Advice for Evolution basin and McGee Lakes

[LMBSGV]

If you want to go McGee Lakes from Evolution Valley, there's a trail that begins on the other side of Evolution Creek at Colby Meadow. It's a lovely hike around the back of the Hermit to the first McGee Lakes. From there, you can choose where you want go next.

[SSSdave]

The McGee basin is better accessed via Evolution than the pass to the east.

Hi SSSdave,

Is this because the walk through McGee Canyon is nice or just because it's easier? I'll be in the area in a couple weeks and was planning on accessing McGee basin via the pass, but now you have me reconsidering.

From Darwin Bench dropping down to the east end of Evolution Valley via the trail and then taking the use trail (not on the topo) is easy class 1 trail all the way and modestly less total vertical uphill. The cross country route from Saphire to the saddle has talus, scree, and steep sections. If one stays on the best route that zig zags up a ramp it would only be modest class 2, but one can see that many have used the typical stupid strategy of going straight up without regard to looking at the topo carefully that results in having to negotiate loose scree in the steeper sections. I see that same thing on many cross country passes.

Obviously many backpackers have poor route finding skills. Sometimes I meet groups who ask questions about going places. Am dismayed when I ask them to take out their map and then they have to go into deep into their pack to get it obviously because they haven't been using it. Then many hardly know what they are looking at as I try to explain whatever especially those that end up looking at the map with writing upsidedown like they were using a compass!