Shr sobo

[aogo]

Hope I'm posting in the correct forum. This post doesn't seem quite right for this forum or the conditions/info forum ( as it isn't safety or conditions related). I Read online That there will be no permits issued out of the reds meadow area For trips leaving monday through thursday. Thus, I think it's going to be almost impossible to get a permit for Any of the remaining three days. We are wanting to finish the sierra high route and bailed above iceberg lake last year due to the snow conditions. One alternative to starting at red's meadow would be starting at twin lakes and hiking South but I can't find any any route description matching The detail in ropers northbound description. We found the combination of Roper's route description and our own way points to be perfect for navigating the sierra high route thus far. Any advice for finding this information southbound or or trailheads? Thanks!

[Wandering Daisy]

You can take any northbound SHR description and turn it into southbound. It just takes some careful reading and re-writing with a map to look at. Doing this will actually get you more familiar with the terrain.

If you need to start at Iceberg Lake to continue where you left off last year, there are several ways to get there. You can get there in one long to three days.

Rush Creek trailhead basically takes you to Thousand Island Lake and from there either jump back on the SHR or take the JMT and then up to Ediza Lake.

A longer route is from the trailhead on Tioga Pass that goes over the pass (forgot its name) to Alger Lakes and then down to the same trail from Rush Creek.

Or PCT/JMT up Lyell Creek. But that permit is hard to get.

If you are not a purist, you can go in from the lake basin above Mammoth Lakes (I think the SHR is intersected at Mammoth Pass). Then do Iceberg Lake to Mammoth Pass later when the Reds Meadow road will open.

There are trip reports of HST members doing the route. You may want to look at those.

[commonloon]

Check out the HST map and the cross country passes description posts. Also, most of the pass descriptions for the SHR are also in Secor's "High Sierra Peaks ~ Passes ~ Trails."

For Sobo SHR, I think it's a Hoover Wilderness permit you'll need. The office is in Bridgeport. I'd give them a call. You will be going up initially the Horse Creek trail.

If you bailed at Iceberg then you could also think about Mammoth trailheads or Rush Creek (June lakes).

IMHO if anything Sobo is easier in general because you are mostly ascending the steep sides. :-) Keep right a little bit up Stanton pass (2nd pass) as the chute is a bit loose and shelves to right are preferable, particular when traveling south.

Hope that helps.

[Wandering Daisy]

Another consideration is to check if Reds Meadow store would be closed. In that case you would have to continue and come out Mammoth Pass if you plan to resupply at Mammoth Lakes. It sounds like campgrounds would be open to drive in and out weekends, so the store probably will be open. Still good idea to check.

The snowfield at Iceberg Lake that stopped you last year may still be there early season this year. I would plan your trip later, maybe in mid-August. All depends on what happens between now and then. If you do a September trip it would be easier to get permits and all the road construction may be done anyway.

Another obscure trailhead is from Walker Lake to Mono Pass.

From Parker Pass you could go x-c over Lost Lake Pass and drop to the JMT below Donehue Pass.

I would really concentrate on getting a weekend permit from Agnew Meadow -who knows you may be lucky or Rush Creek. These are really the two best entries to return to Iceberg Lake.

[aogo]

Thanks very much for all the information and helpful ideas!