First Solo trip/North Lake South Lake Loop
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:55 pm
So I've been at it for a few years now, almost always with my wife as my companion. She's pretty small so the 3-4 night trips we do I end up carrying enough for 7-8 nights (tent, purifier, stove, all the food in the canister) so I figured it's time to push it a little deeper. We went over Piute pass into humphrey's basin and I was lured by the map showing the route through evolution valley and back up over bishop pass.
I've got my permit reserved for Sept 12th (a saturday). Any ways, would love any advice seasoned folks would have for me.
The plan: Camp at trailhead friday night, leave car there, bum a ride off a friendly hiker at south lake when I get out. 7 nights, possibly 8 and spend the night in bishop to 'acclimate' after.
Gear: Osprey 58/Western Mountaineering MegaLite(30F)/Exped synmat UL/Tarptent double rainbow/MSR pocket rocket/Katadyn pump filter/Bear vault 500/Salomon 4TX boots/black diamond poles/deet/knife/compass/waterproof matches/bagcover/toiletries/black diamond headlamp w spare batteries/cup/plate etc.
Clothes: Exficio 'convertible' pants, ultralight lululemon top, icebreakers 200 top and bottom, mountain hardware hooded flash, mt. hardware shell and marmot shell pants, beanie, gloves, extra pair of wool boxers, extra pair socks (light), hat and glasses
Toys: Fly rod/reel, fuji mirrorless camera with 18mm and 27mm prime lenses and filters, small joby gorilla pod/12 oz Rye bourbon
Food: 5 shrunken mountain house meals, 3 idahoan fully loaded, 3 packages pre cooked bacon, 2 small salami shell on, 2 hunks of hard aged (stinky) cheese, 4 small pouches tuna, crackers for hike in, a dozen flour tortillas, 12 cliff bars, 4 packs of jerky, dozen instant oatmeals, and for a treat, some prosciutto and dark chocolate (and hopefully some lovely trout and porcini mushrooms).
Itinerary:
Night 1 - just below golden trout lakes but where you can still see mt. humphreys alpenglow (perhaps desolation lakes alternate)
Night 2 - Aspen meadow (alternates are most welcome)
Night 3 - Colby meadow
Night 4 - Darwin Bench (kind of layover day) - exploring the bench
Night 5 - Sapphire Lake (or small lake before Wanda?)
Night 6 - Big Pete Meadow
Night 7 - Dusy Basin near lake 11393'
If there is an extra night 8 it might be in evolution valley or dusy basin if trout supplements my food and morale holds.
Any thoughts on pace/campsites layover spots etc. Does anyone know if you can see Mt. Humphreys from packsaddle lake? Enough food, waste of weight carrying spare underwear?
An alternative would be to go over lamarck col but solo i'm not sure I should do that, better to stay close to main trail on my first solo loop.
Rescue beacon necessary? I wouldn't think so on this one but....
I'll be doing a 4 nighter warm up with the wife starting this friday, hopefully mono pass to pioneer basin and back but it's a walk up permit on friday before labor day weekend so we may just take lake sabrina or whatever we can get.
Cheers,
Eric
I've got my permit reserved for Sept 12th (a saturday). Any ways, would love any advice seasoned folks would have for me.
The plan: Camp at trailhead friday night, leave car there, bum a ride off a friendly hiker at south lake when I get out. 7 nights, possibly 8 and spend the night in bishop to 'acclimate' after.
Gear: Osprey 58/Western Mountaineering MegaLite(30F)/Exped synmat UL/Tarptent double rainbow/MSR pocket rocket/Katadyn pump filter/Bear vault 500/Salomon 4TX boots/black diamond poles/deet/knife/compass/waterproof matches/bagcover/toiletries/black diamond headlamp w spare batteries/cup/plate etc.
Clothes: Exficio 'convertible' pants, ultralight lululemon top, icebreakers 200 top and bottom, mountain hardware hooded flash, mt. hardware shell and marmot shell pants, beanie, gloves, extra pair of wool boxers, extra pair socks (light), hat and glasses
Toys: Fly rod/reel, fuji mirrorless camera with 18mm and 27mm prime lenses and filters, small joby gorilla pod/12 oz Rye bourbon
Food: 5 shrunken mountain house meals, 3 idahoan fully loaded, 3 packages pre cooked bacon, 2 small salami shell on, 2 hunks of hard aged (stinky) cheese, 4 small pouches tuna, crackers for hike in, a dozen flour tortillas, 12 cliff bars, 4 packs of jerky, dozen instant oatmeals, and for a treat, some prosciutto and dark chocolate (and hopefully some lovely trout and porcini mushrooms).
Itinerary:
Night 1 - just below golden trout lakes but where you can still see mt. humphreys alpenglow (perhaps desolation lakes alternate)
Night 2 - Aspen meadow (alternates are most welcome)
Night 3 - Colby meadow
Night 4 - Darwin Bench (kind of layover day) - exploring the bench
Night 5 - Sapphire Lake (or small lake before Wanda?)
Night 6 - Big Pete Meadow
Night 7 - Dusy Basin near lake 11393'
If there is an extra night 8 it might be in evolution valley or dusy basin if trout supplements my food and morale holds.
Any thoughts on pace/campsites layover spots etc. Does anyone know if you can see Mt. Humphreys from packsaddle lake? Enough food, waste of weight carrying spare underwear?
An alternative would be to go over lamarck col but solo i'm not sure I should do that, better to stay close to main trail on my first solo loop.
Rescue beacon necessary? I wouldn't think so on this one but....
I'll be doing a 4 nighter warm up with the wife starting this friday, hopefully mono pass to pioneer basin and back but it's a walk up permit on friday before labor day weekend so we may just take lake sabrina or whatever we can get.
Cheers,
Eric