valor pass vs finger col: blackcap basin routing question

[frozenintime]

hi all

i'm planning a trip via maxon/courtwright for late july. we will head over hell for sure pass and up goddard, past martha lake and over reinstein pass for a layover at lake 10,232.

i initially routed our exit via reinstein (again), valor and blackcap passes, with a final night at guest lake.

but now i'm thinking that heading the other way from 10,232 over finger col with a final night at portal or cathedral sounds more elegant: no backtracking, a chance to see the lakes east and west of finger col, and it would likely (?) be a less difficult day of hiking (physically and/or emotionally) than doing reinstein, valor and blackcap all within 6 miles -- though i'm open to debate on the last point.

finger col *would* make our final day back to the trailhead 20ish (from cathedral era) instead of 15 miles (from guest lake era), but it's mostly downhill (or flat) and wouldn't be an issue for the group.

any thoughts?

[Wandering Daisy]

It depends on when you are doing the trip. Last year, coming out August 8, there was no water once just a bit past the junction with the Hell for Sure Trail. The WAS water in Long Meadow when I went in 9 days earlier, but Long Meadow was dry coming out. 20 miles could be committing when the last 5+ miles is bone dry, at the end of a long day. But if you walk out 20 miles, you probably will not drive home the same day anyway. If you camp at the last water (probably Post Corral) it would only be about 2.5 hours out the next day when you are fresh from a good night's rest. If this summer is like last, you may run into the same problem.

Cathedral Lake was one of my favorite campsites on my trip. The Guest Lake-Horseshoe Lake area was really drought stricken last year. By far Cathedral is a better destination. I have never been over Valor or Finger Col so cannot compare them. I have been at Guest Lake early-season and it was mosquito hell.

The Blackcap Trail is kind of boring, but that's OK if you are just walking out.

[TehipiteTom]

It's nigh on 20 years since I went over Finger Col, so take this with a grain of salt, but...I think the basin east of Finger Col is well worth the trip, for beauty and solitude. Still one of my favorite lake basins I've ever been to.

Finger Col I remember being trickier on the west side, with steep loose stuff high up and steep slabs (maybe avoidable?) lower down. The east side I remember as not hard at all if you choose your route carefully. The col is a very striking notch that as I recall you don't see (from the east) until you're almost there.

[sekihiker]

If you want to see what some of that country looks like, go to: http://www.sierrahiker.com/ELeConte-Whi ... index.html
Several other trip reports at my site might also be helpful.

[frozenintime]

@Wandering Daisy we'd be there in the 20s of july, fully expecting low/no/gross water for the first and last few miles near the trailhead (based on your report from last year). your description of guest vs cathedral seems to be a solid vote for finger col.

@TehipiteTom yes, i gather there is a ledge one needs to find on the east side and some steepness west. i've seen "ascend from the left and descend to the right" a couple times.

@sekihiker i've read all your related reports for sure!

[erutan]

Both routes go over some great terrain. The upper part of Bench Valley is more striking than the lower, and it's worth spending some time around ~Ambition Lake in upper Blackcap, so I might go for Finger Col just because it is a bit more of a complete story for it's route and some future trip can spend the time those basins deserve vs cutting through them.

That said for Finger Col the west side would be more pleasant going up than down IMO, if you have poles the sandy paths up at the top are trivial, but the slabs we took might be disconcerting to descend (there's other options, but it might be hard to plan from the top). Aside from the one ledge you have to find at the top on the east side it is straightforward aside from some occasional cliff bands to negotiate or bypass between the col and the lakes below.