TR: Emigrant Wilderness - Crabtree/Y Meadow Lake - 5/14-5/15

[jtca]

Route taken: Crabtree > Bear Lake > Granite Lake > Y Meadow Reservoir > Chewing Gum Lake > Crabtree

Very warm on Saturday, cooler Sunday. Slept at Y Meadow Lake and it was very cold at night. I was in a WM 20 deg bag and was still pretty cold. Condensation on the inside of tent was icicles in the morning.

That said it was summer conditions up to around Bear Lake, and you don't really encounter any snow until you're closer to about 8000 ft. Then its everywhere. Didn't see a single footprint in the snow the way we went, from Lily Creek until around Chewing Gum Lake. Only saw one other couple at Y Meadow, at a distance, on the west side of the lake. Other than them, we didn't see anyone after Bear Lake until we were about ~1 mile from the Crabtree trailhead on the Lake Valley Trail. Wonderful time to be up there if you don't mind wet feet (or wear boots, I suppose...)

Elevations: 7100 - 9150

Difficult section encountered:
- Mostly easy traveling. Ample snow above 8000 ft, expect wet feet if you're in trail runners like I was. However, most of the snow was eminently walkable and well packed. We didn't find ourselves postholing much at all.
- Granite, Y Meadow, Chewing Gum all mostly frozen and snow covered but plenty of seasonal waterfalls and streams for water.
- Lots of downed trees and debris on the trail on Lake Valley Trail. Really a total mess below the snow line. One or two very big downed trees the first mile or so.
- There were enough footprints in the snow from Chewing Gum Lake until the snow disappears that you can travel without having to think much about where the trail would be. Lake Valley is a trail that is easy for me to lose even when it isn't covered in snow, though.
- Water is cold, and lots of seasonal streams, but none of them were very fast-moving or difficult to cross.

Special equipment needed/used: Used microspikes and trekking poles which we found very helpful and gave us some extra confidence on the steeper snow. Wore the spikes most of the trip above 8000 ft. Did the hike in trail runners and had wet feet most of the trip after Bear Lake.


Possible alternative routes:

- We hugged the right side of the pass on the way up from Lilly Creek meadow to Granite Lake. This led to us walking through some steep snow fields. It might have been easier to go through the meadow and up around the left side of the pass, which had more exposed rock. The snow was fine, and there was minimal exposure, but it did look like a potentially more appealing route when we were looking at it. Never taken that way before, so can't say too much.
- We went around the east side of Y Meadow Lake, it might have been easier to go around the west side -- we like to camp on the northern end of the lake and had to wade the seasonal snow melt stream feeding Y Meadow Lake to get there.

[balzaccom]

This is great--not only do we get a real time conditions report, but we also get some encouragement!

Nice work. We'll be there in a couple of weeks...by then I expect far less snow.

[Annieoh]

great trip report thanks! Since I'm a bit dense, do I have this right: Crabtree TH to Lake Valley Trail to Chewing Gum Trail, up to Burst Rock trail down to Y Meadow Lake? I'm thinking of heading up and was hoping to take the route you described.

[cjod86]

great trip report thanks! Since I'm a bit dense, do I have this right: Crabtree TH to Lake Valley Trail to Chewing Gum Trail, up to Burst Rock trail down to Y Meadow Lake? I'm thinking of heading up and was hoping to take the route you described.

Not OP, but I was there...what you're describing is essentially what we did day 2, but in reverse.

Our route:

Crabtree TH -> Crabtree Trail-> Bear Lake Trail -> Bear Lake -> xC to Granite Lake -> xC to Y Meadow Lake -> unnamed trail from Y Meadow -> Burst Rock Trail -> Chewing Gum Lake Trail -> Lake Valley Trail -> Crabtree TH

[Harlen]

Thanks for the clarification cjod86. We are differently dense, in that we have not been monitoring conditions at all, and mistakenly assumed that there would be far less snow than seen and described in this nice trip report. So thank you for getting through my thick head with the documentary pictures and clear descriptions. We are looking for a "summery" trip, and now wonder if it might be lower down-- Cherry Lake to Kibbe Ridge, to Huckleberry Lake.... don't know?! Thanks for the thick head's up. Harlens.

[Annieoh]

Thanks cjod86!
Not OP, but I was there...what you're describing is essentially what we did day 2, but in reverse.

Our route:

Crabtree TH -> Crabtree Trail-> Bear Lake Trail -> Bear Lake -> xC to Granite Lake -> xC to Y Meadow Lake -> unnamed trail from Y Meadow -> Burst Rock Trail -> Chewing Gum Lake Trail -> Lake Valley Trail -> Crabtree TH

[justm]

Thanks for posting !!! What a fun trip. No bugs, almost no people !!! I cain't wait to get out there !!

[Love the Sierra]

Thank you so much for posting! I was going to go out a couple of weeks ago but works and family obligations…SIGH.
Anyway, like @Harlen I have been out of touch for a month so great to have an update. My daughter and I will be going on a 5 day trip 6/2. I have been debating where to go and thinking about the choices, postholing, skeeters or high water crossings. Thank you again so much for the wonderful export that helps us see conditions!

[Harlen]

Hey jtca, et al., There was an amazing change in snow level between your trip of 5/14- 5/15 and ours which began on 5 25. Snow was never an issue, and hardly even present. Taking a tip from your report, we used a lower elevation route into the Emigrant, but even above 8,500' we had no snow to speak of. The snow is melting very fast! Thanks again for our helpful report.

IMG_7936.jpg

Looking north over Bartlett Peak into the Emigrant.