Little Joe's Pass?

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dougieb
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Re: Little Joe's Pass?

Post by dougieb »

For the sake of reducing clutter, I'm digging up an old thread and asking some new questions. I am planning a route up Avalanche Trail, off trail through Sphinx and Brewer Basins, down Brewer Creek or Cunningham Creek to Big Wet Meadow, up Colby Pass, down into the valley (to avoid Milestone Col), up past Milestone and Thunder Basin and into the Upper Kern where I want to get over to Lake Reflection and then head back down to Roads End. I'm researching passes to get from the Upper Kern over to Lake Reflection. I often see Ericson, Harrison, Milly's, Lucy's, and Little Joe's Pass discussed heading from Lake Reflection. If you were coming from the east side though, which do you prefer or recommend? I'm going solo and I haven't done many passes over Class 2 so I'm looking for an efficient route that avoids heavy exposure. I'm young and fit so I don't mind climbing around a bit but I'm not a rock climber by any means so I'm trying to avoid real technical stuff.

I guess if I did the loop starting by going up Bubbs Creek to Lake Reflection and doing the loop clockwise, that would be an option too... Then I could avoid the abrupt elevation gain of climbing up from Roads End to Sphinx Lake. Maybe my question is a two parter? ](*,)
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sekihiker
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Re: Little Joe's Pass?

Post by sekihiker »

If you don't mind a short slide down slick, rough rock that can abraid your gear and skin, Milly's is probably the easiest. When I came down it, I lowered my pack with a small rope and the slide down was pretty easy.

Harrison is a more sustained descent, but once at the bottom the remaining travel is easy.

Little Joe is a steep, sustained descent that requires good route finding skills.

Rating them as far as safety is difficult for me. I've only been UP Harrison and the footing was not that great much of the way up. I would guess it would be slow going in places on the way down except where you could slide down on the small, loose talus which requires good balance and leg strength. The steep, somewhat terrifying slide down Milly's isn't so bad if you don't start tumbling. Little Joe is a somewhat exhausting slog with loose footing here and there that could be hazardous.
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jmherrell
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Re: Little Joe's Pass?

Post by jmherrell »

A little off topic from Little Joe since I haven't done it but I have done Harrison and Millys. I would agree that Millys is easier if you don't mind the class 3. The class 3 is the last 50 ft of the chute. The first time I did it in highschool the chute was full of loose rock that went flying down as you went up. The next time in the 80's the chute was completely clean (scary smooth for climbing with a pack). I have used a 60-70 ft rope -- there is (or was) a rock horn at the top left to hang a rope from. Also there is rock with plenty of handholds/footholds on the left side (facing up). Set up the rope using the left side to climb without the pack and walk your pack up the middle of the chute.

I did Harrison when there was no ice or snow -- easy but tedious. There was one 6 ft ledge where we passed our packs.
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