High Sierra Topix

We'd appreciate any and all reports (with photos if you have them) of river and stream crossing conditions in the Sierra. Please include name of stream, creek, or river crossed, and the date, in the Subject Title.

Frog creek between Miguel meadows and laurel lake in hetchy hetchy. 3/27. Steep snowy slope that would have been better with spikes though we did fine slowly with poles. There were good crossings up stream but the snow limited access due to steepness. Crossed in a knee deep slow area and dear god it was cold like I’ve never felt (were not in summer or fall!). I imagine in a month or so it will be pretty turbulent as aside from that spot it was fast or deep with plenty of melt to come. I have a pic but not sure if I need to put it elsewhere and link?

I also crossed the stream at the outlet of laurel lake. Similarly steep and snowy but rather small and easy to cross on rocks.

What trailhead did you use? Was Laurel Lake still frozen? I am not clear of where you waded across Frog Creek (there are two trails) - did you take the trail directly to Laurel Lake or intersect the trail from Hetch Hetchy and cross Frog Creek farther up?

I went from hetch hetchy to Miguel meadows and then up to laurel lakes. The other direction from beehive is snow from almost the get go. Laurel lake is solidly frozen. It was incredibly beautiful like that and the best part of the trip. Maybe worth all the postholing!

here’s the pics https://imgur.com/gallery/Jja7WQ1

May 14 - May 16

A buddy and I did the Deadman Canyon Loop this past weekend. No problematic crossings at all. A few calf-high wades (Silliman Creek, Sugarloaf Creek, Deadman Creek). One knee-high crossing of the creek in Deadman Canyon.

Golden Creek at the junction of the Trail Lake trail and where it turns into Mono Creek trail, dry in the morning, safe but wet, about to my calf, in the afternoon.

Both of the crossings of Mono Creek heading toward 4th Recess were safe but wet in the afternoon, above my ankles.

5/26-31

Falls Creek crossable at trail junction with trail to Tildon Lake. Met PCT hikers who crossed the creek that flows from Dorothy Lake to Wilma Lake, and said it was knee deep (tall guy) but wide and very cold.

Frog Creek to Laurel Lake. Crossing on trail from Beehive to north end of the lake - log crossings. Crossing on trail from Beehive to south side of the lake, mid calf deep, a few knee deep holes (on me), easy and short.

5/30
I crossed Falls Creek in Jack Main Canyon at junction that leads towards Upper Branigan Lake. I crossed a little downstream from the main crossing. The water was about 3ft deep and slow.

May 31 - June 1

Ribbon Creek is dry down at the Valley Loop Trail and ankle-deep with good rock-hopping up on the El Cap trail.

Fireplace Creek is maybe a little more than ankle-deep; the bigger challenge is all the blowdown debris obscuring your footing.

Eagle Creek is barely ankle-deep with good rock-hopping up on the north rim.