Trip Report: Over Piute Pass to Humphrey's Basin
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:07 pm
Lizzie, Wolfie, Bear, and I just returned from 4 days, 3 nights in H.Basin, where we ski-toured, climbed around, and enjoyed the wildlife and time with our dogs.
Our gear is seen in the first photo below. We chose a lighter ski setup, (following Paul's advice) but ignored the advice of rlown, and brought the sled AKA- "pulk." (However, we did eschew the dog's Irish Cream, as per Russ' directive.).
I included my climbing boots- while L's NNNBC boots served her well enough on mts.
Lizzie and the dogs under Piute Crags.
Bringing the pulk was a "wash" really, as I used it from the upper end of Loch Leven, which is 2.5 miles in, and had mostly snow from there on for the last 2.3 miles to the pass. Before that, I just bounced it behind me empty, which was no extra effort, but made me look and sound strange going up the trail. We only saw two other couples, and I was able to blame the presence of the empty pulk on my wife, who I said required that I bring it in case she tired.
Mt. Muriel just beyond Piute Pass, M. Lake, and all others still frozen- fishing? Bring an auger- WTH?
The long saddle in the center of the frame is Puppet Pass, with first Mt. Merriam, then Royce to the left. We hiked up the Peak 12,228- the one just right of the pass.
Bear and Wolfie on the hike up under Alpine Col., which is right/SW of Mt. Muriel- the mountain left of center in this photo.
Note: the dogs, paws and all (sans booties) did great. Our little 14 pound, "Mountain Pomeranian" is super fit, and kept up easily on the 5+ miles up and in, and during the icy, early morning mountaineering bit.
The real reason I chose to take the pulk was due to our plan to ski from Piute Pass all the way to a camp by Desolation Lake, and for the travel from the pass to that lake and back, the pulk would have been a great help to us. Also, I knew that I could drag some weight back down from the pass on the way out, which I did, through dirt and rock and all. (Mind you, this was to be this generation of pulk-sled's last hurrah.)
Alas, we arrived at Piute Pass near dark on the first day, and so, chose to camp at the first suitable melted out little island- just a half mile into the basin.
One last point on pulk or no pulk: had we done the more ambitious trip from Piute Pass over Puppet Pass, down to French Canyon, and out via Pine Creek- the pulk would have definitely been a great asset- they are at their best on long, levelish, and downhill tours- think Badger Pass, and Little Lakes Valley trips.
These cliffs of Glacier Divide were reminiscent of those I'd just seen, and so desired to hike under, in Crabtree Lakes area, far to the south. G.Divide is beautiful in the morning light.
The obvious pass above us is Alpine Col, which connects Evolution Valley with H.Basin.
Okay, so the conditions around Piute Pass are this: one can park at the standard North Lake TH area, and can also run your packs up to the end of the campground by car, which saves a dreary half mile of slogging on the gravel road. The trail is pretty clear of snow, and not too wet and muddy all the way to the flat below Loch Leven. From there on the patchy snow increases, and at Piute Lake, it comes to dominate the trail.
The pass itself is melted out rock, but only for about 30 feet, and then it is all snow (cups!!) throughout Humphrey's Basin.
The ski touring could be much improved if the Forest Service would invest in a quiet electric "Zamboni" sort of machine, and level out all the sun cups. Paul, the great believer in skiing and more skiing, should tell us what the best ski equipment is to handle mile after mile of sun cups. my longer, skinnier cross country skis worked okay as long as I aimed them across the run of the cups; small disasters would occur to me when I got the skis running parallel, falling into the cavernous troughs of "sun-valleys." Lizzie left the skiing out entirely during the hard snow early morning period, though her shorter, heavier Karhu Pavos performed better than my skinny skis. But Paul, wouldn't longer, and slightly wider skis be best- 195+ and 60-70cm wide?
This is the view south from our camp near Piute Pass. Our camp came with a climbing boulder- "Thanks glacier!"
The first morning the sunlit walls of Glacier Divide beckoned us, and we cramponed up around first frozen Lake Muriel, and up to the big upper Lake Goethe. We took a look at Alpine Col, which I had crossed before in summer, and it looked very nice- un-corniced and passable. We got a look at Snow-tongue Pass, and it looked quite a bit rougher going- though it may in fact be safer and easier at this time of year when the treacherous loose rock is covered by snow. I would want an ice ax at least for that crossing.
We got up on the soft ridge between the Goethe / Muriel Basin and the "Wahoo Lakes" Basin to the west, and had a great view all around the mountainous margins of the wide H.Basin. The sight of the turquoise melt zone on the edge of Lake Muriel, with great Mt Humphreys in the background, was striking enough to make the whole trip worthwhile already!
Meltwater along the edge of Lake Muriel, with stunning Mt Humphreys in the background. One of the best climbs in the Central Sierra.
For wildlife we saw the usual Belding ground squirrels, a marmot or two, some alpine chippies, Clark's nutcrackers, juncos, pipits and of course- our favorite high country bird- the rosy finches. The wildlife sightings got better and better as this trip went on. More about that in the next segment.
That's enough for the first couple of fine days. We were ecstatic to be all together in the mountains again.
Our gear is seen in the first photo below. We chose a lighter ski setup, (following Paul's advice) but ignored the advice of rlown, and brought the sled AKA- "pulk." (However, we did eschew the dog's Irish Cream, as per Russ' directive.).
I included my climbing boots- while L's NNNBC boots served her well enough on mts.
Lizzie and the dogs under Piute Crags.
Bringing the pulk was a "wash" really, as I used it from the upper end of Loch Leven, which is 2.5 miles in, and had mostly snow from there on for the last 2.3 miles to the pass. Before that, I just bounced it behind me empty, which was no extra effort, but made me look and sound strange going up the trail. We only saw two other couples, and I was able to blame the presence of the empty pulk on my wife, who I said required that I bring it in case she tired.
Mt. Muriel just beyond Piute Pass, M. Lake, and all others still frozen- fishing? Bring an auger- WTH?
The long saddle in the center of the frame is Puppet Pass, with first Mt. Merriam, then Royce to the left. We hiked up the Peak 12,228- the one just right of the pass.
Bear and Wolfie on the hike up under Alpine Col., which is right/SW of Mt. Muriel- the mountain left of center in this photo.
Note: the dogs, paws and all (sans booties) did great. Our little 14 pound, "Mountain Pomeranian" is super fit, and kept up easily on the 5+ miles up and in, and during the icy, early morning mountaineering bit.
The real reason I chose to take the pulk was due to our plan to ski from Piute Pass all the way to a camp by Desolation Lake, and for the travel from the pass to that lake and back, the pulk would have been a great help to us. Also, I knew that I could drag some weight back down from the pass on the way out, which I did, through dirt and rock and all. (Mind you, this was to be this generation of pulk-sled's last hurrah.)
Alas, we arrived at Piute Pass near dark on the first day, and so, chose to camp at the first suitable melted out little island- just a half mile into the basin.
One last point on pulk or no pulk: had we done the more ambitious trip from Piute Pass over Puppet Pass, down to French Canyon, and out via Pine Creek- the pulk would have definitely been a great asset- they are at their best on long, levelish, and downhill tours- think Badger Pass, and Little Lakes Valley trips.
These cliffs of Glacier Divide were reminiscent of those I'd just seen, and so desired to hike under, in Crabtree Lakes area, far to the south. G.Divide is beautiful in the morning light.
The obvious pass above us is Alpine Col, which connects Evolution Valley with H.Basin.
Okay, so the conditions around Piute Pass are this: one can park at the standard North Lake TH area, and can also run your packs up to the end of the campground by car, which saves a dreary half mile of slogging on the gravel road. The trail is pretty clear of snow, and not too wet and muddy all the way to the flat below Loch Leven. From there on the patchy snow increases, and at Piute Lake, it comes to dominate the trail.
The pass itself is melted out rock, but only for about 30 feet, and then it is all snow (cups!!) throughout Humphrey's Basin.
The ski touring could be much improved if the Forest Service would invest in a quiet electric "Zamboni" sort of machine, and level out all the sun cups. Paul, the great believer in skiing and more skiing, should tell us what the best ski equipment is to handle mile after mile of sun cups. my longer, skinnier cross country skis worked okay as long as I aimed them across the run of the cups; small disasters would occur to me when I got the skis running parallel, falling into the cavernous troughs of "sun-valleys." Lizzie left the skiing out entirely during the hard snow early morning period, though her shorter, heavier Karhu Pavos performed better than my skinny skis. But Paul, wouldn't longer, and slightly wider skis be best- 195+ and 60-70cm wide?
This is the view south from our camp near Piute Pass. Our camp came with a climbing boulder- "Thanks glacier!"
The first morning the sunlit walls of Glacier Divide beckoned us, and we cramponed up around first frozen Lake Muriel, and up to the big upper Lake Goethe. We took a look at Alpine Col, which I had crossed before in summer, and it looked very nice- un-corniced and passable. We got a look at Snow-tongue Pass, and it looked quite a bit rougher going- though it may in fact be safer and easier at this time of year when the treacherous loose rock is covered by snow. I would want an ice ax at least for that crossing.
We got up on the soft ridge between the Goethe / Muriel Basin and the "Wahoo Lakes" Basin to the west, and had a great view all around the mountainous margins of the wide H.Basin. The sight of the turquoise melt zone on the edge of Lake Muriel, with great Mt Humphreys in the background, was striking enough to make the whole trip worthwhile already!
Meltwater along the edge of Lake Muriel, with stunning Mt Humphreys in the background. One of the best climbs in the Central Sierra.
For wildlife we saw the usual Belding ground squirrels, a marmot or two, some alpine chippies, Clark's nutcrackers, juncos, pipits and of course- our favorite high country bird- the rosy finches. The wildlife sightings got better and better as this trip went on. More about that in the next segment.
That's enough for the first couple of fine days. We were ecstatic to be all together in the mountains again.