Early July Trip Ideas (Mono/Parker Pass Vs. Virginia Lakes)

[mxoyez]

Hello
Here's some preliminary info:
Experience:
Level 2.5 Backpacker.
A bit of snow experience, not that much though.
Favorite Scenery: Anywhere in the high sierra will be nice, I just don't want crowds. But as a tie-breaker I prefer lakes, meadows, and big mountain scenery (some stunted trees are nice too).
I got back from my first backpacking trip of the season to french canyon a week-ish ago (which I am currently writing a trip report for!), and I got some really helpful advice for that trip. I need advice once again so I figured I'd ask here. I'm deciding between 2 trips to the Yosemite high country, and I'm not sure which to choose.
1. Dana Meadows -> Kuna Lake -> Camp at Ponds near Parker Pass for 3 nights with 2 layover days. For these days I'm considering the following options:
a. Hike to Kuna glacier / some of the glacial tarns there. Is this possible with only class 1 talus walking, or not? Some of these tarns look really nice on google earth.
b. Hike to koip peak pass and climb parker peak or koip peak. Is this doable for someone with zero peakbagging experience?
c. Hike to Alger lakes. Are these lakes worth it to see?
d. Hike back over parker pass and visit some of the lakes below the Kuna Crest.
2. Virginia Lakes -> Camp at Upper Virginia Canyon for 3 nights. For these days I'm considering the following options:
a. Hike to return lake + overlook of soldier lake
b. Hike to sheperd lake
c. Hike to mccabe lakes
d. Hike over virginia pass to some to west lake

Which of these two trips do you think would be best? I was hoping to avoid some of the early July crowds but I understand if that's impossible.
Thanks

[balzaccom]

My guess is Virginia Canyon would have fewer people (except for the McCabe Lakes day) because it's farther from the trails in Yosemite. But both trips are great ideas!

[c9h13no3]

b. Hike to koip peak pass and climb parker peak or koip peak. Is this doable for someone with zero peakbagging experience?

d. Hike back over parker pass and visit some of the lakes below the Kuna Crest.

Koip/Kuna/Parker are totally reasonable first peaks.

The lakes below Kuna Crest were kinda stark & devoid of vegetation. Go skier's left of the outlet to lake 11317. Some brush & cliffs to avoid on the right side as you descend down to Spillway lake (which is also nice, but you'll see a few people).

[mxoyez]

b. Hike to koip peak pass and climb parker peak or koip peak. Is this doable for someone with zero peakbagging experience?

d. Hike back over parker pass and visit some of the lakes below the Kuna Crest.

Koip/Kuna/Parker are totally reasonable first peaks.

The lakes below Kuna Crest were kinda stark & devoid of vegetation. Go skier's left of the outlet to lake 11317. Some brush & cliffs to avoid on the right side as you descend down to Spillway lake (which is also nice, but you'll see a few people).

Awesome! Which of koip/parker do you think is easier to climb?

[c9h13no3]

There's an on-again off-again use trail up Koip, but it's a little taller. I'd do that one, since it is the listed peak (for some reason).

[Wandering Daisy]

Be prepared for mosquitoes! Staying high is a good idea- wind will help. Years ago, I specifically went up on the top of Kuna Crest and camped to avoid mosquitoes; trail to Helen Lake, carried water up to saddle at 11812. There are lakes on the west side of Kuna Crest, one being Lake 11516. I did not have time so did not explore these lakes, but they should be very scenic.

The next day I traversed Kune Crest, dropping down to Lk 11309 (easy ramp down south of the lake),Bigalow Lake to Kuna Lake outlet, then north (east of the outlet creek) intersecting the trail at Parker Pass Creek. May be easier to go directly east of the Kuna Lake outlet to intersect the Parker Pass Trail at about 10,100.

The Kuna Crest traverse is a route described in Arnot's book; "High Sierra, John Muir's Range of Light". Rt 27 page 227.

[mxoyez]

Be prepared for mosquitoes! Staying high is a good idea- wind will help. Years ago, I specifically went up on the top of Kuna Crest and camped to avoid mosquitoes; trail to Helen Lake, carried water up to saddle at 11812. There are lakes on the west side of Kuna Crest, one being Lake 11516. I did not have time so did not explore these lakes, but they should be very scenic.

The next day I traversed Kune Crest, dropping down to Lk 11309 (easy ramp down south of the lake),Bigalow Lake to Kuna Lake outlet, then north (east of the outlet creek) intersecting the trail at Parker Pass Creek. May be easier to go directly east of the Kuna Lake outlet to intersect the Parker Pass Trail at about 10,100.

The Kuna Crest traverse is a route described in Arnot's book; "High Sierra, John Muir's Range of Light". Rt 27 page 227.

Neat! Is Kuna Crest easily traversable?

[Wandering Daisy]

I would not say "easy." You need good off-trail navigation skills. Arnot calls it class 1-2 from Mammoth Peak to Pk 12462 (north-to-south, whereas I did it south to north). The hardest part for me was getting up to the crest from Helen Lake. Partly because I was carrying a lot of water. If you were to camp at the lakes on the west side, you would not have to carry water. The crest itself had a lot of snow when I did it (a high snow year). May be very little this year; I do not know what it would be like without snow. Nothing steep but needed an early start or would post-hole. Getting back to the trail from Kuna Lake was a bit of a bushwhack the way I did it, down the drainage due north.

If you have enough days, go to the ponds SE of Parker Pass on day 1, do your climbs/etc day 2-3, go up to the lakes west of Kuna Peak day 4 - I do not think you can drop of Kuna Peak to these lakes because there appear to be cliffs, run the ridge back on Dy 5.

I recall reading a trip report recently that visited these lakes west of Kuna Peak. I will try to find it and link it to this post.

[c9h13no3]

Neat! Is Kuna Crest easily traversable?

Yes, but difficulties increase dramatically once you hit the ridge south of Helen Lake. I didn't think it was a particularly notable climb. Views off Koip/Kuna are equivalent.

[Wandering Daisy]

Just a comment on Virginia Lake. I think Green Lake is a better option than Virginia Lake. I day-hiked out of Virginia Lake before and was not that impressed. Either Virginia Lake or Green Lake are likely to have horrible Mosquitoes early July; they are much more "woodsy", exactly where mosquitoes thrive. Virginia Lake has a well rated campground, which attracts lots of people- it would be more crowded than Kuna Crest. Green Lake TH is accessed by a dirt road- less people. The main reason to go into Virgina Lake or Green Lake vs Kuna Crest, is if you plan to fish.