High Sierra Topix

Hi everyone!

I have a permit for a four-night trip entering at Bishop Pass Trailhead in July. I’m trying to decide between two trip options:

1. South Lake to North Lake Loop - enter Bishop Pass and exit over Piute Pass

2. Basin Exploring - enter Bishop Pass, explore Dusy Basin, Palisade Basin, and then cross over to Ionian Basin. Exit back through Dusy Basin and out over Bishop Pass.

What would you recommend?

I think #2 will take you more than four nights, unless you're extremely fit.

Number 1 is doable in four nights, but you will have at least one big (high-mileage) day, with only four nights. Many years ago, I did it as a four-nighter, but I went from Little Pete Meadow to the car on the last day. That was fairly taxing.

Trip 2 is an out and back. No loop makes sense. Even if you breezed over T-bolt pass day one, did knapsack and some JMT day 2, day 3 over Black Giant pass and into Ionian basin, then you'd have to turn right around and go out the same way. I'd say do the loop, even if it's all trail miles. Alternatively you might go over Potluck pass and Cirque pass to Palisade lakes, explore the basin between Bolton Brown and Disappointment peaks and then out via the JMT and Bishop pass.

Why not exit (south-north lake) via Lamark Col? A lot easier and a bit shorter than Alpine Col and Piute Pass. If you take the trail all the way around via Evolution Valey and up Piute Creek- gets very boring, very long, and hideously hot up Piute Creek. Lamark Col is used enough to have a fair use-trail to the pass then a better trail down to North Lake TH. Same ending trailhead so your permit is OK.

Like Maverick's post shows- would really help if you state your experience.

I am assuming since your profiles describes your experience as Level 2 that both of these options are more ambitious than anything you previously have done. Perhaps share with us your more ambitious previous forays so we have some context how to address you inquiry.

I generally agree with everything others have already stated.

• The basic S/N lakes loop, entirely on-trail is a long one, given your time allotment.
• S/N loop via Lamark Col is the most feasible option of those suggested, so far. Getting over the col is a big grunt up, but otherwise a good intro to XC hiking, as you will not get lost or be forced to send a sketchy route.
• Your #2 option just ain't possible in the time allotted, unless you happen to be one of those folks who do ultra endurance activities, but then you probably have no need to seek anyone's advice if that were the case.
• Doing a P2P out to Palisades basin is a good option. But I suggest considering making a Dusy Basin basecamp and bagging Mt Agassiz might offer a more gratifying adventure. Whatever you do, it is not a good idea for you to attempt making a Palisades Basin trek that exists the basin via XC down to Deer Meadow. The XC to Deer Meadow will take much more time than it looks on the map and really is no fun at all!
• Doing a P2P over Bishop Pass to Ladder lake is also a great option, a lot less traveled than other nearby XC opportunities .
• Doing the Hurd Peak traverse via the pass between Margaret Lake and Lake 11176 is a good adventure. Extend the trip, with day hike options while in the South Fork Basin. Traversing Chocolate Peak (and bagging it while you are at it) and a scamper up SE slope of Mt Goode are fine full day activities.
• Consider the P2P trek from South Lake to Glacier Lodge. Start from South Lake, to Green Lake, then XC over to North Fork Big Pine Creek, via the pass due south of Thunder and Lightning Lake. It is a novel trek, in that part of the hike is on the water pipe trail(?!) The portion of the route from Green Lake to below #6 Big Pine Lake is a seldom traveled route with several variations to it. As a bonus a spectacular vista awaits, just a short walk west from the saddle of the aforementioned pass. You probably need to change your permit to do this hike, but the Green Lake trail has no quota, so that should be no problem.

Ed

ricetexan10 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 12:52 pm Hi everyone!

I have a permit for a four-night trip entering at Bishop Pass Trailhead in July. I’m trying to decide between two trip options:

1. South Lake to North Lake Loop - enter Bishop Pass and exit over Piute Pass

2. Basin Exploring - enter Bishop Pass, explore Dusy Basin, Palisade Basin, and then cross over to Ionian Basin. Exit back through Dusy Basin and out over Bishop Pass.

What would you recommend?

The bridge that crosses the South Fork of the San Joaquin River is out and will complicate your option #1. It was damaged last year and was removed completely last fall. Location is in the link below:

https://jmtwilderness.org/san-joaquin-b ... ge-update/

Bummer to hear about the bridge outage - that would certainly complicate the loop hike. Thank you to all for the input on my July trip. I have primarily backpacked on trail in the Sierra and would like to dip my toes in some reasonable XC this summer.

Thanks for putting me off the thought that I could fit in the Ionian during a four night trip.

All the best!

Spent some time with the Tom Harrison map last evening and have settled on the following itinerary. It will set me up with mostly trail miles, a bit of XC, and the opportunity to explore a couple of basins along the way. Let me know if this seems doable for someone with mostly trail backpacking (up to 20 miles/day) experience.

Day 1: South Lake over Bishop Pass, camp in Dusy Basin
Day 2: Dusy Basin down to LeConte Canyon
Day 3: LeConte Canyon over Muir Pass to Evolution Basin
Day 4: Evolution Basin over Lamarck Col to Upper Lamarck Lake
Day 5: Exit North Lake, retrieve car at South Lake

Cheers!

Very doable. And fun!