Beck Lakes
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:00 am
Just reserved a permit for Beck Lakes Aug 5-8 for two of us. I've never been in that drainage or the King Creek drainage further south so despite packing into the Ritter Range a long list of times, this will be my first adventure into this southern zone.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.62402,-119.14415&z=14&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
We had a 9-day trip planned across the Silver Divide but I've shelved that plan for this summer to save PTO days in case I need to visit a relative who has been ill. Thus mulled over a list of short trip ideas and came up with this basin. My bro is an avid fisherman and I'm expecting some decent rainbow action in the 8 lakes in that zone. Lakes less visited than the more famous ones north.
I'll set up a Wednesday night box permit pickup. After the long drive from the SF Bay Area, we'll sign and grab the permit, drive over pass down to the Postpile, and immediately start a night hike 1.6 miles 540 feet up to the trail junction below Johnson Lake that is outside the wilderness boundary that we might reach by midnight. Both of us habitually rise early dawn so ought be well up the trail by sunrise. Seeing how the horse trail is not that efficient, at the crest of a knoll at 2880+ we'll vector off crosscountry to cut over a saddle at 2940+ making a short cut to forested Superior Lake (saving about 300 feet of up/down) we will enjoy most of the day and camp at Thursday night. Notice several ponds se of the lake to check. May ramble over to Noname and Holcomb too.
Then Friday at 4:30am will climb up to Nancy Pass, wandering a bit east on the ridge and set up the view camera for sunrise and early morning pics. Back down in the canyon we'll move up to the west end of lower Beck Lake where I expect to camp a couple nights. I see an intersting unblocked pond up high west of Holcomb that I hope to climb up to in the morning for pics down on the two lakes that also might provide Ritter ridge line and dawn/dusk views.
I had ordered a really lightweight Big Sky International tent a couple months ago but I cancelled it due to product delays. Instead yesterday I ordered a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 which is a freestanding tent even lighter at 2.3 pounds. Also ordered four of those 1.5 ounce polycryo ground sheets from gossamergear many have talked up. that I ought have in my hands next week and will bring out on this trip. If any of you have been in that zone, please comment.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.62402,-119.14415&z=14&t=T" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
We had a 9-day trip planned across the Silver Divide but I've shelved that plan for this summer to save PTO days in case I need to visit a relative who has been ill. Thus mulled over a list of short trip ideas and came up with this basin. My bro is an avid fisherman and I'm expecting some decent rainbow action in the 8 lakes in that zone. Lakes less visited than the more famous ones north.
I'll set up a Wednesday night box permit pickup. After the long drive from the SF Bay Area, we'll sign and grab the permit, drive over pass down to the Postpile, and immediately start a night hike 1.6 miles 540 feet up to the trail junction below Johnson Lake that is outside the wilderness boundary that we might reach by midnight. Both of us habitually rise early dawn so ought be well up the trail by sunrise. Seeing how the horse trail is not that efficient, at the crest of a knoll at 2880+ we'll vector off crosscountry to cut over a saddle at 2940+ making a short cut to forested Superior Lake (saving about 300 feet of up/down) we will enjoy most of the day and camp at Thursday night. Notice several ponds se of the lake to check. May ramble over to Noname and Holcomb too.
Then Friday at 4:30am will climb up to Nancy Pass, wandering a bit east on the ridge and set up the view camera for sunrise and early morning pics. Back down in the canyon we'll move up to the west end of lower Beck Lake where I expect to camp a couple nights. I see an intersting unblocked pond up high west of Holcomb that I hope to climb up to in the morning for pics down on the two lakes that also might provide Ritter ridge line and dawn/dusk views.
I had ordered a really lightweight Big Sky International tent a couple months ago but I cancelled it due to product delays. Instead yesterday I ordered a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 which is a freestanding tent even lighter at 2.3 pounds. Also ordered four of those 1.5 ounce polycryo ground sheets from gossamergear many have talked up. that I ought have in my hands next week and will bring out on this trip. If any of you have been in that zone, please comment.