Rae Lake Loop

[bustinwheels]

Thanks all for your input and you are right, looks like the trip is do-able now in April! We still need lots of snow and rain in Cali.

We are using a bear vault and I'm horrified of bears, but I'll have my wimpy whistle.

Bustinwheels!

www.bustinwheels.com for all of my hikes...just thought I would throw that in there

[DoyleWDonehoo]

We are using a bear vault and I'm horrified of bears, but I'll have my wimpy whistle.

Yes, counterclockwise is best. There are camps all up and down Paradise Valley. If you are in good shape, you can make it to the junction with Murro Blanko (with a new bridge there I believe), with an excellent campground with fewer bears. The bears like hanging out in lower Paradise Valley where the weekenders go. There is also a good camp about halfway to Woods Creek crossing (on the east side of the meadow) east of the "Murro Blanko" bridge, and an extensive but well used camp near the Woods Creek bridge. The bridge is an experience all by itself. Once in the Rae Lakes basin and beyond, there are camps all the way back to the TH, it seems like. A side trip to East Lake is encouraged if you can get safely across Bubbs Creek. All in all, a classic Sierra hike.

[AdirondackMike]

Have a permit to do this loop clockwise starting on a Thursday. I'm wondering if anyone can speak to the effectiveness of the permit system at keeping the crowds down. I'm assuming they only permit the number of people the area can support so there shouldn't be people camping on top of one another.

[markskor]

...wondering if anyone can speak to the effectiveness of the permit system at keeping the crowds down. I'm assuming they only permit the number of people the area can support so there shouldn't be people camping on top of one another.

Well, unfortunately, without much visible presence of back-country Rangers these days, what is said at the permit office (rules about where you can camp, etc) is not always what happens out in the wilderness. Rae Lakes loop is oft-visited, by all kinds of hikers...a PCT/JMT freeway off-ramp.

Not a big fan of confrontations and always willing to get up and move if necessary...Chit happens.
YMMV.

[DoyleWDonehoo]

Having passed through there on that route a good number of times, I never found it all that busy. At "First Camps" in Paradise Valley, there is an extensive camp with bear boxes. I have seen bears there. I imagine that on a weekend, it might get a bit full, but no matter, keep moving up canyon and you will find more camps, one fairly large, but no bear boxes (though that may have changed). At the South Fork bridge at the meeting of Woods Creek, there is another large camp, and there may be bear boxes, but I didn't ever see any bears there. I think they like the lower end of the valley. Anyway, all along Paradise there are camping opportunities, both established and stealth.

[AlmostThere]

Paradise actually has designated campsites, with numbers. While there are campsites all around, not all of them are legal.

[robow8]

Paradise actually has designated campsites, with numbers. While there are campsites all around, not all of them are legal.

Is that just Lower Paradise, or Middle and Upper as well?

[DoyleWDonehoo]

Paradise actually has designated campsites, with numbers. While there are campsites all around, not all of them are legal.

Is that just Lower Paradise, or Middle and Upper as well?

I remember the numbered camp sites, but they were all in the lower Paradise Valley. About half-way to the Woods/King bridge there is (or at least was...you never know from year to year) a medium sized camp area with a number of sites well above the trail, and they were not numbered. The same could be said for the camp near the south-fork-woods bridge. The Woods Creek crossing suspension bridge camp, no numbered camps the last time I was there. In any case, there were few people at any of the camps. The busiest camp I have seen was the Woods Creek crossing suspension bridge camp, but there are lots of sites there. The proximity to the weekend matters. The loneliest camp I have seen is east of the south-fork-woods bridge. When you reach the Castle Domes Meadow, on the other side of the meadow in the trees near the river is a large camp area. I have never seen any camping restrictions above lower Paradise Valley.
EDIT: The last sentence: It would be more clear to say there are no other numbered campsites between Lower Paradise Valley and the Woods Creek Bridge that I know of. Lower Paradise Valley has numbered campsites and big metal bear boxes. My main interest in all this is that I am thinking about taking my noob backpacker friend on this classic Sierra loop.

[AlmostThere]

Camping in Lower Paradise Valley is permitted only in designated campsites.
Camping in Paradise Valley is limited to two nights.
Camping at Rae Lakes is limited to two nights per lake.
Camping at Charlotte Lake is limited to two nights.
Bullfrog Lake, east of the trail between Vidette Meadow and Glen Pass, is closed to all camping, grazing and stock travel.
There is a two night camping limit at Kearsarge Lakes (east of Bullfrog).
Campfires are prohibited above 10,000' (3048m).
Bears have been very active along this trail, and were successful at getting food that was hung in trees. Hikers are required to carry portable bear-resistant canisters which are available for sale or rent at several locations in the parks, or from US Forest Service offices located in Lone Pine and Bishop. This has proved very successful at preventing bears from accessing food. (The permanent metal food-storage boxes are only for use by thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail.)


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[Willythedog]

Hey guys gettin ready to go on this trip. Question:

are the bear boxes "reserved" for the through hikers? Or is it just frowned upon for us local hikers to use them...