Trip Advice - Cross Country

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by rlown »

If you're not experienced at off trail, his trip might stop right at Puppet Pass. That has the appearance of air and it's all off trail to Mesa from Lower Deso and beyond. It's fun to look at, but if this is the first time off trail, It's best just to look around and keep your bearings. Humphreys is a great first start (use trails). Those trails somewhat disappear unless you know what your looking for.

You would not be sorry with a trip to Humphreys and just amble around.

Muriel to the Goethe area isn't bad either. Just to see what talus is. Base camp at Muriel on the West side.
User avatar
Tom_H
Topix Expert
Posts: 795
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Camas, WA

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by Tom_H »

All the advice given so far has been good. Mileage depends on conditions, and that can vary so much that in some places you won't go far at all and others you can go at full pace. Dorothy Lake to Tower Lake, then contouring around to the source of the W. Walker, over the pass into Thompson Canyon until you're due W. of Peeler Lake, over the saddle and to Peeler is a XC delight. Bushwhacking your way through 10' high manzanita thats growing on top of steep talus and boulder fields is downright miserable. Bushwhacking down the Mouluumne Canyon through Poison Oak and over ledges and crannies with rattlesnakes is also not the place you want to start.

It sounds like you have a lot of backpacking experience and I would agree with those who have suggested you go with someone who is experienced. It also helps to be really good with map and compass, and being able to read contour lines well on a topographical map. I have done it old school so much that I've just never gotten into the GPS thing, but if I were learning XC today, I would definitely use that. Having a SPOT or Sat phone is also not a bad idea if you plan to try this solo, but again, I really would do it the first few times with someone who's done it before. There are those like WD who are so experienced at it that much of the danger is mitigated. Nevertheless, there really is a joy in reaching remote locations where you don't encounter other people. As a guide in CO, I almost never saw anyone else even when on trail. In many parts of the Sierra, it can be difficult to have that sense of genuine remote solitude without going off trail.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
User avatar
rrrice
Topix Novice
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:46 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by rrrice »

Thanks again for all the great advice. I like the day hike idea near major trails. I'm going to try that. I'll report back.
User avatar
snowblind
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 39
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:40 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by snowblind »

As my trip report was mentioned, I figured I should chime in although I am just echoing the comments.

I would definitely not advise Haeckel as an intro pass. In fact, I told an experienced backpacker friend that this was not a good trip for him to join in due to his lack of high Sierra, off-trail experience. It is important for my partners to feel comfortable owning their own safety and exposure limits esp. due to the required micro-navigation.

Even with many years of cross-country experience, I would likely never take this route solo due to the risks involved if something went wrong (at least without a PLB/SPOT). As with many of these routes, it could be a very long time before someone wanders by. Some passes (such as Lamarck) get a bit of traffic, but many do not. In addition, a person could easily walk within a couple hundred feet and never see you (even if you are yelling).

If you like this area and want to do some cross-country, there are many routes to navigate as day hikes or sections as suggested.
User avatar
jmherrell
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by jmherrell »

A bit off topic but Lamarck Col gets more traffic than you might expect. One of the unfortunate consequences of the quota system is that when the Bishop Pass and Piute Pass quotas fill, many of the remaining people are "pushed" onto the Lamarck quota until it is filled. Some of these people don't have the experience for even an easy pass like this.
User avatar
rrrice
Topix Novice
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:46 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by rrrice »

Thanks Snowblind. I plan on heeding the advice given by you and the others to try short and easy day hikes proximate to main trails to start with.
User avatar
rrrice
Topix Novice
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:46 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by rrrice »

One more question. Several of you have mentioned never going solo and/or joining with someone with cross-country experience who could help me learn. I don't have any friends with cross-country experience. Short of hiring a guide (which I'm not necessarily unwilling to do), any suggestions on how I might find hiking partners. I'm a little wary of going into the wilderness with anyone I don't know well, and I suspect that anyone with experience would not want to take the responsibility for helping a beginner through potentially dangerous terrain. I checked the board index and didn't see any areas devoted to finding hiking partners. Everyone here had to start someplace. I'd be interested in hearing how some of you gained your experience.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by maverick »

rrrice wrote:
I checked the board index and didn't see any areas devoted to finding hiking
partners. Everyone here had to start someplace. I'd be interested in hearing
how some of you gained your experience.
HST Meetup in Wallace Basin would be a great place to gain some experience.
Not only can you gain some xcountry experience on this trip, but also meet some
members in person with who you may be able to hook up with for some great trips
in the future.
Otherwise check out some local hiking clubs, or possibly go on some Sierra Club
outings.
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.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Trip Advice - Cross Country

Post by AlmostThere »

I operate two meetup groups. While I do not teach or coach or allow people who do not have the experience for a particular trip to go, it is an opportunity to meet other hikers of similar or more experienced levels and to pick up some of these skills by going on intermediate or easy trips.

odds are pretty good that if you're not in the area my groups tend to cover, there are hiking meet up groups close to you that do similar things.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: crocodile235, freestone, frozenintime, Google [Bot] and 137 guests