Here is my version of the trip.
I expected to start Tuesday after Memorial Day but since there was no camping along the road near my start I started on Memorial Day at 5:00 after finishing off all my car camping food, storing all my remaining food, beer, cooking stuff in the Yosemite Creek bear boxes, and too hastily finishing packing and changing into my backcountry outfit that Mark is so enamored with. I found an ok campsite e. of Harden Lake (an ugly pond that doesn't deserve a name) and after setting up camp started to cut a piece of cheese when I realized that Old Age onset Attention Deficit Disorder had struck again--I had neglected to transfer my pocket knife to my hiking shorts!
Tuesday-- 11 miles hiking 3 miles of progress! Returned to car for pocketknife and moved camp down to an old trail crew camp at about 5700 ft on the side of the Tuolumne River Canyon. Just after I got camp set up the first thunderstorm of the trip hit. The evening view down to Hetch Hetchy was pretty nice.
Hetch Hetchy Overlook.JPG
Next day was down to Pate and up into the lower Piute Creek Drainage, again the civilized thunderstorm waited until after camp was set up. Didn't even see a rattlesnake.
Next day I hit the trail before 7, which is a record for me. With nothing better to do I counted switchbacks up the trail. 74 to a creek crossing and another 26 to the jct with the trail from Rodgers Lake. My big mistake of the day was carrying 90 oz of water--the map indicated a dry trip but spring conditions provided regular access to water--switchbacks 45, 55, and the creek crossing after switchback 74. I don't think I would count on water after July 1. I arrived at Table lake in the early afternoon, found a good campsite but really didn't like the lake--lots of lillypads and other veg and the water was tea colored by tannins from the vegetation. Scouted around and discovered the micro topography and brush made travel difficult. Saw but did not catch any fish in Table Lake in about 10 minutes of fishing.
On Thursday moved camp to Irwin Bright. The map suggested that I need not hike all the way down to Pleasant Valley and that there appeared to be a shelf that I could take. It looked good when I got there and went well for a while but soon I was crossing a maze of 20 ft. ridges, gullies, frog ponds and numerous aspen, willow, and brush thickets. Once committed I continued on and eventually made the lake, set up my tent on a rock slab, jumped in the tent for a 5 minute thunderstorm. Caught 2 12 inch fish--one had rainbow characteristics the other appeared more like a cutthroat with larger black spots and the orange slash below the lower jaw.
Friday, I followed a ducked route out that provided very easy hiking--no brush, no thickets. I was committed to get to Saddle Horse Lake because Russ had expressed an interest in it. I was concerned that Piute Creek would block my way. Fortunately there was a nice log jam that provided a nice crossing point. There are multiple routes up the rock slabs to Saddle Horse with the only problem being avoiding brush coming out of Pleasant Valley. Saddle Horse, like Table and Irwin Bright had tannin stained water and lots of aspen. Fall must be spectacular. Fishing was pretty good I caught about 7 rainbow between 13 and 16 1/2 inches long. I kept the smallest for dinner.
Dinner.JPG
I walked to the far end of the lake to check out the inlet creek and see how much spawning was available. It appeared adequate if the water lasted long enough for the fry to emerge and make their way to the lake.
Saddle Horse from Upper end.JPG
Didn't leave the lake until about 5. Met 3 guys after I recrossed Piute Creek and they asked me how I got across. I replied "I walked, how else do you get across water?" One guy said they should have a bridge across the creek. I replied , "the grass is growing a foot tall in the middle of the trail there is not enough use to justify a bridge."
Trail out of Pate Valley.JPG
For the remainder of the day see my response in "The Camp Fire," HST sticker sited.
The following day Maverick wanted to hike up to Benson. I thought I needed a rest day and Maverick decided since he had a cold that he would take it easy too,
Maverick at work.JPG
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On monday we took a liesurely hike out as far as Pate Valley. Me taking snapshots and Maverick taking photos. We actually got rained on a little when coming down the switchbacks. Maverick wanted to go on to the 5700 ft overlook but I noted it was 5 and time for 151. Even though he doesn't drink he consented to stop. By now he was calling me "old man" so he was probably trying to take care of me. Minutes after arriving in camp we watched a bear cross the bridge in the opposite direction we had just crossed. Dang if we had been 20 minutes later we might have had a more interesting encounter.
Tuesday AM Maverick shook my hand good by while I was still in my tent. He had to get to the bay area and I had a liesurely walk to good old camp 5700.
another 5700+ Sunset.JPG
The last day I was out by 11 and beat the cold more general storm that would hit the sierra for the next few days. What a nice "Low Sierra" trip. It was great sharing time with Maverick and hope he was not too bored with his short, slow days on the trail.
Cheers
Mike