High Sierra Topix

I'm headed up to Barrett Lakes next Friday for an easy fishing trip with some non backpacking friends and am looking for some intel. We'll be acclimating at Ruwau Lake on Friday, and then an easy hike to Dusy basin for a day and then on to Barrett lakes over knapsack pass. I've been by Dusy Basin many times, but never stopped there. Any recommendations for fishing and camp sites in Dusy. It looks like a pretty big area. Also, I'm assuming that the lower or western most lake gets visited much more as folks set up for Knapsack Pass. Thanks, Phil

HI Phil,

Lake 11393, northwestern end, has everything you asking for, and a beautiful
sunset alpenglow on the Winchell, Thunderbolt Peak, and the ridge between.

All lakes along the east side (base of Isosceles) of Dusy are worth a visit - most hikers seem to stay on trail and miss these beautiful lakes. For Barrett lakes, I loved 11468 as a camp spot, but last I was there in '11 was fishless (did fish the largest lake - never landed anything but got a big strike, the lake being 99% frozen didn't help)

95% of visitors at Dusy Basin camp at the same two places then one reads descriptions of the basin probably by some who camped there as crowded. Most coming over Bishop Pass plunk down at the trailside lake at 11360+ while many coming up from Le Conte Canyon drop at the lower chain lake 10742. Some of those that expected to site at 11360+ and are not one of the village type people notice all the tents. They probably look at their maps and then climb over the easy rib southeast where they find lake 11388 to their liking and camp there which is why it seems to be the third most camped at zone. Note these upper basin areas have only scattered small clumps of whitebark pines so go find a boulder if shade be important.

A few that didn't like the village at 11360+ continue down the trail to the middle bench pond at 11200+ and camp below that. Actually that area if one goes deep enough into it has nice spots with big whitebark pines for shade and visual privacy. However views of the big crest peaks are blocked. Those awesome peaks are the reason the basin is rightly famous. Likewise if one continues down to the lower lake chain, views of those peaks are mostly blocked except where the trail meets 10742. The lakes in the chain above provide quick access to Knapsack Pass and have a view of Columbine Peak. They also have an abundance of fish and one will likely not see other tents. The basin west of Isosceles and Columbine ought to be avoided if one is a village type camper. Saw my highest ever snake thar, a garter.

Seem to recall one of the Barrette Lakes being on the to be "frog" list.

copeg wrote:
All lakes along the east side (base of Isosceles) of Dusy are worth a visit - most hikers
seem to stay on trail and miss these beautiful lakes.

And that's a good thing.

Knapsack Pass is one of the easiest cross country passes that I know about, and once you get on the other side, you will usually have the wide open country to yourself. I don't think the upper lakes of Dusy are as good for fishing as they were reported to be in earlier trail guides. But it is beautiful country.

I second the vote for 11393. As one of the two large off-trail lakes of Dusy it does indeed get far less use than the trail-accessed lakes. It's amazing what 1 mile of very gentle off trail travel can do to cut down visitation. It is the trail-accessed aspect more than the Knapsack Pass location that dictates the use of lakes in that basin (as it does everywhere else). I've camped at 11393 twice and my group was the only one there both times, one of which was Labor Day weekend (1984)--how many places do you have to yourself on Labor Day weekend? As for the fishing, any edition of Sierra South will tell you all you need to know.

Sunset, stream pool near lake 11393

Awesome picture... Was looking for the mtn tops.
Maybe s/b posted in Sierra Photothon?