Wolverton to Road's End via Horn Col, Copper Mine, and Langley
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 9:14 pm
Hello, HSTer! I would love some advice on a route I'm taking. I'm, um, uh... middle-aged (sigh), in pretty good shape, solid health, never-give up attitude so I'll push myself, which can be detrimental. I'm not at all afraid of x-country or route-finding, but I really hate large talus and boulder hopping... I'm gettin' a bit too old for miles of that. Landscape photography drives me, so my dawn and dusk locations are very important.
So with that in mind...
Day 1: Wolverton to Moose Lake via Alta Meadow.
Day 2: Moose Lake to Lake 11,200 (*A) with a side excursion to the cool ridge formation on the divide NW of Lake 10,559.
Day 3: Lake 11,200 to Big Wet Meadow. Route will go directly over Big Bird Peak, staying high on the ridge above Lonely Lake, over Horn Col, across to Copper Mine Pass, down Cloud Canyon to Big Wet Meadow to photograph the Whaleback. (B)
Day 4: Big Wet Meadow to Big Brewer Lake either up Cunningham Creek, or up the ridge south of Brewer Creek, or on trail around to Avalanche Pass trail and up the Moraine Creek drainage/ridges past Lake 9,760 to Big Brewer. (C)
Day 5: Big Brewer Lake to Lake Reflection via Longley Pass. (D)
Day 6: Another day at Lake Reflection.
Day 7: Lake Reflection to East Lake.
Day 8: East Lake to Road's End.
*Questions:
A) Is Lake 11,200 worth staying at, or should I get farther along toward Cloud Canyon, possibly Lonely Lake? It just looks like such a great location for photography.
B) Is Day 3 absolutely foolish? It's over 10 miles of x-country. I'm not in perfect shape anymore, that's for sure. If there's a ton of talus up high and bushwacking in Cloud, it may be too ambitious.
C) This is the biggest question mark of the journey. I cannot figure out what is the best route to get to Longley Pass. Everything I read about Cunningham Creek makes me want to watch paint dry outdoors in Fresno in July (hey, I grew up there, I can say it). However, I can't seem to find much about Big Brewer Creek or (we'll call it the) Moraine Ridge Route. Y'all's wisdom would be most sincerely appreciated.
D) Should I stay along the creek heading down the E side of the drainage to Lake Reflection, or should I stay to the NE a bit higher above the creek?
Plan B?
Two shorter trips, one in the Tablelands (Moose, Lake 11,200, Tamarack Lake, out), one in the East/Reflection area with the remote possibility of bonsai'ing up to Kersearge Lakes. I saw the Whaleback 25 years ago, and have always wanted to see it again with a camera in hand. That's the centerpiece that has me looking at joining the two areas, because it's in between Tablelands (never been there, really want to see the area) and Lake Reflection (have wanted to photograph it for a long time). HOWEVER... I have nothing to prove so it's not like I'm dancing the jig thinking about stringing all of this together in just eight days. I can leave the Whaleback for another day (next year). If it is better as one big trip, I could head down Deadman Canyon (via Big Bird Lake) and bypass Cloud.
THANK YOU in advance for any feedback/insight! Yes, I plan on a grand TR when I am done (so maybe I should try Moraine Ridge or Brewer Creek just to add some data... or do you call it beta here?). Yes, I want to do my part to be a contributor to the HST community (I did Rae Lakes loop last year in late September, so I didn't think I had any pertinent insight to offer at that point in time, grin).
So with that in mind...
Day 1: Wolverton to Moose Lake via Alta Meadow.
Day 2: Moose Lake to Lake 11,200 (*A) with a side excursion to the cool ridge formation on the divide NW of Lake 10,559.
Day 3: Lake 11,200 to Big Wet Meadow. Route will go directly over Big Bird Peak, staying high on the ridge above Lonely Lake, over Horn Col, across to Copper Mine Pass, down Cloud Canyon to Big Wet Meadow to photograph the Whaleback. (B)
Day 4: Big Wet Meadow to Big Brewer Lake either up Cunningham Creek, or up the ridge south of Brewer Creek, or on trail around to Avalanche Pass trail and up the Moraine Creek drainage/ridges past Lake 9,760 to Big Brewer. (C)
Day 5: Big Brewer Lake to Lake Reflection via Longley Pass. (D)
Day 6: Another day at Lake Reflection.
Day 7: Lake Reflection to East Lake.
Day 8: East Lake to Road's End.
*Questions:
A) Is Lake 11,200 worth staying at, or should I get farther along toward Cloud Canyon, possibly Lonely Lake? It just looks like such a great location for photography.
B) Is Day 3 absolutely foolish? It's over 10 miles of x-country. I'm not in perfect shape anymore, that's for sure. If there's a ton of talus up high and bushwacking in Cloud, it may be too ambitious.
C) This is the biggest question mark of the journey. I cannot figure out what is the best route to get to Longley Pass. Everything I read about Cunningham Creek makes me want to watch paint dry outdoors in Fresno in July (hey, I grew up there, I can say it). However, I can't seem to find much about Big Brewer Creek or (we'll call it the) Moraine Ridge Route. Y'all's wisdom would be most sincerely appreciated.
D) Should I stay along the creek heading down the E side of the drainage to Lake Reflection, or should I stay to the NE a bit higher above the creek?
Plan B?
Two shorter trips, one in the Tablelands (Moose, Lake 11,200, Tamarack Lake, out), one in the East/Reflection area with the remote possibility of bonsai'ing up to Kersearge Lakes. I saw the Whaleback 25 years ago, and have always wanted to see it again with a camera in hand. That's the centerpiece that has me looking at joining the two areas, because it's in between Tablelands (never been there, really want to see the area) and Lake Reflection (have wanted to photograph it for a long time). HOWEVER... I have nothing to prove so it's not like I'm dancing the jig thinking about stringing all of this together in just eight days. I can leave the Whaleback for another day (next year). If it is better as one big trip, I could head down Deadman Canyon (via Big Bird Lake) and bypass Cloud.
THANK YOU in advance for any feedback/insight! Yes, I plan on a grand TR when I am done (so maybe I should try Moraine Ridge or Brewer Creek just to add some data... or do you call it beta here?). Yes, I want to do my part to be a contributor to the HST community (I did Rae Lakes loop last year in late September, so I didn't think I had any pertinent insight to offer at that point in time, grin).