High Sierra Topix

Im doing some winter route planning for the summer and would love to hear from anyone who may have backpacked in cross country via lewis creek over harrimgton pass and then down silver creek into tehipte valley. Slope angle map and satellite show a feasible route but looking for real world data.

I really wanna just type "WTF?!?" and leave it at that, but I'll be charitable.

1) What's your experience level? Pardon my question, but dude with 1 post shows up and asks about a real tough stretch of the Sierra and it of course raises some questions :P
2) ~700' in 0.4 miles is pretty steep to me. Maybe there's a class 3-4 route through without heinous bushwhacking, but I'd be prepared for worse.
3) You're aware of the Gorge of Despair descent one drainage over? This is worth a read for the entertainment alone.

A hundred years or so ago there used to be a trail over Happy Gap that descended next to Silver Creek. If you come across any evidence of it be sure to let us know.

I love these responses! Keep 'em coming!

I am not sure what to make of this post, but I'll bite, just in case it is in fact sincere.

First of all a cursory inspection of the topo map and Google Earth reveals a supremely steep slope which generally means minimum class 3 if not class 4 climbing and likely nasty brush in places in addition.

Second, anyone who has the mountaineering ability and experience to backpack such a route would not need to ask questions on any forum, they'd simply do it.

I've been doing difficult off trail backpacking for 50 years, and still do class 3 moves with a full pack on at times, but I would consider this route too technically difficult for me, even if I dialed back the clock 30-40 years to a time when I was younger, stronger, and crazier.

Finally, even if one has the mountaineering ability and experience to take a backpack over such a route---and there are some who do who have posted backpacking routes of this degree of difficulty, generally in the peak bagging section--- it is way harder to try to work such routes going downhill because of all of the vanishing points (downward-steepening sections). This is particularly true of the what appears to be the crux, which is at the bottom.

On caltopo it looks like you could hit Happy Gap, bag Grand Dike and Eagle Pks, continue west and descend the ridge dividing Silver and Wren creeks to about 8500', descend towards Wren to 6900' and traverse north past a couple contingent creeks and descend NW to the middle fork w/o crossing any purple shading. I say go for it.

Does the 'Happy Gap' trail even exist?

Hey Crick, I wonder how you got that name? Might it be short for "Up the Crick...?" I believe you mean to try this wild route, and more power to you!
Giantbrookie makes a good point about the"vanishing points" that you will likely arrive at on the steepest parts of your descent. I will offer this piece of advice: take at least 120' or more of lightweight climbing rope (or static line), your choice of rappeling device, and a set of prusiks. With this set up you can rap down the doubled rope for ~57' (*knot the ends of the rope FFS!) should you get cliffed out, or just use it to descend more safely in loose shite. You can retrieve your rope from the bottom and repeat. The base of tough scrubs and trees work well for free anchors. I recommend 2 or 3 prussiks in the event that you run out of rope before reaching a new stance; because in that case you will need to climb back up the rope a ways to try another line. If you're solo, and it's sketchy, you can also use a prussik to back up your rappel.

I just checked out the descent of Silver Creek, and it looks like one hell of an effort Crick; best of luck.

p.s. Another safety point would be to go with a solid partner on this sort of trip. One of you can jog off for help to deal with an injury, or snake bite. Take C9 with you, he seems keen, and he can run.

thegib wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2024 10:51 pm Does the 'Happy Gap' trail even exist?

Some info here: https://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_report ... aks_1.html

What a fun collection of responses . Former backcountry kings trail worker. Know the park quite well. When your base camped for months in the high country you get to explore onsxure places. Username comes from the stonewall we built over creek 7200 by devils wash bowl.
Anyone think thegib is off base? What he sees is what i see.
Thanks for that intel regarding the trail that use to be there.
That tells me alot.