Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

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mschnaidt
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by mschnaidt »

5 Acre to Red Can is cross country but not too difficult. From there it's an easy hike to Upper Wood. From Wood you could go to Upper Buck and then to Long Lake. Both are very nice with good camp spots. From Long you could hike out and visit Deer, Jewelry, Gem, Paiute and Camp lakes on the way back to Crabtree. If lakes are on the top of your list this gets you to quite a few.

I've never hiked 5 Acre to Cherry Creek but I have from Red Can to Cherry. The terrain again isn't too tough if you stay out of the bushes. You could head up the creek to Cow Meadow and then up to Emigrant. The trail from Cow to Emigrant isn't maintained anymore but I spoke with someone 2 years ago that took the route. It's steep and fading away. He grumbled pretty good about it. From Emigrant you can drop down to Buck and then take the route outlined above.
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texan
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by texan »

venturefar wrote:Out of Crabtree I second Blazaccom's comments about the granite around Pingree and Big. This area would be great for a five day trip. The lakes are fairly close together and walking on the slabs is enjoyable. All good swimming lakes

The are also nice loop options out of Kennedy Meadows. I am partial to the Emigrant Lakes. Black Bear is also very pretty. Timing is crucial to avoid hordes of mosquitoes. I feel like this area can be worse than other places at the height of bug season.
I agree with Venturefar about the mosquitoes in this area. They are all over the place, if you go to Black Bear take the trail to Upper Twin and you will find some awesome campsites along the North Shore.

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schmalz
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by schmalz »

I am planning an early August trip to avoid bugs here in this drought year. I have heard the stories.
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venturefar
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by venturefar »

The Regency is the best of the bunch.
schmalz wrote: What is the terrain like between 5 acre and red can lake?
I have not hiked from Five Acre to Red Can in several years. I roughly followed the faint steam running southwest from Red Can to Five Acre up to Red Can. The bottom is similar to what you would encounter just southwest of Five acre if coming up from Yellowhammer. As you get closer to Red Can the terrain becomes steeper and it was a little marshy on some of the shelves closer to the lake. As mentioned previously Wood is just over the hill from Red Can where you can hook up with the trail. I would camp at Red Can over Wood even though there are few good campsites. Watching the sun set on the peaks of northern Yosemite is a nice way to end a day. PM and I'll share my favorite site.

The Buck Lakes are nice. The view looking north from Upper Buck is spectacular. Gem gets hammered. It seems like It's one the most visited places in the wilderness. Passing through one day last summer I counted 40 people. and not everyone was filing their water bottles.
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NSchmit
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by NSchmit »

Schmalz - have you completed your trip yet or is it later? I'm lurking trying to figure out what routes I want to take myself with one other friend next weekend. my indecision is keeping me awake (plus excited to get out!)
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by schmalz »

No. Emigrant has been saved for another year. I have too many trips banked for the future!

I ended up deciding on two different big trips, although who knows where summer fires may end up diverting us.

I greatly appreciate the advice I got here though, and it will be used soon enough, possibly with my son since Emigrant's lower elevation seems like a good place for him to get his feet wet.
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by bigbret »

My friend of 20 years and I are planning on heading up to Hyatt Lake this weekend. Planning on a 4 day get away. This will be the 1st real trip Since my Daughter Maya was born last August. Really exited, planning meals now and breaking in some Salomon Hikers.. :nod:
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maverick
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by maverick »

Hi Bigbret,

Welcome to HST! Hope you will come back an post a TR of your adventure. When you find some time please give us an intro: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9329
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
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justm
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by justm »

I really like Hyatt. I was there last year in the spring. I had the lake, ( and whole area) to myself. One thing of note about Hyatt, finding a good spot to pitch your tent can take awhile . The fire in the area has burned up a lot of the trees around the lake, and it can get warm there. I found a nice camp across the lake from where you first reach it. It's a bit of a haul over there. The camp also has a resident Pica, that would raid my camp at night.
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mschnaidt
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Re: Favorite area of Emigrant Wilderness?

Post by mschnaidt »

justm wrote:I really like Hyatt. I was there last year in the spring. I had the lake, ( and whole area) to myself. One thing of note about Hyatt, finding a good spot to pitch your tent can take awhile . The fire in the area has burned up a lot of the trees around the lake, and it can get warm there. I found a nice camp across the lake from where you first reach it. It's a bit of a haul over there. The camp also has a resident Pica, that would raid my camp at night.
We call that site The Hyatt Regency. It's a good one. The beach on the NE end of the lake is The Sierra Riviera. :D
The Sierra Riviera.jpg
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