefore have a slightly explosive internal pressure in all the tissues of your entire body. Ever notice what happens to a thin plastic water bottle when you fill it at sea level, then pull it out at altitude? There's that same amount of pent up pressure inside every last portion of your body. Acute Mountain Sickness, pulmonary edema, retinal edema, and cerebral edema, are all possible. Add alcohol (a depressant and vasodilator) and exercise and you are placing great stress on your cardiovascular system, retinas and cerebrum, adding hypothermia, cardiac arrest, and stroke to the possible effects. Remote and inaccessible backcountry is the last place you want to experience a medical emergency. Please do yourself a favor and leave any alcohol at home.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by Wandering Daisy »

The proposed route is relatively "low" altitude for the Sierra so a bit of whiskey probably will not be a problem with regard to altitude sickness. They may, however, fall off a rock or two as they hop their way down Little Slide Canyon!

The lighter you keep your packs, the more fun you will have. Have a good trip and bring back lots of photos to post.
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Re: Hoover Suggestions - 2 nights, 25-30 miles?

Post by mediauras »

Well, I made it back alive! Trip was an absolute blast. I'll post a TR when I get a chance but we climbed up LIttle Slide Canyon (camped just above the Hulk first night), then over Mule Pass second day, camped at Peeler Lake, then out. The climb up was brutal but well worth it with a lot of fun scrambling. From the Hulk to about Crown Lake is just phenomenal (rest is pretty darn good too). PLenty of snow left up there to muck us up a bit though, took a while to find the proper path over Mule Pass. Definitely going back there and widening the loop at the some point.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!
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