Advice on Trip Options

[Rider51]

First, the set-up. I'm looking to backpack in the 3-5 day range on any of these potential loops (or point to point). Some of this is off-trail, most not. The keys are as follows:

• I am 99% likely to go solo.

• have heaps of experience, my fitness is good (endurance at least), and am quite good at orienteering. What I don't have is youth. I'm approaching 60. I don't want to paint myself into a corner so to speak by biting off more than I can chew thinking I'm still 39.

• Last year I was able to complete the Iceberg to Cecile traverse in AA Wilderness. It was a mix of snow, ice, and rock, with Iceberg pretty much covered in icebergs. That was the very limit of my comfort, and I don't plan on doing it again. Ask and I'll share photos.

• I had very little problem going from Budd Lake to Cathedral Lakes in Yosemite, for comparison.

• My timeline is September, maybe even early October.

• I'm not terribly worried about permits as I tend to remain flexible, and am the guy who shows up at the ranger station an hour early on the day of to get one of the 30% permits issued.

The places I'm looking to get are as follows:

• Evolution Basin point to point from North Lake TH ending at South Lake TH. All of this would be on trail. 35 miles, aim for 4 days total.

• Onion Valley TH to Sixty Lakes Basin, continuing NE to Baxter Pass TH. There appears to be no trail north of Sixty Lakes for a long mile or so until it intersects the PCT. Is this difficult?

• Pine Creek to PC Pass, to Meriam Lakes, over Ruskie Pass to Seven Gables Lakes. From there are options to stay off trail and go NE to Vee, Big Bear and Black Bear lakes and over Dancing Bear pass to Jumble Lake, then Italy pass and back to the TH. Is this sketchy? Risky? Someone posted pics of Ruskie and that looks doable, if a bit slow for me. But the Bear Lakes and Dancing Bear Pass are a mysery to me.
  • The other (longer, but maybe easier) is to skip the slow traverses over the Bear lakes/pass, and just continue on past Ruskie to Seven Gables trail, then intersect with the JMT/PCT and then back Italy Pass to the TH.

I have been to the Sierras many times over the last 40 years, and am somewhat familiar with these areas. I'm also the kind of person who is okay taking an extra day and wandering around a bit. I'm also fine bailing if it gets too sketchy and taking the easy path.

I'm quite flexible, and these are sort of bucket list places I'd like to get to someday, not something I'm bent on doing, certainly not all in 2024. I can link to larger maps if that helps, but considering how many experts there are here I think many of you will know where I'm talking about just glancing at these.

Sorry for being so long winded!

[FrankPS]

You can't go wrong with the North Lake to South Lake trip. The only issue is getting back to your car from South Lake.
If you wanted to add some spice to it, you could start at North Lake and go over Lamarck Col, instead of Paiute Pass.

I don't understand your last option, "The other (longer, but maybe easier) is to skip the slow traverses over the Bear lakes/pass, and just continue on past Ruskie to Seven Gables trail, then intersect with the JMT/PCT and then back Italy Pass to the TH."

Where is the "Seven Gables trail" that you speak of (I see it on the map, but don't understand how you would connect it to Italy Pass)? How would you get to that trail?

[balzaccom]

I agree with Frank on the above...

But you said you'd post photos of we ask.

I'm asking!

[FrankPS]

Oh, I think the Seven Gables trail you speak of is actually the East Fork of Bear Creek. Which turns cross-country before Bear Lakes. You could get to Italy Pass from there with some routefinding and off-trail.

[Wandering Daisy]

Depending on where you go, you may not be able to pick up a permit at a ranger station. You have to wait until the quota system ends, and I think each entity has different dates for that. Permitting has changed, is annoying and complex and internet only, run to Reserve.gov. You may want to look at our posts on permits. All the routes you describe permit from Inyo NF which does not issue permits from ranger-stations. I think you will have to get your permits 1-3 days in advance, through Reserve.gov. Call Inyo NF and ask if they still have a self-register off season permit and if so when that starts. I think Yosemite still allows free self-register (with an on-your-honor quota system) early and late season.

Assuming you get permits, for the Bear Basin loop, I do not think Ruskie Pass is the most efficient route. Rather than extra distance carrying a full pack, once in Bear Basin via Feather Pass or another unnamed pass directly east of V-Lake, it is an easy day-hike down to Gables Lake. Hauling a pack over passes may not be a problem for you. Personally, I prefer to do some day-hiking on a trip.

As for late season trips, being experienced, you probably already are aware that the later you go (such as mid to late October) you need to be able to quickly bail out if a big storm comes in. I would not want to have to bail out from the middle of Bear Basin or from Gardiner Lakes -- too many high passes to go over before you can get out. All your routes would be better done in September.

[thegib]

I'd vote for the Bear lakes for reasons of solitude, scenery, and proper loop. My memory of Ruskie and Granite Bear is colored by last year's snow load and I was gonna say they're more advanced than your AA wilderness trip. But G-B w/o snow, which is likely come end of Sept, isn't difficult (although better going E-W). (Ruskie I've only done while trying to avoid heavy snow which my partner has a phobia of, so it it may be much easier than I remember.). I'd recommend Merriam lake and over Feather pass down to Vee. Then dayhike Seven Gables lakes and head out over G-B pass. Feather being more straight-forward.

[Rider51]

I agree with Frank on the above...

But you said you'd post photos of we ask.

I'm asking!

Map details and comments in a minute.

Here was the traverse from Iceberg to Cecile. If this were all rock (like it is in some years) I might do it again, but this was the third time in my life I've done it (4th if you count an out and back trip 15+ years ago), and it was the very limit of my comfort. The boulder hopping around Cecile was also painfully slow going, but I didn't feel unsafe there, though the snowfield on the far side of Cecile in the photo was so sketchy I completely went up and around it.

Iceberg Traverse.jpg

Iceberg.jpg

Iceberg panorama traverse.jpg

Cecile Boulders.jpg

6 Clyde sunset 1.jpg

[Rider51]

Excellent responses.

I'm pretty open minded to any variant here. I would like to get to Evolution Basin, and Italy Lake some day, but that's about it. I visited the east end of Granite Park many years ago and recall it being a tough push to get there, which is why these kinds of moderately tough trips are a bit of a priority, as I'm not going to want to do this when I'm 70!

I'd vote for the Bear lakes for reasons of solitude, scenery, and proper loop. My memory of Ruskie and Granite Bear is colored by last year's snow load and I was gonna say they're more advanced than your AA wilderness trip. But G-B w/o snow, which is likely come end of Sept, isn't difficult (although better going E-W). (Ruskie I've only done while trying to avoid heavy snow which my partner has a phobia of, so it it may be much easier than I remember.). I'd recommend Merriam lake and over Feather pass down to Vee. Then dayhike Seven Gables lakes and head out over G-B pass. Feather being more straight-forward.

Thanks so much! I had not considered Feather Pass, but I would be very open to it. My idea was I would go past Merriam, then Ruskie east to west. I would only do it if it were 99% free of snow. But if Feather Pass is easier overall, that would be great.

You can't go wrong with the North Lake to South Lake trip. The only issue is getting back to your car from South Lake.

I'd arrange it somehow. I've done this in the past. The key is to plan to have someone meet you in the morning where your trip is to finish and leave your car there. Then they drive you to the starting TH, and they are done with their "job". The only problem is if your driver bails on you.

If you wanted to add some spice to it, you could start at North Lake and go over Lamarck Col, instead of Paiute Pass.

My map trail does go over Lamarck Col. If I'm reading between the lines, I think you're saying if I went Paiute Pass I'd have the pleasure of Paiute Canyon and it's views, versus the more rugged Lamarck Col. I'm honestly open to either.

A professional photographer I know recommended Evolution Basin as a favorite place in the Sierras. I think his key suggestion is to not just hike through it, but spend an extra day there just wandering around. IIRC he went to Davis Lake as a side trip, which seems very doable, judging by this previous thread: viewtopic.php?t=9982

I don't understand your last option, "The other (longer, but maybe easier) is to skip the slow traverses over the Bear lakes/pass, and just continue on past Ruskie to Seven Gables trail, then intersect with the JMT/PCT and then back Italy Pass to the TH."

Where is the "Seven Gables trail" that you speak of (I see it on the map, but don't understand how you would connect it to Italy Pass)? How would you get to that trail?

Sorry I wasn't very clear. Hopefully this map will clear things up. This would be an option presuming I went to Merriam, then over Ruskie Pass to Seven Gables Basin/Lakes. Instead of trying to get to the Bear Lakes and over Dancing Bear Pass, I would follow the map below.

Just so everyone knows, I'm open to just about anything, including "hub and spoke" trips. An example would be to BP into Merriam Lake, or Granite Park, or Darwin Canyon, etc. then just do 2-3 day hikes on trails, up ridges, over passes that aren't sketchy. That would be fine.
.

Itally Pass Seven Gables.jpg

[stevet]

I might have missed it but looks like no one has commented yet on the north "exit" of 60 Lakes Basin. The exit via Basin Notch is easy with no particular challenges. The south facing ascent I'd describe as Class 1, and the north facing descent easy Class 2.

Of the route options you listed, as most have noted, Bear Lakes the one to consider.

[Gogd]

@ Rider 51: Your buddy is in good company. Ansel Adams considered the portion of the JMT that is part of the North to South Lakes P2P as among the most beautiful of the range. Likewise Outdoors Mag rated it as among the top 50 hikes of the US. There are multiple side trips en route at least as appealing as Davis lake, that warrant taking as many days as you can commit to this project. Going this late in the season you'll encounter only a fraction of the traffic normally encountered on the JMT, nowadays. As for transportation logistics: I've always managed to commission one of the employees working at Parchers or Cardinal Resort to drive me from whenever I leave my car - South Lake - then drive me to the trailhead at North Lake. Arrive a day early to make these arrangements; anticipate starting the day at first light so the employee can be back in time to start their work shift.

Ed