High Sierra Topix

Arnot's description of the ascent to Josephine from Cement Tables is unfortunately garbled. On no 7.5 edition of Sphinx Lakes that I've seen does the "o" in "Canyon" accurately mark the end of the Josephine outlet stream. The red route on your map is mostly correct based on reports of people who've done it correctly.

There's a nice campsite at 9600' on the outlet stream with incredible views of the Sphinx Crest and GWD. We ended up there after mistakenly struggling up the next crack to the NW and over a saddle ... and possibly preventing a general insurrection.

Daisy the hike up Table from the upper end of Big Wet Meadow is not particularly difficult but there is no trail. I hiked up or down it at least once a year. Doubt the sheep came across from Colby as the talus enroute is really nasty.

Fourput is correct on the red dotted route except as i noted you need to start s. of the indicated starting point.

http://www.sierrahiker.com/RoaringRiver/index.html
http://www.sierrahiker.com/GlacierRidge/index.html

maverick wrote:http://www.sierrahiker.com/RoaringRiver/index.html
http://www.sierrahiker.com/GlacierRidge/index.html

You beat me to it, Maverick. It's good to see someone still remembers my reports.

It's good to see someone still remembers my reports.

Did those same routes too.

sekihiker wrote:

maverick wrote:http://www.sierrahiker.com/RoaringRiver/index.html
http://www.sierrahiker.com/GlacierRidge/index.html

You beat me to it, Maverick. It's good to see someone still remembers my reports.

Bill, regarding your Glacier Ridge report, did you ever account for the route difference in your "easy" descent from Josephine Lake in 1994 with the stressful descent of 2006?

Ska-T wrote:

sekihiker wrote:

maverick wrote:http://www.sierrahiker.com/RoaringRiver/index.html
http://www.sierrahiker.com/GlacierRidge/index.html

You beat me to it, Maverick. It's good to see someone still remembers my reports.

Bill, regarding your Glacier Ridge report, did you ever account for the route difference in your "easy" descent from Josephine Lake in 1994 with the stressful descent of 2006?

I think there is a disadvantage to descending from Josephine Lk if you haven't ascended to it in a while. During my first visit, the ascent and descent were both easy, even though I didn't take the same route. I guess I must have developed a general feel for where the route was easy.

On the descent after the ridge crossing, when I cliffed out I went south instead of north from there and I think that resulted in the dicey trip down.

Then again, maybe I just got lucky on the first trip.

I always took the route i described but one person I talked to in the early 80s said that he sometimes headed up a couple gullies to the s and thought it was a toss up between the two routes.

Going down is much trickier. I think Bill over corrected when he initially went too far north and reversed direction. Once going down I got slabbed out going too far north and looked directly into the Josephine outlet stream, many feet below. I knew there was an easy way so I backtracked just a bit and got back on route. It doesn't take much to go from on route to oh ****!

I once hiked from South Guard Lake, down Cunningham creek (I figured there might be fish in Cunningham, because there were in South Guard, but there wern't). I then hikeked over to Table. It was interesting, but nothing special (and no fish).
On another trip, Mike and I hiked from Big Bird, down the tabelands to Pear and out. That was VERY pleasant and beautiful hike and a great way to end a trip.

I am still considering this trip to do in one week. Just wondering if anyone has been in that area lately. I know that the Big Wet Meadow area is horrible for mosquitoes, as well as Ranger Meadow up Deadman. I hate mosquitoes! Are mosquitoes still thick? Should I postpone the trip another week?