Taboose Pass next week?

[commonloon]

I've search a bit and just not finding much. I've been up Taboose 2 times that I can remember and remember more the bushwacking near the creek crossings than the actual crossing. Will they be problematic with the big melt that is going on?

Thanks!

ps: promise to post a TR for this trip!

[cgundersen]

The fact that I do not even recall the creek crossings on the Taboose trail implies that they were not sketchy enough to merit a memory trace. What I do know is that you should be able to see what the final snowfield looks like from down in the valley (even, from 395). The slope on that last pitch is less than it is on Shepherd pass, and if you do the ascent in one day, any snow should be nice and soft in the afternoon. The lakes below Striped mountain have some sweet campsites, but on my last time up Taboose, we crashed at the tiny pond just the other side of the pass. It is a long slog, but if you go back and read Maverick's inspirational post from maybe 10 years ago (when he was stalking an Arrow peak sunrise), it'll fuel your jets. Cameron

PS. The approach road can be awful, and the trail crew that did the last "improvement" of the Taboose trail covered it with broken rock which I feel is an awful surface, but maybe it's gotten beaten down in the last 6 years? Good luck!

[commonloon]

Thanks Cameron. THat may be why I don't really remember them either, although I think I was thru during dry years.

I'm debating between it and Sawmill...

[maverick]

Yes, there are some hairy crossings. Check out the 2017 HST Meetup thread. With the very high temps this weekend, crossings could be dangerous.

[Gazelle]

The one closest to the TH scared the crap out of me on july 30th 2017 in the afternoon. A group of 4 made camp by it to cross in the morning

[commonloon]

Thanks Maverick and Gazelle. We would potentially be crossing early morning, but not right at sunrise. Hmmm... I'll be with 2 very experienced adventure racer/friends. Read we know to take crossings seriously. Can we bushwack around? I'm going to look at the topo now. Hmmm.

[Gazelle]

yes you can stay to the right side going up and miss both. I think someone did that after the meetup that year

[Gazelle]

https://www.highsierratopix.com/communi ... &start=190
here is i hope the write up of that year some good pictures of the creek etc

[commonloon]

Oh my. Thanks Gazelle!! The photo of the stream is worth a 1000 words as they say. I'll read thru those threads.

[cgundersen]

commonloon: Ok, I just read the meetup posts and they clearly hit conditions appreciably more sketchy than I ever have on that route. The obvious solution is to get Hobbes, Victor and/or Jeff to lend a hand. But if that's not on the cards, then Sawmill may be the better option to avoid the raging water. I greatly prefer the scenery in the Taboose corridor, but if it's a question of coming back in one piece, I'd take the safe choice. Cameron