High Sierra Topix

I've hiked from there many years ago and I made it in a 2-wheel drive vehicle, but I used to push my 2-wheel cars to the limit so don't go by what I'm saying. I can't remember specifically how difficult it was because it was too many years ago.

I have hiked many times in the recent past from Hooper Diversion Dam, which you can get to by driving to Florence Lake and past JackAss (there, I said it) Meadow. From there I hike up to Hooper Basin and the series of lakes on the other side of Cirque. I've always wanted to go to Cirque Lake. I think you can access Cirque Lake without much difficulty from Hooper Diversion Dam too, cutting over near the Infant Buttes.

Hey giantbrookie, have you fished Cirque Lake? Please tell! The lakes of Hooper Basin, and Chamberlain, are full of average-sized goldens.

Apollo - Goldens
Cirque - Rainbows
Marcella - Rainbows and Brookies
All in the 10-12" range.
Marcella is swampy and might have alot of skeeterz.
Getting from Cirque to Apollo takes a little climbing down a chimney
but not bad(use rope to lower pack).
There is also a small glacier at Apollo on one side of the lake which
makes it that much more unique!
Apollo lives up to its name as being to best of the three.

maverick wrote:Apollo - Goldens
Apollo lives up to its name as being to best of the three.

Remote trail less Orchid and Apollo were on my itineraries during 3 backpacks. Superb views up the EF Bear Creek canyon to Feather Peak and Seven Gables especially for capturing pink earth shadow dusk when the weather and clouds cooperate. Aggressive goldens in Apollo too.

In a few days we'll be on a trip up on the other side of the crest at Granite Park. I may bother to climb the Black Bear Lake col given the likely minimal snow conditions about its glacier and look west down the EF towards that area.
...David

Buck Forester wrote:I think you can access Cirque Lake without much difficulty from Hooper Diversion Dam too, cutting over near the Infant Buttes.

Hey giantbrookie, have you fished Cirque Lake? Please tell! The lakes of Hooper Basin, and Chamberlain, are full of average-sized goldens.

I would agree that a route from Hooper Diversion dam is feasible. I have not fished Cirque, Apollo, or Orchid, which is why they are on my list (other than the fact that the cross country hiking to reach them looks very fun). I also haven't hit the Medleys, Three Island (heard several reports of big goldens), nor Lower Turret, so a trip combining all of the above in the now characteristic 4 or 5 day trip (probably the former) will be on tap for 2008 or 2009. There are a few fish in the Hoopers that go to the 12-14 inch range (I didn't catch them but others I know have), but Chamberlain is one where a few truly big ones prowl (saw but didn't catch a golden of at least 16 inches; best I did was 13 inches).

Btw, thanks Maverick for the fishing update. The only other info I have on those lakes is the very old (vintage 60's) DFG Anglers Guide to Bear Creek that doesn't say much about size except for saying that brookies average 9" in Marcella and rainbows 10" in Cirque. A lot can change in 40 plus years, so it's good to get the recent info.

Gracias you people for the info!

Anyone have any photos of Cirque or Apollo Lakes? I like off-trail lakes, especially if they have goldens, and especially especially if they are extra-photogenic. Lately the extra-photogenic seems to be more important than trout (somebody spank me!). Actually, I shouldn't say "lately" because last summer, and so far this summer, I have not had many opportunities to get out. That should change in August.

giantbrookie, I've really only fished Chamberlain Lake once and that was while passing through to climb Mt. Hooper. I saw lots of 10-12" goldens but I've also heard of big boys in there too. I'd like to camp near the lake and get a good evening and morning fishing out of it.

I started a trip at the Diversion Dam a couple years ago.

I went to the Vermillion Valley Resort and asked around. The folks there arranged, for a quite reasonable fee, to get me a ride up to the trailhead. A young man who had the morning off took us up in one of the resort's 4WD trucks.

It was nice to save ourselves the extra miles at the cost of a few bucks. Our car would not, in its most superheroic dreams about what a great car it is, have made it up that road.

In addition to all that was stated there is also Bear Ridge (i think that is what the ranger called it). This starts at Lake Thomas Edison dam and goes up the ridge and joins the JMT. We did this when we couldn't get the bear diversion dam trail head. It worked find but was an extra unnecessary climb. If i remember it was shorter then the bear creek trail head for where we were headed, Hilgard Branch and bear basin.

We are actually headed back to Bear Basin in a few weeks, but were able to get the bear diversion trailhead this time. I have been down the road and it is definatly a 4x4 jeep road in my opinion.

I found someones trip report to the area with a few pictures.
I used the same route they did to get to Apollo Lake.
http://home.inreach.com/kelley/Whatnotrail.html

The route over the ridge besides full of smelly horse road apples adds a few hundred feet of extra vertical.

Interestingly enough, the cutoff has about as much gain going in as the jeep road--the jeep road starts lower. Coming out, though, there would be a few hundred extra feet of gain. The cutoff appears to cut at least a half mile and maybe a full mile off the distance (unless you have a vehicle that can make it to the dam).

Maverick, thanks for posting that link. Looks like a lovely area.