Thousand Island Lake vs Dusy Basin for weekend of Aug 4

[SDTrojan]

I snagged permits for both Shadow Creek and Bishop Pass South Lake for the weekend of August 4th.

I'm trying to collect condition reports from AllTrails and make a call on which one I should do.
I've done Thousand Island Lake/Ediza/Iceberg Lake before, although that area is so beautiful I'd be happy to come back any time.
Dusy Basin has been a long time "want to do" item for me, but I've never had the chance.
It appears there is still tons of snow at the higher elevations, with Bishop Pass being somewhat technical.
I have ice climbing/winter travel experience, and summitted Mt Whitney via the Mountaineers Route over Memorial Day weekend this year, but I'll be going solo this time around, so also don't want to get into anything too spicy.

Figured I'd ask the folks here what they'd recommend, especially if any of you have been to either this year.

Thanks!

[cgundersen]

SD,

If you've done the mountaineer's route on Whitney, I suspect Bishop Pass will be a snooze. I've gone over a couple times when the trail was snow-covered well before Long Lake. Yes, it's a bit more of a grunt, but if you pick your route up the last part of Bishop Pass, it's gentle enough that it should not pose a problem (and I've never used gear more fancy than heavy La Sportiva boots). And depending how many day's you're aiming to be out, a side trip to Palisade Basin (via Knapsack pass) is well worth the effort. Cameron

[SDTrojan]

Thanks a lot, Cameron, that's extremely useful info!
I was planning on three days, just as an initial intro to the area.
Figure I'll see how I feel and what the weather dictates and just do some exploring.

[sunnyvalley]

I recently completed a two-night backpacking trip to Thousand Island Lake, Garnet Lake, and Ediza Lake from July 28th to 30th. The route started from Agnew Meadows, went to Thousand Island Lake via the High Trail, and returned to Agnew Meadows via the John Muir Trail (JMT) and Shadow Creek.

The trail was largely clear of snow, with the exception of the switchback from Garnet Lake to the southern bound JMT and the final stretch to Ediza Lake. We had to rely on a GPS for about half a mile of the Ediza Lake trail, so be prepared for that challenge.

It may be difficult to find a dry campsite at Ediza Lake. We set up camp at Thousand Island Lake and at the junction of the JMT and the Ediza Lake trail.

Mosquitoes were present, but they were not overwhelmingly bothersome. This was my third visit to Thousand Island Lake, and I found this year to be particularly spectacular due to the presence of more snow.

[SDTrojan]

Thank you so much, sunnyvalley. That's really helpful info.

Did you go up to Iceberg Lake at all (south of Ediza)? I imagine it's all snow covered up that way.

Guess I'll have to flip a coin and pick between the two, both sound lovely.
The trees for hammock hanging and escaping the midday sun on the Thousand Island Lake trip are certainly tempting.

[cgundersen]

SD,
A couple more comments: if the SD part implies you're from the San Diego area, another advantage of starting further South is a bit less driving. That said, I'm a huge fan of the Ritter-Banner-Minaret region and if you decide to go back, one way to avoid the dampness/bugs down by Ediza is to go up to the Nydiver Lakes. The visual perspective from there is appreciably more stunning than from Cecile/Iceberg. But for one who'd rather be walking than driving, getting over to Knapsack to Palisades basin leaves you in an area of stunning beauty, too. Hard to compare......Cameron

[SDTrojan]

Thanks Cameron, indeed I live in San Diego, and since this is a solo trip, that long drive back after three days of hiking and exertion in the sun is always a bit tough (although always worth it).

I just looked up the Nydiver Lakes, since I couldn't remember where they were, and realized I had once passed by them, going over Whitebark Pass and Garnet Pass to get to Thousand Island Lake from Ediza. That was an absolutely stunning trip, with incredible views from up high, and it was also through a lot of snow, as that year I did the trip at the end of May, right when Agnew Meadows opened. My only visit to Iceberg Lake was during that same trip, and it was during a rest day where we just day hiked with Ediza as a basecamp, and I just remembered the view of the Minarets from Iceberg Lake being amazing, just sitting there, swimming in the (literally 32F) freezing water, and watching the clouds pass.

I would love to repeat that, and was even debating attempting Banner Peak, since I ascended from the west side of Thousand Island Lake to Lake Catherine a few years ago, but didn't finish the climb.

Ah, the age old dilemma of going to a place you know and love, versus exploring a place you've never been.
Sounds like it would be hard to go wrong either way.

I have a reservation for Thursday night in Four Jeffrey Campground, which is an 11 minute drive from Bishop Pass Trailhead, so that's another vote in the Dusy Basin direction.

[cgundersen]

SD,

Definitely, a win:win situation. Hope to see a trip report whichever option you choose. Happy trails! Cameron