High Sierra Topix

cgundersen wrote: The south side [of Gardiner Pass] is a different story. ...[snip]...The "use" trail managed completely to elude us. For all I know, it really no longer exists, or at least, we could not find it. ...[snip]... as we had reached about the halfway point to Charlotte, I realized that there was a great looking trail down in the canyon paralleling Charlotte Creek.

The use trail my group took west from Charlotte Lake in 2003 paralleled Charlotte Creek about 200 ft above it, IIRC. We left it to head upward when we were SSE of Gardiner Pass, and I don't know how far it continues west. Probably to the base of Charlotte Dome. Is it possible that you did not initially descend far enough, about 1400 ft, from Gardiner Pass to locate it? You may have confirmed my bias that the route finding is easier in the clockwise direction: Charlotte Lake - Gardiner Pass - Sixty Lake Col - JMT.
-Scott

If you don't mind an eastern entry, coming over Kearsarge to Charlotte Lake, then over Gardiner Pass, over Sixy Lakes Col, and out to Kearsarge again via Glen Pass is very doable in 5 days. At the bottom of the drainage on the north side of Gardiner Pass are some old camp sites, with two large mule graves, which provide a poignant, or spooky, ambience. I never could find the ruins of that old guy's cabin, although friends found it right away. On the Rae Lakes side of Sixty Lakes Col, keep an eye out for bighorn sheep. If you are quiet, you can get fairly close. And the little ramp above the lake in Sixty Lakes Basin will be very obvious, since there is absolutely no other way to go.

Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for all of the info! On your advice, I've already downloaded the Mount Clarence King 7.5 Minute topo map. I can see how the additional detail will help, especially considering all the comments we've received about getting ledged out and the importance of good navigation. I love the pic of the 'dragon' in the lake Can't wait to see it myself!

Ska-T & Shhsgirl,
It definitely seems that the Kearsarge entrance and clockwise route is the most common. We've never done a Sierra Trip by entering on the west side, all of our adventures thus far have been through an Onion Valley, Bishop or Red's Meadow entrance - so we're excited to enter via Road's End. We originally were looking at a Rae Lakes Loop, but wanted more adventure and the counterclockwise direction just 'stuck'. Let's see how it goes!

Happy Hiking,
Shannon

Hi Shannon,
I got pre-occupied with the news about the missing hiker, Greg, in Gardiner basin, so I'm slowly catching up. Anyway, from the mounds of advice, I think you'll have a great time (if the weather cooperates), and it'll be better if there's good news about Greg. I'm not sure how recently it happened, but there's a burn zone on the south side of Gardiner Pass, and it made it harder to pick up where the "true" use trail runs. Regardless, if I ever go back that way, it'll be down by the creek, not on that silly hillside. And, as I mentioned before, if you can get into the middle arm, it's gorgeous. Good luck!
Cameron

Hi everyone,

Just got back from our trip - we completed the original itinerary:

• Paradise Valley
  JMT junction
  60 Lakes ('Fjord' Lake)
  Gardiner Creek
  Lake 10,530 below Gardiner Pass
  Bear Box before Junction Meadow

We really appreciate all of the beta and advice we were given and for the wealth of information available on this site. cgundersen and oleandar - I especially appreciate the amount of detail you put into your posts - thanks!

I'll post a full trip report soon!

Happy Hiking,
Shannon

We were very successful in finding the old trail as marked on the USGS topo for the majority of the trip through Gardiner Basin, including over Gardiner Pass and down to the climbers trail, thanks in large part to the beta we received here.

Thanks everyone!

So, it looks like everyone who's posted here did the loop going from Sixty Lakes Basin to Gardiner Basin. Any reason for this? I've been looking at going over Kearsarge to Charlotte Lake, Gardiner Pass, through the basin, over Sixty Lakes Col, through that basin, then up and over Glen Pass and thence back to Onion Valley. Better to do it the other way? Either way good? Any suggestions on which way is easier to navigate?

I've only done it the way you describe, i.e., Kearsarge to Charlotte Lake to Gardiner Pass, to Sixty Lakes Col, etc. The route finding seems more reasonable to me and I like the way Gardiner Basin progresses in that direction.
-Scott

BSquared wrote:So, it looks like everyone who's posted here did the loop going from Sixty Lakes Basin to Gardiner Basin. Any reason for this? I've been looking at going over Kearsarge to Charlotte Lake, Gardiner Pass, through the basin, over Sixty Lakes Col, through that basin, then up and over Glen Pass and thence back to Onion Valley. Better to do it the other way? Either way good? Any suggestions on which way is easier to navigate?

I've done it from both directions and found neither way difficult.

Wow, quick responses! Oh, I love this bulletin board

So, Scott and SEKI (and anyone else who's done it this direction), any particular tips for the Charlotte-Lake-first route? As I look at the maps (USGS and Acme—I'll definitely follow the advice to buy the Mount Clarence King quad if we decide to try this trip), it looks like one place a trail would be *really* helpful is on the descent from Lake 2096 m toward Gardiner Creek; otherwise, it looks like one can follow streams and otherwise generally visually navigate pretty well through the entire cross-country part of the trip. Other posters have indicated that the old trails through the area are pretty well obliterated; is that what you found?

I think one of you suggested that 5 days would be plenty, and we should have a week, hoping for a layover day or two (but perhaps an extra at the end, just in case—we'll be catching an airplane); any recommendations for campsites and/or layover days? Any suggestions generally? We'd probably be doing this late season, right around (hopefully after) labor day...